Senior Employee Assistance Professional

University of Southern California; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 113,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Southern California (USC) is seeking a Senior Employee Assistance Professional to lead comprehensive employee assistance services, including mental health assessment, short counseling, and referrals. You will provide consultations to leaders and HR partners, deliver trainings, and oversee program evaluation while championing USC’s values.

Minimum qualifications include a Master’s degree in a related field and California licensure, plus 5+ years in clinical settings and 3+ years

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in relevant field and California licensure.
• Five+ years post-master’s in clinical settings.
• Three+ years in employee assistance programs.
• Strong knowledge of psychology, workplace well‑being, and program development.
• CEAP certification or willingness to attain within 18 months.

Responsibilities

• Provide confidential assessment, brief counseling, and referral services for employees.
• Offer consultations for leaders and HR partners; manage referrals and mandatory reporting.
• Design and deliver trainings on employee assistance topics to stakeholders.
• Build and maintain a network of internal and external health resources.
• Lead critical incident response and post‑incident support.
• Contribute to program evaluation, quality assurance, and reporting.

Skills

Emotional intelligence

Crisis intervention

Leadership & HR consultation

Bilingual English/Spanish

Program development & delivery

Telehealth delivery

Microsoft Office proficiency

Education

Master’s degree in social work, counseling, marriage and family therapy, or related field

California licensed mental health professional (LCSW/LPC/MFT/Psychologist)

Certified Employee Assistance Professional (CEAP) or willing to certify within 18 months

Tools

Microsoft Office

Zoom

Job description

The University of Southern California (USC) is one of the world’s leading private research universities. An anchor institution in Los Angeles, a global center for arts, technology, international business, medical education and healthcare, USC is also one of the largest private employers in the City of Los Angeles. We are searching for exceptional individuals to help us fulfill our mission: Developing individuals and society as a whole through the cultivation and enrichment of the human mind and spirit.

Job Summary: The USC WorkWell Center is the long-standing health and well‑being resource for faculty and staff. We have an opportunity to join an embedded team of passionate professionals delivering mental health and well‑being programs through an integrated employee assistance, work‑life, and wellness center.

The Senior Employee Assistance Professional (Senior EAP) will lead the delivery of comprehensive employee assistance services including mental health assessment, brief counseling (5‑session model) and referral, case monitoring, consultations for leaders and Human Resources partners, information and referral services, critical incident response, mandatory employee referrals, program promotional talks and psycho‑educational trainings, and program evaluation/quality assurance activities. Responds to urgent/crisis employee calls as needed. This role takes a lead in developing strategy, design, and delivery of programs that empower employees to achieve success both professionally and personally. This role will execute USC’s vision while championing USC’s culture and values.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s degree in social work, counseling, marriage and family therapy, or other related fields from accredited program.
• State of California licensed mental health care professional (e.g., LCSW, LPC, Licensed MFT, or Psychologist).
• Five or more years of experience post master’s in clinical setting.
• Three or more years of experience in employee assistance program.
• Demonstrated knowledge of psychology principles applied to employee mental health wellness, employee engagement and program development and delivery to support mental health wellness.
• Advanced knowledge of industrial-social work, organizational psychology, or counseling theories and techniques.
• Experience with crisis intervention, case monitoring, and mandatory reporting.
• High level of emotional intelligence with ability to develop positive working relationships and a strong rapport with team members and university stakeholders.
• Exceptional organizational skills, including the ability to prioritize between immediate needs and long‑term objectives, ability to exercise sound judgment in making decisions with minimal supervision.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint).
• Experience delivering mental health counseling via telehealth platforms (e.g., Zoom).
• Certified Employee Assistance Professional (CEAP) or willing to be certified within 18 months of employment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Social Work, Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy, Psychology, or other related field.
• Seven or more years of experience in clinical counseling.
• Five or more years of experience in an employee assistance program.
• Experience in academic setting, higher education, academic medical center.
• Experience building and shaping employee assistance programs in a complex organization.
• Developed counseling skills founded in empathy and a culturally sensitive approach.
• Experience with leadership and HR consultation and problem identification and resolution.
• The ability to interpret policies and trends, conclude sound analyses and propose solutions.
• HR knowledge based on a combination of theory, learning, research and hands‑on experiences.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate with senior leadership.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish.
• Certified Employee Assistance Professional.
• Certified executive professional coach.

Job Responsibilities

• Providing confidential and timely problem identification, assessment, short‑term counseling, and referral for individual employees with personal concerns that may affect job performance. Executes follow up and/or case monitoring. May counsel couples or families if brief intervention model is appropriate.
• Providing consultations for leaders, supervisors, managers, and human resources partners. Executes management referrals and mandatory employee referrals as required.
• Conceptualizing, designing, and deploying trainings and talks regarding employee assistance matters for university stakeholders (e.g., resilience, behavior change, workplace concerns, navigating change, etc.). Builds and delivers presentations for new employee orientations to promote programs across the university.
• Leading the development of a referral network of health and wellbeing resources internal and external to the organization. Provides information and referral services to support employee access to and availability of services to support all domains of employee well‑being.
• Leading, coordinating, and providing critical incident response counseling and support sessions following high‑impact incidents. Responds to urgent/crisis employee calls as needed.
• Contributing to program evaluation/quality assurance activities (e.g., evaluation of services, monitoring and reporting for program success, quality of care, client safety and satisfaction, etc.). Promotes an environment that fosters inclusive relationships and creates unbiased opportunities for contributions through ideas, words, and actions that uphold principles of the USC Code of Ethics.
• Performs other related duties as assigned or requested. The university reserves the right to add or change duties at any time. In addition, the successful candidate must also demonstrate, through ideas, words and actions, a strong commitment to USC’s Unifying Values.

The salary range for this position is $100,000 - $113,000.

When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

Minimum Education: Master’s degree Minimum Experience: 5 years Minimum Field of Expertise: Master’s degree in psychology, social work, counseling or other related fields. Marriage and family therapy (MFT), LPCC and/or LCSW certifications from an accredited program. Post-master’s certification in a clinical setting. State of California licensed mental health care professional. Certified Employee Assistance Professional (CEAP) certification. Five years’ experience in human resources, with some in Employee Assistance Programs. Proven knowledge of psychology principles applied to human resources administration, employee engagement and program development. Experience with employee crisis intervention, management and incident response and reporting. Advanced knowledge of industrial‑social work, organizational psychology or counseling theories and techniques. Experience with assessment, evaluation, and clinical documentation. Proven interpersonal skills, able to establish strong, positive working relationships and rapport with diverse groups of team members. Exceptional organizational skills, able to prioritize between immediate needs and long‑term objectives. Sound decision‑making skills, demonstrating integrity with minimal supervision and discretion with confidential information. Excellent written and verbal communications skills. Proficiency with Microsoft Office. Excellent analytical skills, able to think strategically and creatively.

USC is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or USC policy. USC observes affirmative action obligations consistent with state and federal law. USC will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal records in a manner consistent with applicable laws and regulations, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for employers and the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and with due consideration for patient and student safety. Please refer to the Background Screening Policy Appendix D for specific employment screen implications for the position for which you are applying. We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact USC Human Resources by phone at [phone], or by email at [e-mail]. Inquiries will be treated as confidential to the extent permitted by law.

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If you are a current USC employee, please apply to this USC job posting in Workday by copying and pasting this link into your browser: https://wd5.myworkday.com/usc/d/inst/1$9925/9925$155030.htmld

USC is a leading private research university located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles – a global center for arts, technology and international business. As the largest private employer in the city – responsible for more than 5 billion annually in economic activity in the region – we offer the opportunity to work in a dynamic and diverse environment, in careers that span a broad spectrum of talents and skills. As a USC employee, you will enjoy excellent benefits and perks, and you will be a member of the Trojan Family - the faculty, staff, students and alumni who make USC a great place to work.