Director of Counseling & Psychological Services

Division of Student Affairs

Administrator II

RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES: 

Strategic Leadership:

Provides vision and strategic direction for CAPS; develops long- and short-term plans for mental health service delivery, including strategic planning and goal setting, identifying and achieving service objectives, managing staff, financial, and other resources, conducting program evaluation, and engaging in counseling, outreach, consultation, and preventive mental health activities. Develops, implements, and evaluates the vision, purpose, aims, objectives, and strategies for all programs and services within CAPS. Creates comprehensive planning, implementation, assessment, and quality improvement strategies for counseling services to ensure a positive experience for students, faculty, and staff, with a focus on student development, satisfaction, and retention. Regularly monitors and reports on CAPS' financial status. Produces administrative and financial plans, proposals, and reports to support CAPS' work and keep internal and external stakeholders informed on key issues. Advises the Assistant Vice President for Student Wellness (AVPSW) and other university officials on crises, offering guidance on mental health services and interventions. Acts as a key member of the multidisciplinary team and crisis response unit, providing consultation, leading CAPS participation in emergency responses, and offering post-crisis support. Develops and updates emergency plans to ensure safety for students and staff and supports the creation and evaluation of the Student Wellness (SW) Business Continuity Plan, Emergency Operations Plan, and Resource Allocation and Management Plan. Promotes a data-driven approach to problem-solving and decision-making. Implements best practices in designing, developing, and overseeing mental health programs. Develops and executes programs and services within CAPS that align with the university’s strong student-centered philosophy. Assists with strategic planning, mid- and long-range planning, and overall assessment and quality improvement efforts for CAPS. Serves as the administrator, lead trainer, and consultant for CAPS; designs and conducts workshops and creates materials to promote CAPS services and support students, faculty, and staff in mental health matters. Ensures CAPS compliance with relevant federal, state, and local laws, as well as professional standards, CSU and CSUCI policies, procedures, and guidelines. Recommends, develops, and implements policy and procedural changes to ensure compliance. Oversees financial resource planning, allocation, and management for CAPS. Prepares the annual operating budget and manages financial policies and procedures. Oversees staff resource planning, allocation, and management within CAPS. Trains, supervises, and evaluates all staff members. Develops and recommends long-term personnel strategies based on enrollment projections, expected revenue, and strategic goals.

Clinical Oversight:

Maintains a limited clinical caseload, provides supervision, ensures adherence to standards, and guides evidence-based practices.  Provides consultation/liaison to the University community, particularly in high-risk and crises. Fosters effective working relationships with faculty, staff, and administrators. Must maintain legally required confidentiality, be highly knowledgeable of the legal responsibility to report individuals at risk of harm to self/others, and to maintain strict informational boundaries that in this environment are highly subject to pressure.  Advances equity-minded practices and social justice with CAPS operations where appropriate, ensures services are accessible, promotes an organizational culture of collaboration, and provides leadership development for CAPS staff. As time and resources permit, participates in regional, state, and national organizations on psychological services, student affairs, and higher education. Assists the AVP for Student Wellness with providing leadership on special projects. Creates, develops, and maintains a robust Mental Health Peer Program (MHPP).

Crisis Management:

Serves as a member of the University's Multidisciplinary team (MDT) and assists the university in crisis response efforts, specifically providing consultation as it pertains to mental health interventions and actively leading CAPS participation in emergency response and post-crisis support for individual and campus-level needs. Leads the creation of clear, effective, and proactive plans for avoiding or mitigating newly emerged and evolving threats. Make level-headed decisions in crises—alert top management about relevant threats.  Develops expertise in threat assessment, trains MDT team and campus community; evaluates violence prevention protocols. Develops ongoing expertise in threat assessment an