Student Mental Health Specialist -Student Experience and Support

University of Calgary; Calgary; On-site; CAD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Calgary is seeking a Full-time Limited Term Student Mental Health Specialist for approximately 12 months. The role provides specialized mental health assessment, crisis support, care coordination, and follow-up for students with diverse psychosocial needs on campus.

Reporting to the Director of Student Wellness Services, the position is mainly based at the Main Campus with potential travel to other campuses.

Qualifications

• Degree in Nursing, Social Work, or related health field.
• Current registration with Alberta regulatory body in RN/LPN/RPN/RSW.
• 3–5 years in mental health, crisis intervention or related setting.
• Experience with case management and care coordination preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide mental health assessment, triage, brief intervention, crisis support, and follow-up.
• Conduct suicide/self-harm risk assessments and safety planning.
• Deliver psychoeducation and wellness interventions for coping and sleep.
• Coordinate referrals and follow-up with internal/external services.
• Maintain accurate clinical documentation and confidentiality.
• Participate in team meetings, policy development, and outreach activities.

Skills

Mental health assessment

Crisis intervention

Care coordination

Case management

Trauma-informed care

Cultural responsiveness

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Clinical documentation

Education

Degree in Nursing, Social Work, or related

Active registration with Alberta regulator

Tools

Accuro

Job description

Description

Student Wellness Services is currently seeking a Full-time Limited Term Student Mental Health Specialist for approximately 12 months.

As a member of the Student Wellness Services team, the Student Mental Health Specialist provides specialized mental health assessment, intervention, crisis support, care coordination, case management, health education, and follow-up to students presenting with a broad range of mental health and psychosocial concerns. The position works collaboratively with physicians, psychiatrists, nurses, counsellors, Student Support Advisors, Student Accessibility Services, and internal and external community resources to provide timely, student-centred, trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and evidence-informed care.

The Student Mental Health Specialist supports students experiencing concerns such as anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, self-harm, acute emotional distress, adjustment difficulties, trauma-related concerns, substance use, and other psychosocial issues. The position conducts mental health and risk assessments, develops safety plans, provides brief interventions and supportive care, coordinates referrals and follow-up, and responds appropriately to urgent and emergent mental health presentations within the scope of professional practice.

The successful candidate will demonstrate strong clinical judgment, critical thinking, therapeutic communication, crisis intervention, and care coordination skills, and will establish professional, compassionate, non-judgmental, and culturally responsive relationships with students from diverse backgrounds. The position also contributes to mental health promotion, prevention, early intervention, wellness education, outreach, and programming within the university community.

The position reports to the Director, Student Wellness Services and is predominantly located at the University of Calgary Main Campus; however, travel to other campuses may be required. The position works 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday, generally between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., in accordance with the AUPE Collective Agreement. .

Summary of Key Responsibilities (job functions include but are not limited to):

• Provides mental health assessment, triage, brief intervention, crisis support, and follow-up to students experiencing a range of mental health and psychosocial concerns.
• Conducts suicide and self-harm risk assessments, develops safety plans, responds to mental health emergencies, and facilitates appropriate escalation, referrals, and emergency care when required.
• Provides evidence-informed mental health support, psychoeducation, health education, and wellness interventions related to coping, stress management, emotional regulation, sleep, substance use, and overall student well-being.
• Provides case management and care coordination for students with complex or ongoing mental health needs, including follow-up, referrals, resource navigation, and coordination with internal and external healthcare and community services.
• Works collaboratively with the broader student wellness services multidisciplinary team of physicians, psychiatrist, nurses, counsellors, Student Support Advisors, Student Accessibility Services, and other university and community partners to coordinate student-centred care.
• Establishes and maintains therapeutic relationships with students using trauma-informed, culturally responsive, compassionate, and non-judgmental approaches.
• Maintains accurate and timely clinical documentation, including assessments, risk assessments, safety plans, interventions, referrals, follow-up, and care coordination, while maintaining confidentiality and privacy.
• Participates in interdisciplinary case conferences, team meetings, quality improvement initiatives, and the development and implementation of mental health policies, procedures, and service pathways.
• Contributes to mental health promotion, prevention, early intervention, education, outreach, workshops, and wellness initiatives for the university community.
• Maintains current knowledge of evidence-informed mental health practices, suicide prevention, crisis intervention, trauma-informed care, and student mental health trends.
• Participates in orientation, mentorship, preceptorship, and other team activities as appropriate to professional background and scope of practice.
• Performs other related duties within the scope of professional practice and as assigned by the Director or Clinic Manager, Student Wellness Services.

Qualifications / Requirements:

• A degree in Nursing, Social Work, or a related health or mental health discipline is required.
• Current registration and good standing as a Registered Nurse (RN), Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), Registered Psychiatric Nurse (RPN), or Registered Social Worker (RSW) with the applicable Alberta regulatory body is required.
• 3-5 years of relevant experience in mental health, psychiatric care, community health, social work, crisis intervention, or a related setting is required.
• Demonstrated experience in mental health assessment, suicide and self-harm risk assessment, crisis intervention, and care planning is required.
• Experience providing case management, care coordination, referrals, and follow-up for individuals with complex mental health or psychosocial needs is preferred.
• Experience working with young adults and/or post-secondary student populations is preferred.
• Experience providing trauma-informed and culturally responsive mental health services is preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to recognize and respond appropriately to mental health emergencies and escalating risk within professional scope of practice.
• Excellent therapeutic communication, interpersonal, clinical documentation, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills are required.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective therapeutic relationships and work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to prioritize competing demands and work independently.
• Experience with electronic medical records or case management systems, such as Accuro or similar, is preferred.
• Current CPR-C/BLS certification is required for candidates whose professional scope requires it.
• Experience with mental health promotion, education, prevention, outreach, or early intervention is preferred.
• Demonstrated commitment to student-centred, compassionate, non-judgmental, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive care.

Application Deadline:

October 25, 2026

This position is part of the AUPE bargaining unit, and falls under the Specialist / Advisor Job Family, Phase 3.

For a listing of all management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary, view our Management and Staff Careers website.

About the University of Calgary

UCalgary is Canada's entrepreneurial university, located in Canada's most enterprising city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 36,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada's leader in the creation of start-ups. Start something today at the University of Calgary. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.

The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy ii' taa'poh'to'p committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.

The university's commitment to the Indigenous Strategy is evident through the oversight of 18 Elders serving on the Circle of Advisors and the many unit-based circles working towards implementation of the strategy including the Faculty Advisory Circle and teams such as the Office of Indigenous Engagement, the Writing Symbols Lodge, and the Indigenous Research Support Team. Many Indigenous-based events and processes are impacting curriculum, programming and polices at the University of Calgary.

As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Institutional Commitments ([e-mail]) and requests for accommodations can be sent to People & Culture ([e-mail]).

Do you have most but not all the qualifications? Research show that women, racialized and visible minorities, and persons with disabilities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At UCalgary we are committed to achieving equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible employment practices and workplaces and encourage you to apply if you believe you are right for this role.