Director of Counseling Services

Under the general direction of the vice president for community and inclusivity, the director of counseling services will provide clinical services to students and student-centered leadership to licensed staff and clinical trainees who respond to the diverse mental health needs of our undergraduate and graduate students. The director of counseling services will serve as the voice of mental health on campus and develop a comprehensive vision of mental health through clinical service, outreach and education across campus. Hood College Counseling Services (HCCS) is a unit within the Division of Community & Inclusivity.

Hood College is a premier, comprehensive liberal arts college located on a striking and stunningly picturesque campus in the vibrant central Maryland city of Frederick. Hood offers both undergraduate and graduate students an excellent and holistic educational experience that prepares them for personal and professional achievement and productive participation in society. Approximately forty percent of all undergraduates are from diverse populations, with 39% of graduate students from diverse populations.

Essential Duties include the following.  Other duties may be assigned. 

• Provide clinical mental health services to students – (40%)
  • Provide intake assessments and effective treatment planning.
  • Provide individual and group counseling to students presenting with a variety of personal, social, academic, and mental health concerns.
  • Use a culturally responsive framework in providing mental health services for students from marginalized groups. Attention is given to the impact of systemic inequality, racism, and discrimination as well as identity-specific sources of strength and resilience.
  • Provide case management and appropriate referrals to off-campus providers as needed.
  • Provide crisis assessment, intervention, and consultation as needed.
  • Maintain accurate, adequate, and timely documentation of treatment records including assessment, treatment plans, progress notes, correspondence with others, and termination records.
  • Follow professional ethics, state laws, HIPAA/FERPA, and Hood College procedures for the administration, documentation and requests for treatment records.
• Provide outreach, education and support on-campus – (40%)
  • Lead the design of comprehensive mental health educational programs, messages and materials tailored to the specific experiences of students.
  • Develop training and educational presentations for faculty, staff and student leaders regarding mental health generally and campus climate specifically.
  • Serve as unifying voice around mental health issues and consultant in critical times.
  • Collaborate with the Director of Wellness, Dean of Student Life, Dean of the Graduate School, Chief of Campus Safety and Vice President of Community and Inclusivity regarding both general and specific student wellness and safety concerns as appropriate.
  • Collaborate with the Department of Psychology and Counseling to host mental health and substance use screenings each semester and other programming as needed.
  • Collaborate with other departments across campus (Accessibility Services and Student Success, Office of Residence Life, Counseling/Psychology department, etc.) to further develop an inclusive, accessible, and just campus environment for all students. 
  • Serves as mental health expert on several campus committees including, but not limited to the behavioral intervention team, (BIT) student success council, graduate mental health task force, and risk management committee.

• Perform administrative duties in an organized and ethical manner – (20%)
  • Oversee daily operations of Counseling Services including workload distribution, resource allocation, policy & procedure adherence and risk management.
  • Provide administrative and clinical supervision to staff, LGPCs and Counseling graduate interns on a weekly basis.
  • Provide emergency consultation and supervision to Counseling graduate interns providing direct clinical services.
  • Maintain and grow relationships with community mental health providers such as the NeighborHood Counseling Training Center (NCTC) and the Mental Health Association of Frederick County.
  • Maintain clinical schedule, respond to email and phone inquiries within one business day during the week and the following Monday if on the weekend.
  • Attend regular staff, departmental and divisional meetings, professional development sessions and other meetings assigned by the supervisor.
  • Establish and maintain collaborative relationships with local hospitals, substance abuse and mental health agencies, and mental health professionals.
  • Observe state and national statues and guidelines related to pr