Assistant Director, Mental Health Education and Flourishing Initiatives

University of Dayton, Ohio•Dayton, OH

14d

About The Position

The Brook Center at the University of Dayton seeks an Assistant Director, Mental Health Education and Flourishing Initiatives to develop, implement, and assess campus-wide mental health education and flourishing programs. The role aims to increase mental health literacy, reduce stigma, strengthen resilience, and support flourishing among students. The assistant director serves on the Brook Center’s integrative team, which includes wellbeing and health promotion, mental health, LGBTQ+, sexual violence prevention, and alcohol and other drug education. The assistant director co-advises the Co-Pilots mental health and wellbeing peer educators, mentors student leaders, oversees the university’s suicide prevention program, and creates opportunities for students to support their mental health throughout college. The role also provides strategic leadership and day-to-day operational oversight for the WELL (Wellness Experience Learning Lab), a space where students can practice self-care and incorporate intentional rest into their routines using wellbeing technology. Responsibilities are divided among mental health promotion and suicide prevention education, programming, and training (45%); WELL education and facility management (30%); teaching and advising (15%); and general Brook Center responsibilities (10%). The position works with campus partners and external organizations, assesses programming, manages budgets, and works occasional nights and weekends as needed.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a related field and two years of experience designing, implementing, or assessing mental health or wellbeing education programs through internships, practicum, assistantships, or professional experience; alternatively, a master’s degree in a related field.
Ability to plan, organize, and deliver educational programming independently and collaboratively across departments.
High attention to detail.
Effective written and verbal communication skills.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in College Student Personnel, Counseling, Psychology, Social Work, Public Health, or a related field.
Two or more years of post-master’s professional experience designing, implementing, and assessing mental health education, health education, and/or prevention programs in higher education.
Thorough understanding of student development, health promotion, behavior change, and population-based theories and models.
Ability to thrive in a team-based educational environment that values high expectations, integrity, and leadership, with a positive attitude and enthusiasm.
Demonstrated ability to respond to students in crisis and refer them to appropriate resources.
Exceptional presentation and verbal communication skills.
Demonstrated ability to work successfully with a diverse community, recognize differing approaches and barriers to mental health resources, and provide non-judgmental education.
Experience using health promotion models to support underrepresented and underserved student populations and promote equitable mental health and wellbeing outcomes.
Experience collaborating with diverse stakeholders, including faculty, staff, students, and local organizations.
Familiarity with the Jed Foundation Framework and its recommendations on equity in mental health, public health models, or mental health education topics.
Certification in motivational interviewing.
Experience hosting the WELL on a university campus or experience with wellness in a destination hospitality setting.
Experience managing a budget and/or developing revenue-driven programs.
Experience managing a facility and/or using Fusion, Connect2, or a comparable reservation system.
Ability to inspire others to share a vision, such as a campus community that values the mental health and wellbeing of all community members.
At least one year of experience working with a traditional college-age population.
Experience with a peer education program.
Experience with learning outcome writing and learning design.
Supervision and/or advising experience.
Ability to handle confidential information, work independently, and work as part of a team.
CHES, MCHES, CPH, or OCPSA/OCPS/OCPC certification, or eligibility to become certified.
Experience working with sexual violence prevention education, wellbeing education, alcohol and other drug education, and/or LGBTQ+ education content.
Respect and appreciation for Catholic and Marianist values.

Responsibilities

Create, implement, and assess comprehensive, trauma-informed, evidence-based mental health education programming for college students, delivered through classroom presentations, student organization partnerships, and campus-wide programming.
Design education for the full student population as well as specialty populations, drawing on public health, student development theory, inclusive pedagogies, social determinants of health, and the UD Step Care Model.
Develop programming on topics such as mindfulness, resilience, coping, flourishing, goal setting, empathy, grief and loss, supporting peers in distress, anxiety, depression, suicide prevention, stress management, and self-care.
Manage, facilitate, coordinate, advertise, and assess the REACH suicide prevention training program, including scheduling trainings and coordinating complementary programming; build a relationship with REACH national coordinators at Ohio State.
Oversee key mental health initiatives, including Fresh Check Day, World Mental Health Day, and Suicide Prevention Week.
Use climate and wellbeing survey findings to improve programming and target education to UD student needs.
Stay current on national trends, best practices, and research across relevant disciplines.
Articulate and enact a vision for a campus community that values mental health and fosters wellbeing and belonging.
Collaborate with student organizations and campus partners, including faculty, the Counseling Center, Student Health Center, and Student Care and Advocacy, to align educational initiatives with student needs.
Provide strategic leadership and vision for the WELL and develop programming supporting its mission, including orientation, marketing, space programming, product sales, and ongoing improvement of Pathways™ experiences.
Hire, train, and supervise WELL student staff.
Develop and implement WELL standard operating procedures; manage facility operations, reservations using Fusion and Connect2, cleaning schedules, maintenance, risk management, and customer service.
Manage the WELL budget, including revenue generation and programming costs, and maintain relationships with CORE and strategic vendors.
Co-advise the Co-Pilots peer educators and co-instruct UDI 402, their one-credit mini-course; build community, support peer health coaching and educational experiences, mentor students individually, and facilitate learning.
Advise mental-health-related student organizations, including Active Minds and Sprouts.
Serve on relevant committees and participate as a full member of the Brook Center, contributing to shared initiatives and supporting colleagues.
Manage programming budgets, assess programming, and pursue continuous improvement.
Build relationships that expand co-curricular opportunities with academic and other university departments and programs.
Work occasional nights and weekends as needed.
Perform other duties assigned by the executive director, student engagement and wellbeing.