Counselor with Graduate Law Focus

Penn State University • Carlisle, PA

9d

About The Position

Penn State Harrisburg, a comprehensive College of The Pennsylvania State University, is excited to welcome applications for the full-time position of mental health counselor with focus serving graduate law students at Penn State Dickinson Law located in Carlisle, PA and at Penn State Harrisburg in Middletown, PA. Direct reporting relationship to the Director of Penn State Harrisburg’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and a dotted line to Penn State Dickinson Law’s Senior Associate Dean for Student Lifecycle Operations and Administration. Primarily embedded position at Penn State Dickinson Law’s Carlisle location and shared position with Penn State Harrisburg, the Counselor will offer mental health services to students enrolled at Penn State Dickinson Law’s at Carlisle location. The Counselor will conduct crisis assessments and provide brief individual and group and couples counseling, crisis intervention, referrals, and outreach and educational programming. Expertise in the mental health issues facing law students and lawyers and in trauma counseling are highly preferred. While a standard work week for this position is 40 hours, the specific work hours for this position will vary to accommodate the need for mental health services for students enrolled at Penn State Dickinson Law. The Counselor in this position in collaboration with supervisors will determine a work schedule that may include occasional evening hours (after 5pm) and weekend hours per month depending on the time of the academic year and programming needs. The Counselor provides mental health support services to students with a specialized focus on graduate students in law school attending Penn State Dickinson Law’s Carlisle location and undergraduate and graduate students attending Penn State Harrisburg. CAPS supports students through high-quality and accessible responsive care and prevention. We promote students’ holistic well-being through psychological, outreach, case management, and consultation services. We provide training to emerging mental health professionals and supervision to those seeking licensure. We are committed to excellence in psychological services by promoting student safety and identity-affirming emotional growth and academic success. The successful candidate will have high cultural competency in providing clinical services, outreach, and training to diverse populations. Experience serving the needs of students from historically marginalized identities and graduate students are preferred. The Counselor will provide psychological programs and mental health services to both campuses. This position also participates in supervising graduate-level trainees, training student peer educators, and supervising counselors seeking licensure (if independently licensed). This position will work closely with Penn State Dickinson Law’s Senior and Assistant Deans of Academic & Student Services on shared mental health services and programming at the Carlisle location. CAPS, a unit of Student Affairs, is committed to the holistic growth of our students. To honor our diverse student population, we value that personal lived experiences and identities impact our professional work and the ways in which we engage with our students, campus partners, and community. As this position is focused on working within an identity-based staffing model at CAPS, having one or more shared identities is valued and we highly encourage members of these groups to apply. Penn State Harrisburg is located in Middletown, near the city of Harrisburg, the state capital of Pennsylvania. The college is easily accessible via interstate and rail routes from Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington DC, and New York, and Harrisburg International Airport is located within minutes from campus. To learn more about the college please visit http://harrisburg.psu.edu

Requirements

• Masters’ degree or higher in Psychology, Counseling, or Social Work from an accredited program.
• Licensed in Pennsylvania as a Social Worker or equivalent in Psychology or Counseling.
• Strong trauma-informed clinical skills.
• Experience in handling crisis situations.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Team oriented and collaborative.
• Experience with providing mental health services to clients in a clinical setting.
• Direct clinical experience serving clients impacted by trauma, intimate partner violence, substance use, and high-risk concerns.
• Experience and knowledge of relevant cultural factors and the specific developmental mental health, and academic concerns of graduate students enrolled.
• Evidence of cultural competency, advocacy, and commitment to authentic relationship building serving diverse populations.
• Ability to work independently in the United States is required for employment.
• Candidates must provide successful Child Abuse Reporting clearances, FBI Fingerprinting, and state criminal background checks prior to hiring.
• Appropriate licensure must be obtained/maintained according to PA laws.
• A cover letter that clearly demonstrates how your education and experience: (a) identify your interest in the role of Counselor with Graduate Focus, (b) meet the qualifications (and, as applicable, the preferred qualifications), (c) share your contribution to enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion and belonging, and (d) demonstrate the ability to perform the responsibilities as described in the posting.
• Curriculum vitae or resume including work history, education, and training.
• Contact information of three professional references (including one current or past supervisor).

Nice To Haves

• Bilingual or multilingual clinical skills.
• Hold a completed doctoral level degree (Ph.D. or Psy.D.) in clinical or counseling psychology from an APA-accredited academic program and completion of a pre-doctoral internship at an APA accredited site.
• Direct clinical experience of graduate-level student clients and law or medical school-based issues.
• Professional clinical experience specializing in trauma-informed care, sexual violence, domestic violence, racial trauma and discrimination.
• Experience in a university counseling center or embedded program.
• Experience working in a time-limited model of care with clients presenting in acute distress.
• Experience and strong interest in providing outreach presentation and group work.
• Independent licensure in Pennsylvania preferred (LPC, LCSW, LP).

Responsibilities

• Provide brief individual, couples and group counseling, assessment, crisis counseling, and case management services for undergraduate and graduate students seeking help for emotional and behavioral concerns.
• Assist with specialized individual and group mental health counseling services for graduate students. An understanding of mental health challenges common in the legal profession is preferred
• Provide trauma-informed and culturally honoring clinical counseling services and outreach for students.
• Conduct other outreach and educational programming, including orientation sessions for new Law students, and Law faculty and staff education workshops on supporting Law students’ mental health needs.
• Provide community psychiatry and other referral case management services when appropriate.
• Partner with supervisor and other campus staff to coordinate urgent mental health crisis services at Carlisle and Middletown campuses.
• Participate in counselor duty or “on call” access coverage during regular business hours.
• Consult with faculty, staff, parents, and others on issues of student care and concern.
• Participate in CAPS graduate training program activities such as providing trainee seminars and contributing during the trainee selection process.
• Assist in peer educator programs and activities with our Peer Advocates for Wellness Services (PAWS) Ambassadors.
• Maintain current, accurate, and timely clinical documentation in accordance with state and federal law, professional ethics, as well as CAPS policies.
• Participate in CAPS, Care Team, and university committees as assigned by supervisor and Penn State Dickinson Law Senior Assistant and Assistant Deans of Academic and Student Services.
• Participate in clinical supervision and weekly clinical case consultation at CAPS.
• Independent licensure in Pennsylvania or ability to obtain independent state licensure within two years of hire.
• Attend and participate in scheduled law student services staff meetings and other meetings as appropriate.
• Regularly advise the Senior Associate Dean, Senior Assistant Dean for Student Lifecycle Operations and Administration, and the Senior Assistant Dean and Assistant Dean of Academic and Student Services, regarding mental health trends in the law school and recommend actions to proactively address student needs within terms of confidentiality and appropriate releases of information.
• Actively participate in professional associations and training sessions.
• The successful candidate will provide psychological testing and evaluations if licensed as a psychologist.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being.
• In addition to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, employees enjoy robust retirement plans and substantial paid time off which includes holidays, vacation and sick time.
• One of the standout benefits is the generous 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level