Position Summary:

The Associate Director, Campus Behavioral Health Initiatives works collaboratively and strategically to create a positive personal, social, and academic environment in which students can function to the best of their ability. The Associate Director has direct oversight of large campus wellbeing program initiatives, to include suicide prevention programming; health equity programming; faculty and staff training for students in distress; the annual Student Care Network wellbeing fair, as well as the development of new initiatives across the institution. The Associate Director supervises a Campus Behavioral Health Initiatives coordinator and will work closely with and be supported by a team of communication, project management, and data analytic experts. The Associate Director will collaborate closely with the Center for Student Wellbeing, Project Safe Center, Student Care Coordination, Student Health Center, and University Counseling Center with oversight of endowed funds to grant support for the expansion of outreach and programmatic efforts by individual offices that align with the Student Care Network’s strategic plan. The Associate Director directly reports to the Director of Student Care Network and Student Care Coordination (Director of Student Care Network)

The preferred candidate will have expertise in university-based suicide prevention and public health promotion strategies, as well as evidence-based wellbeing and harm reduction strategies with an ability to assess and report the efficacy of programs to university leadership and donors. Additionally, the preferred candidate will have strong initiative; excellent public speaking and presentation skills; a commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging; demonstrated experience building health equity frameworks; and an ability to develop strong working relationships with campus partners--including students, faculty, clinicians, and staff.

About the Work Unit:

The Associate Director is part of the Student Care Network (SCN). The SCN is comprised of the Center for Student Wellbeing, Student Care Coordination, the University Counseling Center, and the Student Health Center. The SCN is a holistic network of services and resources pertaining to health and wellness available to all Vanderbilt University students who have paid the Student Health Fee. Work occasionally includes nights and weekends, as needed.

About Student Affairs

Student Affairs serves a central role in student learning and development at Vanderbilt, advancing the University’s mission of teaching, research, and service. Student Affairs at Vanderbilt cultivates vibrant, inclusive communities that foster a student’s sense of belonging and wellbeing through collaborative partnerships, transformative learning experiences, and an accessible and holistic network of resources. We value connection, belonging, compassion, development, and innovation. Our staff are committed to continued growth in knowledge, awareness, skills, and experience engaging with these priorities in a higher education environment.

Key Functions and Expected Performance:

Campus Behavioral Health Initiatives

• Articulate and enact a vision of a campus that values the flourishing of all community members and strives to create a culture of wellbeing. Promote health equity by considering the particular needs and stressors faced by traditionally underserved or marginalized populations.

• Implement and develop upstream approaches to suicide prevention programming, trainings, and campaigns to promote help seeking behavior and community awareness of risk and warning signs. Revise annually the University’s internal suicide prevention training or move to an external training such as QPR.

• Responsible for researching and establishing best practices in suicide prevention programming, which utilizes a comprehensive, culturally competent, collaborative, well-coordinated, and evidence-based approach.

• Develop, facilitate, and report program outcomes for suicide prevention programs and trainings for Vanderbilt community members.

• Collaborate with student groups and campus partners to enhance access to funding, resources, and evidenced-based prevention strategies.

• Work closely with Student Affairs Strategic Initiatives and Communications teams to apply advanced knowledge of mental health, student development, health promotion, healthy equity, and data analysis to the creation of a health promotion and equity strategic plan that includes regular assessment and reporting to senior leadership and donors. Collect outreach and programming assessment data from SCN offices to present to leadership and campus stakeholders.

• Conduct individual and campus needs assessments with a particular focus on health equity to meet the needs of the diverse Vanderbilt community. Incorporate data from Healthy Minds to inform strategic planning in collaboration with the Director of the Student Care Network, the Associate Dean of Community Standards and Support, Directors of the Center for Studetn Wellbeing and the University Counseling Center, and other campus partners.

• Develop, maintain, and deliver a portfolio of key wellbeing initiatives, which includes faculty and staff training series, extended orientation programming, Wellbeing Fair and other evidence-based wellbeing programs.

• Assist the Director of Student Care Network with an endowed budget for campus behavioral health initiatives. Pursue grants as well as create an internal grant process to fund work that supports the strategic plan.

• Assign outreach requests to SCN partners based upon their respective expertise and services. Create a system for routing requests and tracking completion by individual offices.

• Maintain awareness of and understand additional wellbeing events on campus, in an effort to identify new partnerships for collaboration.

• Stay up to date on national trends, best practices, and relevant research across disciplines (public health, psychology, sociology, etc.).

Other Duties:

• Serve on divisional committees and working groups to enrich the experience and resources available to staff across the division.

• Participate in division wide events as needed to support colleagues and ensure these events run smoothly.

• Maintain an understanding of institutional and departmental financial policies related to areas such as travel, procurement, expense, and time reporting to ensure compliance and proper stewardship of university resources.

• Demonstrate a willingness to support colleagues across the division in order to encourage the implementation or fulfillment of divisional goals and strategic priorities.

• Assumes other responsibilities as directed by the Assistant Director and/or Director in matters related to student wellbeing.

Supervisory Relationships:

This position supervises a full-time campus behavioral health initiatives coordinator; this position reports administratively and functionally to the Director of Student Care Network.

Education and Certifications:

• A Master’s degree in Public Health, Health Education, Social Work, Counseling, or related mental health field, or Higher Education Administration is necessary.

• CHES or M-CHES certification is preferred; candidates without certification are still encouraged to apply, as certification may be obtained during employment

Experience and Skills:

• 4 years of experience designing, implementing, and/or assessing mental health programs, wellbeing, and other health education programs through professional experience, is necessary.

• A thorough understanding of strategic planning, health promotion, behavior change, and population-based theories and models is necessary.

• Passion for and ability to work effectively with students from diverse backgrounds attending highly selective institutions with a broad range of campus groups, departments, and organizations is necessary.

• Experience working on a college campus is strongly preferred.

• Demonstrated experience with event planning and efficient coordination of programming logistics is preferred.

Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion At Vanderbilt University, we are intentional about and assume accountability for fostering advancement and respect for equity, diversity, and inclusion for all students, faculty, and staff. Our commitment to diversity makes us who we are. We have created a community that celebrates differences and lets individuality thrive. As part of this commitment, we actively value diversity in our workplace and learning environments as we seek to take advantage of the rich backgrounds and abilities of everyone. The diverse voices of Vanderbilt represent an invaluable resource for the University in its efforts to fulfill its mission and strive to be an example of excellence in higher education. Vanderbilt University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. Women, minorities, people with disabilities, and protected veterans are encouraged to apply.