Columbia College Chicago is an acclaimed undergraduate and graduate institution that provides a comprehensive education in the arts, communications and public relations. We constantly aim to reach our full potential as an educational innovator, incubator of new creative practice and generator of real-world success for young creatives. We are in the heart of Chicago, across the street from historic Grant Park, and housed in some of the most iconic buildings in the South Loop.
Columbia College Chicago a private urban institution of over 6,000 undergraduate and graduate students, four-year College offering a distinctive curriculum that blends liberal arts, creative and media arts and business is currently searching for a Clinical Care Specialist.
Position Summary
Reporting to the Director of Student Wellbeing for Clinical Care, the Clinical Care Specialist offers short term mental health care and inter-institutional support for students with a range of mental health concerns and emotional needs. The position is responsible for delivering individual counseling, therapeutic case management, workshops, and group offerings, and developing social-emotional wellness programs to promote students' overall wellbeing and academic success. This includes providing acute care, emergency referral, and crisis navigation for students in immediate need of professional counseling assistance. The position interfaces and works collaboratively with students, their caretakers, college faculty, staff and service providers from outside agencies and organizations.
Flex work option available.
Duties & Responsibilities
- Provide 24-30 clinical hours of direct counseling and mental health services per week to students with a range of mental, behavioral, and emotional needs within the established, short-term care model. Services include initial contact, ongoing individual and group offerings, crisis navigation, and therapeutic case management.
- Provide coordinated case management services and implement protocols for student return from psychiatric hospital or other higher level of psychiatric treatment.
- Support students experiencing difficulty or personal crisis such as medical, emotional, and mental health, academic, financial, and relationship concerns through counseling and coordination of care in partnership with support offices across the institution.
- Observe, interview, and survey clients and consult and interface with all relevant sources (parents, faculty, and staff) to obtain information, as appropriate.
- Work with clients to develop strategies to change behavior or cope with difficult situations.
- Assess clients for risk and respond according to care model protocols, including follow-up to ensure safety and determine next steps of treatment needed.
- Support students in acute distress with coordination of emergency care, resources, referrals, and follow-up as needed.
- Refer clients to outside resources or services, such as support groups or other mental health professionals
- Co-facilitate an ‘atmosphere as intervention’ space by engaging with students in an integrated mental health decompression and resource room.
- Co-manage requests for, prepare, and facilitate inter-campus workshops, trainings, and seminars.
- Provide oversight and delivery for a peer support mental health model for students.
- Complete and maintain electronic health records and assessments as outlined by program design, including federal- and state-mandated forms and progress notes and maintain confidentiality of records.
- Participate in the design and facilitation of campus wellness and wellbeing programming and outreach efforts. Advocate or raise awareness with and on behalf of clients.
- Develop and maintain constructive and cooperative working relationships with students, caregivers, administrators, faculty, staff, and all other stakeholders engaged in the wellbeing of college students.
- Help maintain a network of mental health professionals, agencies, and hospitals to provide resources to students.
- Co-facilitate consultation line to work with students, caregivers, faculty, and staff to support and direct any current student needing social-emotional support and resources.
- Ensure adherence to departmental policies and procedures including guidelines.
- May train and supervise master's level clinical interns/externs.
- Participate in meetings and serve on various college committees as requested.
- Perform other related duties and/or responsibilities as assigned or required.
- Master’s degree in Social Work, Counseling, Psychology, or related discipline.
- Professional licensure and/or certification in the state of IL (LCPC/LCSW).
- Three years of post-master experience in a supervised clinical setting, providing personal counseling, intervention, and referral for college age students including students with disabilities preferred.
- Knowledge of theories and foundations of counseling.
- Thorough knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, interests, learning and motivation.
- Thorough knowledge of diagnostic/ psychological testing methodologies.
- Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for treatment, and rehabilitation of mental dysfunctions.
- Knowledge of applicable laws and standards of professional conduct.
- Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, social trends and influences, and ethnicity and cultures.
- Excellent writing and verbal communication skills.
- Skill in using logic and reasoning to determine pros and cons of alternative solutions.
- Skill in using related systems and equipment.
- Demonstrated ability to create and maintain relationships and trust.
- Ability to listen attentively, understand information, and ask appropriate questions.
- Ability to convey information and ideas effectively.
- Ability to recognize problems, combine pieces of information to form conclusions and develop practical and innovative solutions to clients’ problems.
- Ability to counsel and work effectively with an ethnically and culturally diverse population.
- Ability to effectively assess information and use professional judgement to identify students-at-risk.
- Ability to effectively use interpersonal skills, including tact and diplomacy.
- Ability to exert patience, compassion, and empathy.
- Ability to support a welcoming, student-centered culture of inclusion.
- Ability to apply professional integrity and discretion and manage confidential information.
- Ability to work a varied work schedule including evenings.
- Knowledge of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA).
- Knowledge of community based social service, mental health, and support agencies or facilities and their functions.
This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities required of the employee and is subject to change based on the needs of the department and/or college.
Position Minimum Hourly Rate or Annual Salary\: $58,656
Position Maximum Hourly Rate or Annual Salary\: $70,400
The salary range provided in this posting reflects what we reasonably expect to pay for this position. Actual compensation offered or earned is dependent on experience, education and other factors including department budget.
At Columbia, we offer a rewarding work environment for our faculty and staff. We take pride in offering competitive benefits with affordable health, dental and vision coverage; flexible spending accounts; commuter benefit program, life and accidental, death & dismemberment coverage; paid and unpaid leave options; work/life benefits; educational assistance programs; and retirement and financial planning benefits. Click here for more information.
We invite you to join our talented faculty and staff and become part of our collective aspiration to ensure Columbia prepares students for success in their creative fields through innovation, engagement, and real-world experiences.
Additional Information
- Position subject to a background screening.
- This is a union position.
- Cover Letter required.
- This position is overtime ineligible.
Qualified candidates of diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
Columbia College Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all local, state, and federal laws and regulations concerning civil rights. The college does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law.
