Career Center

Under general supervision of the Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Student Life, the incumbent is responsible for the direction and management of all activities and services of the mental health program at Westchester Community College. An incumbent works to ensure there are sufficient and appropriate clinical (counseling) personnel and outside providers of mental health services to meet the needs of students. Additionally, the incumbent is responsible for ensuring the delivery of services conforms with and is conducted within the parameters of established departmental policies and procedures as well as compliant with all state and federal laws. Supervision is exercised over clinical (counseling), programmatic, and clerical personnel. Does related work as required.

Major Responsibilities/Activities include the following: 

• Develops and articulates departmental policies, sets operational goals and objectives, and manages and assesses mental health programs, services and initiatives, to include, but not limited to: individual one-on-one counseling, group counseling, peer support, psychoeducation workshops, telehealth services, and on-going training and support provided to the greater college community.
• Supervises, reviews and approves major departmental operations, in conjunction with other college offices, including licensure, annual budgets, program plans, and personnel matters.
• Prepares and issues standards for student clinical care and general record keeping in accordance with all relevant state and federal laws and guidelines.
• Provides clinical supervision to employed licensed mental health professionals in the department and provides for their maintenance through required in-service training.
• Consults with faculty, staff, and administration about trauma-informed best practices and effective methods to interact with students experiencing psychological distress.
• Co-chairs the College's Community Assessment & Risk Evaluation (CARE) Team, who are responsible for reviewing and responding to reports of student behavior that may pose a risk of harm to self or others.
• Co-chairs the College's Mental Health Task Force (MHTF), who use a holistic, public health framework to assess the current culture and services related to student mental health.
• Chairs the Alcohol & Other Drug Task Force, responsible for managing the College's compliance with the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of 1989, including the drafting of the Biennial Report.
• Ensures compliance with all requirements for a clinical counseling center, including those required for licensure of clinicians per state requirements; will prepare completion of all audits and required reports.
• Ensures the implementation of federal Title IX regulations with respect to providing confidential reporting by students who wish to disclose incidents of sexual harassment/assault.
• Oversee implementation and utilization of effective technologies to meet demands of a comprehensive counseling center, including but not limited to: confidential note system, telehealth platforms, screening tools, and psychoeducation platforms.
• Stays abreast of current trends in the field of mental health, particularly as they relate to college student mental health; attends and participates in meetings, conferences, and seminars of local, state, and professional associations.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:  Possession of a valid license and current registration as an LMSW, LCSW or LMHC, issued by the New York State Department of Education and six years of experience in the field of mental health.  The successful candidate must also have knowledge and commitment to the goals and mission of the community college and evidence of responsiveness to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds of community college students required, as these factors relate to the need for equity-minded practice within the classroom.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: Five or more years of clinical/mental health counseling experience at an institution of higher education, preferably at a community college. 

About SUNY Westchester Community College

Westchester Community College provides accessible, high quality and affordable education to meet the needs of our diverse community. We are committed to student success, academic excellence, workforce development, economic development and lifelong learning. There are approximately 12,000 full- and part-time college credit students. Continuing education students bring the total number served by the college each semester to more than 24,000.

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