National Mental Health & Wellness Director
Position Overview
The National Director of Mental Health and Wellness leads College Track’s social-emotional development and wellness education programs, collaborating with site teammates to create and refine programming that is culturally responsive in each site’s local context. Our approach focuses on supporting students in building social-emotional strengths and fostering well-being. We do not operate full-scale mental health clinics.
The Director also leads all clinical training and supervision, in part by collaborating with and supporting the site program directors, who supervise mental health clinical interns at each site.
The Director is also responsible for the setting and attainment of organization-wide goals with regard to mental health and wellness metrics.
Primary Responsibilities Include:
- Support Site Wellness Program Creation and Refinement: Orient Site Directors to College Track’s Wellness Program. Support them to have successful Wellness Programs operating at their sites. Assist with problem-solving and help them to understand how Wellness works, what it looks like, and what it’s not. Field questions and provide thought partnership and be available for consultation as necessary.
- Mental Health and Wellness Director Hiring, Training and Clinical Supervision: Hire (in conjunction with Site Directors), train and supervise Mental Health and Wellness Directors at each site to ensure that they are skillful in training and supporting their graduate interns to develop into effective clinicians and in supporting and developing the social/emotional skills of College Track students. Conduct regular 1:1 and group clinical supervision and consultation meetings with Mental Health and Wellness Directors. Observe, manage and evaluate clinical intern supervision. Provide training and guidance to Mental Health and Wellness Directors and Wellness Interns and other CT staff as needed (e.g. motivational interviewing, basic CBT skills and interventions, trauma informed care, managing student crisis situations, working with resistance, forming relationships, etc.).
- Wellness Programming Implementation and Quality Assurance: Observe, manage and evaluate student Wellness programming and ensure that students are getting appropriate support and being effectively referred out to community resources when necessary. Curate Wellness Program Resource Guide of effective techniques and interventions that assist with student social-emotional development. Ensure that site staff are completing high-quality case notes and providing accurate and accessible program data.
- Assessment and Evaluation: Create evaluation instruments and reports that ensure program development, refinement, and effectiveness. Actively work to measure and demonstrate the efficacy of Mental Health and Wellness programming to assist with student well-being, performance, and college completion.
- Provide Consultation on Acute Student Concerns: Support College Track staff in ensuring that students with acute concerns receive timely and appropriate resources and referrals. Provide coaching to staff on how and when to make reports to Child Protective Services and community mental health agencies, and how to conduct potentially emotionally volatile family meetings. Assist as needed at all sites.
- Maintain Continuing Education, Licensure, and Malpractice Insurance: Stay abreast of current evidence-based research and developments in education and mental health fields to ensure program quality by reading professional journals and articles, attending continuing education classes and seminars, and maintaining contact with community resources. Keep license and malpractice insurance active and current.
Skills & Experience Required
First and foremost, the National Director of Mental Health and Wellness must embrace the College Track vision of working in and with low-income communities to create places where college readiness and college graduation are the expectation and the norm. They must embody and model College Track core values and model a deep commitment to improving education equity. Additionally, candidates must possess the following qualifications:
- Minimum 4-year college degree and Master’s Degree in mental health required
- A clinical license in mental health profession (e.g. LCSW, LPC, LICSW, etc.) with a minimum of 5 years post graduation experience
- Excellent skills in developing relationships with others – students, interns, staff, community mental health professionals
- Strong ability to maintain a positive attitude, inspire others, work proactively and creatively, be resourceful, and care deeply about the welfare of College Track students
- Strong clinical skills and attributes (e.g. listening, planning, supervising; being supportive and accessible)
- Strong learning orientation (e.g. constant learner, exhibit strong self-awareness of and initiative to develop one’s growth areas, accept and promptly incorporate feedback)
- Results-driven; commitment to utilizing data and evidence-based practices to meet student needs (particularly strengths-focused, CBT, DBT, ACT, and Motivational Interviewing)
- Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing
- A high degree of flexibility and adaptability; can work within and thrive in an ambitious, fast-moving environment, while also driving toward clarity and solution.
- Intern supervision experience
- Experience delivering clinical training and professional development
- Knowledge of applicable legislation, standards, policies, and procedures in mental and behavioral health fields
- Experience working with diverse youth who are first-generation to college and/or from families and communities with limited financial resources
- Experience with adaptive coaching and adult-learning methods
- Ability to lead, motivate, and empower staff to develop and improve without formal authority
- Demonstrated experience setting team goals, planning, and reflecting to achieve excellent results
- Agility within and comfort with ambiguity while being highly proactive and effective at driving toward clarity, as this is a new position within a new team
- Ability to work well within a remote team
- Ability to travel up to 25%