Reporting to the Executive Director, Student Wellness Services, the Counselling Services Manager is a key member of the Student Wellness Services (SWS) leadership team overseeing the professional operations of Counselling Services while collaborating closely with the other Manager of Counselling Services.  These positions ensure provision of clinical supervision and administrative and clinical leadership to the university’s counselling staff located within both central SWS and across the university within faculties and services. Working effectively across SWS, as a member of the multi-disciplinary leadership team, The Manager fosters a positive, motivating, and supportive team environment, ensures consistency and cohesiveness across central and embedded services and builds relationships with colleagues within Student Affairs and throughout the university. In consultation with the Executive Director of Student Wellness Services, the Counselling Services Manager follows through on service priorities, and makes recommendations regarding strategic administrative and staffing decisions regarding Mental Health Services.

The Counselling Services Manager contributes to the strategic goals of SWS through continuous assessment of student needs and ensures availability of timely, evidenced-based, professional counselling services for Queen’s students with regard to their mental health and well-being. The Manager provides direct counselling services to their own caseload of acute and complex cases and consults with SWS leadership team members on complex cases.

The Manager serves as designate for the Executive Director as needed for the Student at Risk Committee, and other university and community committees

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Oversees the provision of a broad range of professional counselling services to the growing and diverse student population with increasingly wide-ranging needs, in collaboration with the Director, Student Wellness Services
• Monitor operations and analyze progress and maintain overall responsibility and accountability for day-to-day service, ensuring appropriate response to evolving student needs and increased efficiency and effectiveness.
• Leads the implementation of quality management processes and develops and implements improvements to existing processes related to counselling services and resources.
• Oversee student access to, and experience with, services, including tracking and reporting access data and measuring impact. Lead the implementation of effective processes for responding to any complaints and issues, and review feedback from students, staff and campus partners to enhance processes, service delivery, and efficiency.
• Provides clinical supervision to the counselling team routinely, as needed, and for complex cases, and makes recommendations on provision of care which may include referral to other resources. Provide reports and updates to the Executive Director on complex cases.
• As a member of the SWS leadership team, contributes to the strategic planning for SWS
• Implements and leads programs that promote the integration of counselling services within the broader services of SWS, fostering holistic student-centred care
• Supports and promotes high quality training programs in counselling related to internships and practicums by accepting oversight of student interns and conducting training / educational opportunities, or assigning such oversight, as appropriate.
• Maintains awareness of counselling staff clinical caseloads and adjusts as needed to promote staff well-being, actively seeks the input of team members.
• Facilitates positive team dynamics, seeks feedback from students and staff and makes recommendations for service or process changes
• Demonstrates attitudes, beliefs, values and skills that align with the Student Wellness Services mission and values as required for change and innovation.
• Understands diverse student needs and contributes to innovative approaches in mental health care delivery and to reduce barriers to access mental health care
• Leads development and implementation of the delivery of psycho-educational workshops and a range of support and therapy groups for students.
• Ensures that applicable legal/ethical standards are maintained with regard to confidentiality and other professional obligations.
• Plans, prioritizes and manages the work of employees, providing strategic and tactical advice, guidance and coaching.
• Identifies the need for counselling staff resources, leads staffing committees, and makes hiring decisions with input from colleagues.
• Manages performance by establishing performance standards, reviewing, and evaluating performance and conducting formal performance reviews on an ongoing basis.
• Assesses staff training and development needs and ensures that employees receive training required to improve and sustain successful performance.
• Investigates, addresses and resolves employee/labour relations issues, including disciplinary matters. Makes decisions on matters involving possible discipline, discharge and probationary termination.

SPECIAL SKILLS:

• Knowledge of the impact of physical, sexual and/or psychological abuse and violence on youths, and skill working with clients with these presenting issues.
• Knowledge of human development.
• Excellent psychotherapy skills, including the ability to establish an empathic relationship and to engender trust; sound clinical judgment; a non-judgmental stance.
• Strong case conceptualization and treatment planning skills. Demonstrated use of standardized measures an asset.
• Exceptional risk-assessment skills. This includes the ability to assess a student’s level of risk to self as well as to others.
• Comprehensive sensitivity to and understanding of diversity and cultural issues working with a diverse population; demonstrated respect of diversity and promotion of inclusion.
• Strong team member; openness to sharing strengths with colleagues, and openness to learning from others.
• Strong leadership skills including people management as it relates to the counsellor roles.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (written and oral), an understanding of the dynamics of human relations and the ability to communicate effectively with students and with others in the department and the university.
• Excellent organizational skills and the ability to work independently.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure and cope with demands on time and energy especially during peak periods of the academic year. High tolerance for stress, with good self-care skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and lead professionals from a range of varied disciplines in a team-oriented environment.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.
• Familiarity and comfortable with the use of computers, electronic medical records, and technologies often used in health care.

DECISION MAKING: 

• Expert evaluation of the severity of client concerns to determine the most appropriate intervention and therapeutic approach.
• Decisions regarding when it is appropriate and/or necessary to report up to the Director.
• Decisions regarding treatment planning and the most appropriate intervention for individual clients.
• Decisions regarding when and to whom to refer clients, both within and outside the university.
• Decisions with respect to the degree of risk that a client may pose to themselves or others and how to respond.
• Decisions regarding correspondence and recommendations to appropriate university bodies with respect to individual clients.
• Ability to distinguish between circumstances in which decisions can be made independently and those where consultation is needed.
• Evaluates job candidates and makes effective recommendations on suitable hires.
• Makes decisions and/or effective recommendations regarding transfers and promotions.
• Evaluates employee performance and decides on appropriate training or coaching to address lack of proficiency in carrying out responsibilities, or remedial action for staff disciplinary situations.
• Assesses investigation outcome of grievances and makes effective recommendations on appropriate course of action or next steps on grievances.
• Makes effective recommendations on level of discipline up to discharge and probationary termination.