CAPS at Northwestern University is searching for a 12-month, full-time Staff Therapist/Liaison to Black and African American Students (LCPC, LCSW, or Psychologist). Under the supervision of the Associate Director for Community-Based Intervention, this position conducts mental health evaluations and provide brief individual and group therapy for Northwestern students, and provide crisis intervention, clinical consultation, and mental health programming to the Northwestern community with a particular focus on Black and African American students. This position also participates as a member of the training program through the provision of clinical supervision and/or training seminars.
Serving as CAPS’ liaison to Black and African American students will involve developing strong relationships with students, campus partners, and community providers as well as advocating on behalf of the unique needs of Black and African American students. Specifically, the individual selected for this position will work closely with campus partners including staff members in Student Enrichment Services (SES), Multicultural Student Affairs (MSA) by co-sponsoring events, developing in-house wellness programs, and attending SES/MSA staff meetings. The individual selected for this position will help CAPS realize its commitment to serving Latinx students by championing the development of CAPS programs and services designed to meet their unique needs and by advocating for systemic changes within CAPS aimed at removing access barriers for Black and African American students.
This position requires some evening hours and occasional weekend duties. After hours duties typically include 2-3 evenings and up to one weekend of on-call duties per quarter. Staff therapists also generally provide 2-3 evening or weekend outreach events per quarter.
Starting salary for this position is $87,718 with additional consideration for candidates with substantial previous experience and/or expertise. CAPS is currently affording staff therapists with some remote work options (1-2 days per week).
Application review will begin January 3, 2023
Department Overview:
CAPS is a unit within the Division of Student Affairs at NU and is highly utilized by students and other campus community members seeking consultation. CAPS has offices on both the Evanston and Chicago campuses. NU has a total student population of approximately 21,000 students across both campuses, with approximately 18,500 of these students attending classes in the Evanston campus. The Chicago office serves primarily graduate and professional students while Evanston office serves both undergraduate and graduate students. In addition to our clinical services, CAPS reaches over 10,000 NU community members through outreach and educational programming on both campuses. CAPS also has a training program, including an APA-accredited Doctoral Internship in Psychology at our Evanston office and a Post-Doctoral Fellowship on both campuses. CAPS is a learning organization, in that our strategic planning, priority setting, clinical services, and professional development are informed by local data collection as well as benchmarking with national trends and peer institutions. We have made a commitment to engaging in ongoing anti-racism work. This commitment is realized through our efforts to identify and disrupt aspects of white dominant culture embedded in our practices, processes, and structures. CAPS also identifies very closely with the vision, values and guiding principles of our umbrella organization, the Division of Student Affairs.
About Student Affairs: By pursuing justice, equity, and belonging, Student Affairs cultivates student programs, services, and skills; disrupts barriers; and partners across Northwestern and neighboring communities to create an inclusive culture in which all students can thrive. Learn more about the Division of Student Affairs here: https://www.northwestern.edu/studentaffairs/about/strategic-plan/strategic-themes.html
Specific Responsibilities:
Clinical Services:
Provides culturally grounded services including brief individual and group psychotherapy, crisis intervention, case management, and initial assessment (in-person and Telemental health).
Assumes after-hours on call responsibilities.
Maintains timely clinical records of therapeutic and other client contacts.
Consults with psychiatrists in conjunction with prescribing and monitoring psychotropic medication for psychotherapy clients.
Consults with parents, physicians, faculty, academic deans, residence life staff, off-campus counseling services, other campus offices and students, when appropriate, and with appropriate authorization to provide quality care to students.
Makes referrals to off-campus clinical services when appropriate.
Community-Based Intervention Programming
Develop and maintain supportive relationships with campus partners.
Conduct community-based intervention programming as requested to the campus community, including orientation sessions for new students and parents, informal support spaces, psychoeducational workshop presentations, and emergency support services. May occasionally provide these services for the Chicago campus.
May serves as a liaison to other campus unit(s) or academic programs.
Training
May provide clinical supervision (including face-to-face case review, review of videos and progress notes, and supervisory feedback) to mental health trainees at CAPS.
Provides consultation to trainee(s), as needed.
Provides training to CAPS trainees about a variety of clinical topics in consultation with the Associate Director for Training.
Provide crisis management consultation and supervision to trainees, as requested.
Other Duties
Attend and participate in regular CAPS staff meetings, case conferences, and in-service training.
Participate in Student Affairs committees, as assigned by the Executive Director.
Performs other duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications:
Hold a completed Master’s degree in Social Work, Counseling, or related field from an accredited program or doctoral level degree (Ph.D. or Psy.D.) in clinical or counseling psychology from an APA accredited program.
Candidates with doctoral degrees must have completed a doctoral internship at an APA accredited site.
Currently licensed or eligible to be licensed as an independent mental health provider (e.g., psychologist, licensed clinical professional counselor, or licensed clinical social worker) by the State of Illinois (i.e., at time of application, must have completed all licensure requirements including successfully passing any examinations and completing any clinical supervision hours required for licensure by the State of Illinois). Illinois license must be obtained no later than 12 months after hire date.
Experience in the provision of group therapy.
Possess outstanding and culturally responsive clinical skills and a well-integrated understanding of short-term therapy, crisis intervention, consultation, and developmental community-based intervention programming.
Minimum Competencies:
Candidate’s must demonstrate strong culturally appropriate clinical skills and a well-integrated understanding of short-term therapy, group therapy, crisis intervention, community consultation, and outreach programming.
Candidate’s must demonstrate a commitment to providing culturally appropriate and responsive services to clients with historically marginalized and oppressed identities related to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, ability, and socioeconomic status.
Have thorough knowledge of clinical applications for contemporary issues in psychology and student affairs, especially as related to individual and cultural diversity.
Strong commitment to an anti-racist workplace.
Demonstrates comfort and skill with using basic computer software (such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook as well as other Windows based programs).
Preferred Qualifications:
Currently licensed in the State of Illinois as a Clinical Psychologist, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, or Licensed Clinical Social Worker.
Experience partnering effectively and collegially on an inter-disciplinary team in a university counseling center or other mental health agency.
Preferred Competencies:
Knowledge/expertise in one or more of the following areas: working with LGBTQ, FGLI, BIPOC and/or international students; substance abuse and eating disorder assessment and treatment; empirically supportive treatment for anxiety, depression, and perfectionism.
Demonstrates an understanding of the dynamics of privilege and oppression, and the impact these have on equity, access, and opportunity in higher education/the workplace.
Demonstrates commitment to co-create an inclusive community and actively participate in related professional development, including openness to feedback and ongoing self-examination.
Familiarity with multicultural theory and competence including the concepts of anti-racism, decolonization, and liberation.
Has thorough knowledge of clinical applications for contemporary issues in psychology and student affairs, especially as related to individual and cultural diversity.
Strong creativity and problem-solving skills.
Required Application Materials:
Cover letter outlining your interest in the position and addresses how you meet the specific job requirements.
A current resume
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