Director, Mental Health Services

Art Center College of Design; Pasadena, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

ArtCenter College of Design seeks an experienced Director of Mental Health Services to lead counseling and wellness programming, ensuring policy compliance and ethical standards across campus.

The role oversees service delivery, collaborates with faculty and departments, and coordinates with community health resources. Flexible scheduling, on-site and potential hybrid arrangements are available.

Qualifications

• Master’s in clinical or counseling psychology with California licensure required.
• 5–7 years post-licensure experience in counseling settings.
• Minimum 3 years directing or managing a counseling center or wellness program.
• Experience leading a department and managing performance.
• Experience with crisis management and risk assessments.
• Trauma-informed, culturally responsive, equity-centered practices.
• Experience delivering health promotion programming and presentations.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for counseling services and mental health programming.
• Develop, implement, and evaluate policies and procedures aligned with ethical standards.
• Ensure compliance with laws and professional standards (FERPA, HIPAA).
• Lead marketing to increase awareness of mental health resources on campus.
• Manage contracts with off-campus providers and supervise records.
• Review data on service usage and make recommendations to leadership.
• Promote health and wellness and support diverse student needs.
• Provide crises intervention and collaborate with campus teams.

Skills

Leadership

Policy development

Crisis management

Communication

Collaboration

Education

Master’s in clinical or counseling psychology

California licensure

Doctorate (preferred)

Job description

ArtCenter College of Design is searching for an experienced Director, Mental Health Services to join our team.

The salary range for this position: $90,000.00 - 100,000.00 Exempt

Finalsalary is based on education, experience, skills relevant to therole, and internal equity.

About ArtCenter

Founded in 1930 and located in Pasadena, California, ArtCenter College of Design is a globalleader in art and design education and has had an international reputation forits rigorous, transdisciplinary curriculum, faculty of professionals, strongties to industry, and commitment to socially responsible design. ArtCenter is aprivate nonprofit fully accredited by the WASC Senior College and UniversityCommission (WSCUC).

Every position atArtCenter plays an important part in carrying out the cultural values, goals,strategic vision, and mission of the College.This includes upholding andcultivating an inclusive, respectful, and welcoming environment where everyonefeels a sense of belonging.

Reporting to the Dean of Students, the Director will oversee counseling services and mental health programming for the College. This includes evaluating current policies and procedures, as well as creating and modifying policies and practices as appropriate, to support a holistic approach to meeting the mental health and developmental needs of ArtCenter students. The incumbent serves as the lead administrator for campus counseling services, will promote health and wellness through prevention and educational programming, and offer individual counseling to students. This position also supports the College’s efforts to promote individual and community health, aligned with the strategic goals of the institution to enhance student success.

This is a full-time on-site position. Normal business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The position is eligible for flexible scheduling and can be performed on-site, hybrid in-region or may be required as a condition of employment. The demands of this work may include weekends or evenings as well as travel.The college reserves the right to modify schedules as needed to meet the business needs with appropriate notice.

Essential Functions

Leadership and Administration — 20%

• Provide strategic, clinical, administrative vision and leadership regarding the counseling services and mental health programming for the College
• Develop, implement, and evaluate policies, procedures, and best practices aligned with ethical standards
• Ensure compliance with applicable laws and professional standards (e.g., FERPA, HIPAA, licensure regulations)
• Lead marketing efforts to increase campus knowledge of mental health resources
• Cultivate and manage contracts for off-campus providers that students can be referred to for consultations, assessments, evaluations, medication evaluation, and treatment recommendations
• Maintain confidential counseling records
• Regularly review data of mental health counseling usage and procedures and make recommendations to campus administration
• Promote health and wellness in the ArtCenter student community with regular assessment of mental health needs, and with special attention paid to specific developmental needs of a culturally diverse campus
• Advise campus leadership on mental health trends and student needs

Programming — 40%

• Provide leadership and assistance in the development, implementation and evaluation of workshops, seminars and other intervention strategies designed to enhance the mental health and well-being of the campus community and the learning atmosphere of the campus environment
• Work collaboratively with the CSE staff and other departments to provide the best cocurricular programs to support our students
• Collaborate with CSE and campus partners to integrate mental wellness education into orientation, advising, student life, and academic divisions
• Design, plan and implement educational outreach programs and services including, but not limited to, annual Depression, Eating Disorders, Alcohol and Drug Screening programs
• Plan presentations on counseling services and wellness programs for the new student programs
• Create relationships with local community health professionals and organizations, psychiatrists, clinical and counseling psychology training programs, and other appropriate resources in the local Pasadena and greater Los Angeles communities
• Provide professional consultation support and resources to faculty/staff regarding counseling services and classroom management techniques appropriate for students in crisis and difficult/disruptive students
• Administer group-counseling sessions on topics of importance and relevance to ArtCenter students

Crisis Intervention and Emergency Response — 35%

• Manage after-hour and weekend calls for students in crisis
• Provide crisis consultation to the Dean of Students and other staff as appropriate
• Respond to acute student mental health crises that may from time to time involve hospitalization of the student
• Serve as a coordinator of mental health resources to address campus crises and emergencies that may cause trauma to members of a diverse campus community
• Participate in College infrastructure to assist and intervene with students of concern (including attending meetings and working with the campus CARE Team and BIT, campus-wide representative behavioral intervention teams)

Other Duties — 5%

• Serve on educational or institutional committees as appropriate
• Maintain memberships and active involvement in applicable professional organizations, attend annual conferences
• Provide direct individual counseling sessions to students as needed
• Other duties as assigned

Required Qualifications

• A master’s in clinical or counseling psychology and a licensure in the State of California are required
• At least 5–7 years post-licensure relevant work experience
• Minimum 3 years of experience directing or managing a counseling center or mental health program preferably in a college or university setting
• Demonstrated experience leading and managing a department, including performance management
• Experience managing student crises and conducting risk assessments
• Training and experience with trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and equity-centered practices
• Experience facilitating health promotion programming and delivering presentations on mental health and wellness topics
• Self-starter who can recognize the needs of a specialized and unique student population
• Demonstrated experience in cultivating an inclusive, respectful, and welcoming environment into workplace practices within ArtCenter’s diverse communities
• Knowledge and adherence to professional standards related to American Psychological Association (APA) and Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors(AUCCCD)
• Excellent communication and facilitation skills, detail-oriented, highly organized, able to balance priorities, takes initiative, reliable and resourceful
• Strong analytical skills, computer proficiency and demonstrated use of computer applications, database maintenance and web-based technology
• Willingness to work evenings and weekends as needed

Preferred Qualifications

• A Doctorate in clinical or counseling psychology; licensure in the State of California is required
• Experience working in a small liberal arts or specialized sector of higher education as a director, administrator, or supervisory role of a psychological counseling or wellness center
• Experience with evaluating treatment plans and prescribed medications to enhance support for college student success
• Experience conducting research and writing assessment reports that interpret data for multiple audiences

Diversity Statement

ArtCenter is fully committed to fostering a culture that values diversity, equity, inclusion, access and belonging not only in vision but in practice. Our path forward is predicated on our belief that multiple points of view, life experiences, ethnicities, cultures and belief systems are essential to academic and creative excellence. We strive to learn more about difference while respecting the rich diversity in our world, attending to important questions about racial injustice and decolonizing our curriculum. Our campus environment must be vigilant in supporting the full participation of students, faculty, and staff of every race, color, ethnicity, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, marital status, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, socioeconomic status and political viewpoint.

Equal Opportunity Employer

ArtCenter is committed to a policy of equalemployment opportunity and does not discriminate against its employees orapplicants on the basis of race (including hair texture and protectivehairstyle), color, religion (includes religious dress and grooming practices),sex/gender (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and/or relatedmedical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, maritalstatus, medical condition (genetic characteristics, cancer, or a record orhistory of cancer), military or veteran status, national origin, ancestry,disability (mental and physical, including HIV/AIDS, cancer, and geneticcharacteristics), genetic information, request for family care or medicalleave, age (over 40), criminal background (Fair Chance Act), reproductivehealth decision-making, off-duty and off-premisescannabis use, or any other actual or perceived characteristic protected byapplicable state or federal law. Equal employment opportunity is extended toall persons in all aspects of the employer-employee relationship, includingwithout limitation, recruitment, hiring, upgrading, learning and professionaldevelopment, promotion, compensation, benefits, leave of absence, transfer,discipline, layoff, recall and termination. This commitment applies to allpersons involved in the operations of ArtCenter and prohibits unlawfuldiscrimination by any employee of ArtCenter. Applicants who wish to request an accommodation for a disability may contact the Office of Employee Experience and Engagementat [phone].

Applicant Rights (Prior Cannabis Use)

ArtCenterwill not request information from an applicant relating to the applicant’sprior use of cannabis. ArtCenter will not use information obtained from acriminal history about an applicant or employee’s prior cannabis use, unlessArtCenter is permitted to consider that information under applicable law.

Employment At-Will

All employment with ArtCenter is for anunspecified term and is “at-will.” Employees are free to resign at any time,with or without reason, and with or without prior notice. Similarly, ArtCenterhas the right to terminate the employment relationship at any time, with orwithout cause, and with or without prior notice. This “at-will” employment,which includes the College’s right to transfer, discipline, demote, or changethe conditions of employment with or without cause and with or without priornotice, cannot be modified, amended orwaived by any oral or implied agreement, and may be modified or altered only byan express individualized written employment agreement signed by both theemployee and the College president

ArtCenter Employees have a Mandatory Duty to Report

All employees who know or have reason to know of allegations or acts that violate ArtCenter’s Title IX Policy prohibiting discrimination, harassment, retaliation, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, sexual violence, dating violence, and stalking shall promptly inform the , Title IX Coordinatoror designee, or the Associate Dean of Students or designee. Faculty, who have a mandatory duty to report, are required to disclose all information including the names of the parties, even where the person has requested their name remain confidential.

Pursuant to the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA), all employees who know of or have reason to suspect child abuse or neglect involving alleged victims under age 18 shall promptly inform local law enforcement or the county welfare department.