About UMass Amherst

UMass Amherst, the Commonwealth's flagship campus, is a nationally ranked public research university offering a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts and offers a rich cultural environment in a bucolic setting close to major urban centers. In addition, the University is part of the Five Colleges (including Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College), which adds to the intellectual energy of the region.

Job Summary

Under the general direction of the Assistant Director for Crisis & Acute Care Services, the Mental Health Counselor is responsible for evaluating and treating a diverse range of mental health concerns in the student population. This position provides crisis intervention, on-call support, and critical incident/crisis debriefing for emergency and high-risk situations.

Essential Functions

• Provides community consultations, group workshops, and outreach to enhance student wellbeing, fostering collaborative relationships, and maintaining a safe campus environment.
• Participates in the conception, development, and implementation of preventative public health initiatives.
• Applies substantial knowledge of psychology and clinical practice to effectively assess and deliver evidence-based interventions in multiple treatment modalities.
• Performs a general range of clinical responsibilities.
• Works independently to manage a caseload of undergraduate and graduate students who are either actively in treatment or who have had contact within the last 12 months through regular risk assessment, therapeutic interventions, case management, and referrals.
• Assesses student risk and makes recommendations for involuntary hospital evaluation for students who are at high risk for suicide, homicide, psychiatric decompensation, or inability to care for themselves.
• Responds to a range of urgent and emergent mental health crisis situations/incidents.
• Performs evaluations and issues recommendations regarding medical withdrawal and readmission to the University, post-deadline course withdrawals, exceptions to academic eligibility VISA guidelines, and eligibility to receive accommodations from Disability Services.
• Consults and collaborates with hospitals and healthcare emergency departments, mental health providers, crisis services, community therapists, law enforcement personnel, UMass faculty/staff, and parents/families/friends of UMass students to optimize student care and safety.
• Collaborates with and assists students in solving complex problems spanning a range of academic and/or administrative areas via direct outreach, advocacy, provision of documentation, and referrals.
• Provides clinical and functional supervision and training to Associate Clinicians, Post-Graduate Fellows, and/or trainees. Assumes legal liability for the supervisee's clinical work. Provides weekly supervision; reviews and co-signs all clinical documentation.
• Prepares timely clinical documentation in an Electronic Medical Record system, maintaining compliance with HIPAA guidelines and medical billing standards for reimbursement.
• Works jointly as member of external and internal committees, clinical teams, interdepartmental liaison, and work groups to formulate and implement plans and objectives to enhance mental health programming and rapid access to services, in accordance with the mission statement of the Center for Counseling and Psychological Health.
• Designs, develops, and implements training curriculum for suicide prevention, risk reduction, and crisis response on and off campus. This is accomplished through the provision of crisis/liaison services, Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper training for all RAs, emergency crisis consultation, and critical incident/crisis debriefing for faculty, staff, family, and campus partners. This may include after-hours response.
• Provides services in a culturally responsive and identity-informed manner that affirms the complex ways in which culture and identity affect therapeutic service delivery.
• Recognizes the impact that racism, oppression, and other systemic inequities have on student access to care. Actively participates in the dismantling of systemic oppression as it shapes workplace policies and practices.
• Promotes diversity, equity and inclusion in clinical care, including attending to the unique needs and advocating for individuals experiencing marginalization, such as first-generation college students, BIPOC, LGBTQIA individuals, neuro-diverse individuals, individuals with disabilities, and individuals at the intersection of multiple identities.

Other Functions

• Performs related duties as assigned or required. Understands responsibilities with respect to Title IX, Clery and other compliance requirements.
• Demonstrates capacity, skill, and willingness to engage students and contribute to student success.
• Understands responsibilities with respect to conflicts of interest and behaves in ways consistent both with law and with University policy.
• Contributes toward creating a positive and respectful workplace. Uses access to sensitive and/or not yet public university related information only in the performance of the responsibilities of position and exercises care to prevent unnecessary disclosure to others.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)

• Master's degree in related field but not limited to mental health counseling or counseling psychology. LMHC-level licensure, which requires minimum of two years of supervised practice after completion of Master's degree; If licensed in another state, must obtain MA license within 9 months of hire.
• 3 years of relevant professional experience.
• Demonstrated ability to use complex computer systems such as electronic medical records, Zoom video recording and conferencing, Microsoft Office Suite including Teams, and various databases.
• Superior intercultural communication skills.
• Impeccable organizational skills.
• Strong ability to communicate clearly and concisely, especially with regard to complicated information, in written and oral formats.
• Solid decision-making abilities, using consultation and data to inform the process.
• Creative thinking and problem-solving skills. Initiative and follow through in tackling various challenges.
• Well-developed understanding of diversity, equity and inclusion in clinical care, including attending to the unique needs and advocating for individuals experiencing marginalization, such as first-generation college students, BIPOC, LGBTQIA individuals, neuro-diverse individuals, individuals with disabilities, and individuals at the intersection of multiple identities.

Preferred Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)

Fluent in Mandarin.

Physical Demands/Working Conditions

Work is performed in a counseling and health center environment.

Work Schedule

• Monday - Friday, 8:30am - 5:00pm. Required to work some nights and weekends.
• On-Call responsibilities, in regular rotation, for a variety of urgent and emergency situations, in 24-72 hour stints that include nights, weekends, and holidays.

Salary Information

Level 29

Special Instructions to Applicants

Along with the application, please submit a resume (and cover letter / optional). References will be checked at the finalist stage, please be prepared to provide contact information for three (3) professional references.

UMass Amherst is committed to a policy of equal opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, caste, creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin, disability, political belief or affiliation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related condition(s), veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, natural and protective hairstyle and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination in employment, admission to and participation in academic programs, activities, and services, and the selection of vendors who provide services or products to the University. To fulfill that policy, UMass Amherst is further committed to a program of affirmative action to eliminate or mitigate artificial barriers and to increase opportunities for the recruitment and advancement of qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans. It is the policy of UMass Amherst to comply with the applicable federal and state statutes, rules, and regulations concerning equal opportunity and affirmative action.