Director of Counseling and Psychological Services

Student and Campus Life (SCL) inspires transformation in all Cornell students on their journey of individual, academic and personal evolution. Our division is comprised of leading student affairs experts who support our campus on pressing student life matters including public service, health, wellness, social justice, residential living, food services, sports, recreation, career services, and student activities and organizations including sorority and fraternity life. We provide support and services to roughly 25,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students on multiple campuses in the U.S. and abroad.

Cornell Health's more than 200 employees collaborate to provide integrated and culturally-sensitive mental health, medical, health promotion, public health, student accommodations, and occupational medicine care and services. Dually focused on holistic health of Cornell students and well-being of the larger campus community, the unit supports readiness to learn, to participate fully in the Cornell experience, and to achieve academic, work, and life success. Cornell Health is nationally recognized for innovation and leadership, and is committed to an ongoing journey toward integrated, cost-effective, and community-based services and campus health initiatives.

Cornell Health's Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) offers confidential counseling and psychiatric services, designed to help students with mental health concerns that may be affecting their quality of life and ability to learn. Our providers include psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, counselors, nurses, and nurse practitioners from diverse cultural and clinical backgrounds. CAPS providers value students in all of their individuality, and are committed to welcoming all people with respect and sensitivity. Our providers regularly collaborate with Cornell Health's diverse array of healthcare providers as an integrated service that support both the mind and the body.

Cornell University is pleased to announce a national search for the position of Director of Counseling and Psychological Services. The University is conducting this search process with a focus on identifying an excellent clinical and administrative colleague who will contribute high value insights and vision to support student and campus mental health. The director will embrace a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and provide outstanding mentorship, supervision, and oversight to a dedicated team of professionals. Serving as a colleague and strong collaborator within Cornell Health and throughout the University community, the Director will have the opportunity to build upon existing success and enhance the services, programs, and responsiveness to students.

The Director of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) will join Cornell Health at a time of great excitement, opportunity, and challenge as the team expands an integrated mental health model designed to best meet the needs of students today and tomorrow. With an emphasis on access, embedded services to meet students where they are, and collaborative care to supplement traditional services, the Director of CAPS will lead a large, multi-disciplinary, and dedicated team through this advancement, contributing to the vision and providing strong leadership.

Over the past five years, the CAPS department has undergone significant changes, with considerable effort devoted to exploring new ways of delivering services to students while also supporting staff. Recent developments include expanding growth opportunities for CAPS staff through clinical supervision and coordinator roles, establishing consistent expectations, and fostering open dialogue around ongoing and upcoming changes.

Reporting to the Assistant Vice President for Student Health and Wellbeing, the Director of CAPS will provide strategic leadership and operational oversight for comprehensive mental health services for Cornell students. The Director of CAPS is a member of the Cornell Health senior leadership team and works collaboratively with peers in Medical Services, the Skorton Center for Health Initiatives, Occupational Medicine, Nursing, Clinical Administrative Support, Administrative Services, and Student Disability Services in support of holistic health and wellbeing of Cornell students. Essential to the integrated mental health model, the Director of CAPS will rely on a deep clinical background in their extensive collaboration with the Senior Director of Clinical Operations in the provision of a Behavioral Health Consultant program and integrated model of psychotropic medication prescribing with an overall objective of both quality of service and patient safety.

The Director will provide direct leadership and programmatic oversight for all administration, budgets, services, and staff within CAPS. The Director will manage a budget of $5.4M and will oversee a staff of over 50 including full-time and part-time staff and clinical trainees. Those directly supervised by the Director include an Associate Director and four Assistant Directors. This position leverages the strengths and skills of the team to navigate challenges effectively using a collaborative and compassionate leadership approach.

The position is instrumental in strengthening connections between CAPS, other departments in Cornell Health, Student & Campus Life, and the larger campus community through the coordination of services and activities in support of holistic mental health of Cornell students. The Director of CAPS interfaces with senior administration and faculty, collaborates and liaises with other internal and external partners, including students, student groups, parents, university departments, and community agencies as a way to bridge the various dimensions of mental health inside and outside of the classroom. Key internal relationships include the Office of the Dean of Students, Athletics & Physical Education, Housing & Residential Life, academic colleges and schools, and student service representatives of the undergraduate colleges, and graduate and professional schools.

The Director of CAPS also plays a pivotal role in ensuring critical incident follow-up for students and parents. Through a collaborative and supportive approach, the individual engenders trust, fosters a collegial environment, and brings out the best in students and colleagues. The Director of CAPS must have an acute awareness of the importance of culture, race, gender identity, religion, and disability status and how they and other dimensions of diversity intersect to impact mental health. They will rely on their own cultural humility and work closely with the CAPS staff to ensure support for an increasingly diverse student population.

While position responsibilities vary, all people leaders are expected to foster a culture of belonging and a psychologically healthy work environment by being trustworthy; respecting all individuals; being flexible; supporting work/life integration as well as healthy boundaries; inviting new ideas, alternatives, and perspectives; speaking up and taking action if others are being excluded or treated inappropriately; and recognizing the contributions of others.

Please Note: There is no visa sponsorship for this position. Candidate must reside in NYS. Relocation assistance is provided. For full consideration, applications should be submitted by June 15, 2025.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

• Masters in social work with "C" or "R" designation (LCSW or LCSW-R) or Doctorate in clinical or counseling psychology (PhD or PsyD). Must hold a valid license to practice in their mental health profession issued by the New York State Department of Education (NYSED) Office of the Professions as of their start date.
• A minimum of ten (10) years professional experience and at least four (4) years of clinical supervision (post "C" or "R" or post-doctoral) and 4 years of administrative supervision experience.
• Expert clinical skills and understanding of college mental health as well as knowledge of regulatory issues, and best practice standards.
• Demonstrated success in managing relationships across large institutions.
• Proven success and strong commitment to belonging. Deep understanding of differences and the impact of diversity and intersectionality on mental health and support. Experienced in fostering cultural competence among mental health professionals.

Candidates will demonstrate experience supporting the following expectations:

• Ability to positively shape mental health for communities. Demonstrated success in managing outwardly in multiple directions. Excellent communication skills with ability to interface with a broad group of stakeholders (e.g., students, sta, faculty, administrators, parents) and media. The director will write and speak frequently in varied styles to convey messages in a persuasive, ecient, and inspiring manner.
• Experience working with, and relating to, students and a deep dedication to improving the mental health of this specic population. A desire for sincere engagement with students, the campus and the community; demonstrated capacity to communicate broadly across a complex and decentralized organization, cultivate and sustain collegial relationships, and build unity around dicult issues; an active listener, facilitator, convener and mediator; the exibility, resiliency, and creativity to thrive in a lean environment. Understanding and appreciation for the benets and limitations of living and working within a small college-town community.
• Proven record of success and of commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Solid understanding of difference and the impacts of dimensions of diversity and intersectionality on mental health and support. Experience developing cultural competence within mental health professionals.
• Demonstrated ability to work positively with others using a collaborative leadership style that promotes constructive relationships, partnerships, conflict resolution, and cross-functional cooperation.
• Proven skills as a decisive leader and effective manager. Demonstrated ability to mentor, develop, and support staff in an environment where the work is demanding and pressure is high. Experience leading through large scale change and provide successful motivation of the staff and oversight of the budget and space. Mindful of the need for compassion, equity, consistency, and the potential impact of each decision on individuals and the broader community.
• Ability to mitigate risk through the adherence to university policies and procedures, laws, and guidelines applicable to the provision of mental health services and clinical practice, including those pertaining to accreditation and staff licensure.
• Ability to think critically and use a data-driven approach to evaluate information and implement timely decisions/recommendations that anticipate the cost/benefits, risks, and organizational impact of decisions. The ideal candidate will have experience with outcomes-based assessment and budget development and fiscal management.

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