Senior Director Of Mental Health

General Statement of Responsibilities: A nationally recognized leader in college health, Boynton Healthâ™s mission is to improve the health and wellbeing of University of Minnesota students and the campus community. Its vision is to be the healthiest campus in the nation. Boynton Health serves an estimated 29,000 students and staff annually through 100,000 visits. This position will direct mental health clinical providers and provide clinical leadership to assure access to high quality mental health services on the Twin Cities campus. This position collaborates with The Office of Student Affairs leadership and Boynton Health and Student Counseling Services leadership to meet the Twin Cities studentsâ™ mental health needs.  

The Office of Student Affairs underwent reorganization in Summer 2023, bringing Student Counseling Services and Boynton Health under Boyntonâ™s Executive Director to improve access to mental health services and care for students. Since December, both units have been engaged in planning to improve access and to develop a continuum of care for mental health treatment, with plans to finalize certain recommendations by Fall 2024.  The planning process has involved staff from both units as well as from other departments across the University, and has had significant participation from students. This position will develop a plan to operationalize and implement these recommendations from the planning process and to move towards integration of some services, address any areas of identified gaps, and expand successful services to meet the needs of the Twin Cities campus.
Senior Director of Mental Health Services: The Senior Director of Mental Health Services will be responsible for directing mental health services, including counseling, therapy and psychiatry to meet the needs of students at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus. The Mental Health Director collaborates with and supports the Executive Director in formulating long range planning and policies and is responsible for ensuring that Boynton Health as part of the Office of Student Affairs meets the U of Minnesota Twin Citiesâ™ organizational goals and vision.
Clinical Authority and Leadership 35%: This role oversees provider staff, ensuring clinical quality, regulatory compliance, and APA accreditation for mental health services at Boynton Health and SCS counseling. The Director of Mental Health acts as a liaison and resource across various University of Minnesota departments, particularly within the Office for Student Affairs, regarding student mental health and wellbeing. They lead efforts to align Boynton Health's strategic focus areas with creating access and utilization of services, transitioning towards a whole-person care model and culturally responsive approach to meet students' mental health needs.
Lead the integration and services of Boynton Health and SCS counseling. Lead efforts to integrate and improve mental health services, promoting a whole-person model of care and cultural responsiveness. Plan, direct, and evaluate clinical services and clinical training at Boynton and SCS for high quality mental health care. Evaluate, assess and lead clinical quality to assure a positive student experience.  Collaborate with the Senior Director of Clinical Services at Boynton as necessary. Participate in internal quality committees to maintain accreditation and set performance standards. Establish qualifications and performance expectations for mental health providers. Set operational targets and monitor budgetary performance to meet financial goals. Monitor campus mental health issues and provide relevant information to stakeholders. Serve as a mental health expert in crisis situations and participate in emergency planning, serving on the Behavioral Consultation Team and other relevant committees. Address parent and leadership concerns, providing necessary education and support. Participate in relevant campus committees and student advisory groups. Attend campus weekly Behavioral Consultation Team (BCT) meetings and provide clinical consultation; Prepare reports for Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH);  Attend annual Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors (AUCCCD), ACHA, and Big 10 University Counseling Center Director conferences to advance the mission of higher education and advocate for collegiate mental health. Mental Health Continuum of Care Implementation 30% Collaborate with the Associate Director of Operations, Mental Health leadership, and Executive Leadership to develop and implement a 2-3 year operational plan with benchmarks and milestones. This plan should incorporate staff and student recommendations, emerging practices, and a focus on trauma-responsive care. Participate in discussions regarding campus-wide services, programs, and policies affecting mental health. Lead the development of mental health clinical services and interventions tailored to the University of Minnesota Twin Cities student population, utilizing both qualitative and quantitative data. Serve as a liaison for mental health issues with other campus departments, providing expertise and acting as a spokesperson or consultant as needed. Supervision 10% Provide ongoing supervision, performance feedback, conducts performance reviews for staff according to University of Minnesota HR guidelines.  Coach, mentor, and engage staff in professional development, focusing on building and retaining internal talent.  Develop and implement annual work plans with supervisees, tracking performance and disseminating learnings.  Collaborate with Talent Management and Human Resources to cultivate clinical leadership and assure continuity of care. Ensure fairness, equity, and adherence to UMN personnel policies, labor agreements, and laws. Respond to individual staff needs and facilitate their growth. Direct Mental Health Care 25% 
Direct mental health care services for which the Director is licensed and privileged to provide. This will increase to 40% once the mental health continuum implementation project ends. 
Skills and competencies needed for this position include but are not limited to the following:
Strategic Thinking: Collaborates with the Executive Leadership team to implement a vision for the department that is consistent with BHâ™s strategic plans and priorities. Leads and supports clinical leadership in developing short- and long-range goals and objectives for the department and monitors progress using data. Considers a broad range of internal and external priorities when solving problems and making decisions. Effectively communicates strategy and project plans verbally and in written form. Developing Others: Plans and supports the development of individuals' skills and abilities so that they can fulfill current or future job/role responsibilities more effectively, particularly around clinical leadership and succession planning. Teamwork: Works effectively with a team/work group, including those outside of the formal reporting line, to accomplish organizational goals; takes actions that respect the needs and contributions of others. Fosters a positive attitude among staff. Creates and contributes to departmental and BH wide teamwork by motivating staff to work effectively together to improve processes. Building Rapport & Relationships: Initiates and develops relationships with others as a key priority; treats others with respect; actively listens to ideas; is approachable. Demonstrates self-awareness by perceiving one's impact on others and perceiving and reacting to the needs of others. Staffing: Maintains adequate staffing service levels for all areas of responsibility. Engages supervisees in contingency planning for service lines to mitigate staffing shortages. Change: Anticipates change, proactively plans for changes and effectively helps others move through the change process. Problem-solving: Identifies and clearly defines problems, evaluates, and weighs alternatives, works effectively to remove barriers and implements solutions. Measures the impact of the implemented process to ensure target states are met. Political Savvy/Conflict Resolution: Develops effective give and take relationships with others; understands the agenda and perspective of others; recognizes and effectively balances the interests and needs of one's own group with those of other groups. Resolves conflicts effectively and supports decisions. Initiative: Demonstrates initiative and contributes to BH wide goals by being creative, collaborative, and service oriented as well as by participating in U of MN as needed. Diversity: Effectively leads and leverages the capabilities, insights, and ideas of all individuals; works effectively with individuals of diverse style, ability, and motivation.
Minimum Required Qualifications: M.D.  or Licensed Psychologist, LMFT, LICSW, LPCC or DNP licensure.  Licensure by the state of Minnesota to practice psychiatry, therapy or counseling.    Seven years or more of senior management/leadership and supervisory experience in higher education campus mental health setting, an outpatient mental health care setting, and/or community mental health setting. Strong multitasking and detail-oriented with effective written and oral communication, interpersonal skills, and a customer service orientation. Experience leading change initiatives, utilizing quality improvement practices, and demonstrating effectiveness in transforming service delivery models. Familiarity with leading and/or participating in a trauma responsive/trauma informed care model of mental health services.  A commitment to promoting a campus culture that respects and advances equity, diversity, and inclusion, as well as a strong dedication and passion for supporting student mental health and wellbeing Experience working with individuals from racial, ethnic, cultural, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds, lived experiences, and identities. Preferred Qualifications: Experience in collaborative decision-making within a highly matrixed organizational structure, demonstrating the ability to navigate complex systems effectively.  Exceptional organizational skills. Ability to present clinical information to people from various walks of life. Experience leading team based care efforts towards integrated, whole person approaches to care and services within higher education, mental health or healthcare settings.  About University of Minnesota Twin Cities
The University of Minnesota, founded in the belief that all people are enriched by understanding, is dedicated to the advancement of learning and the search for truth; to the sharing of this knowledge through education for a diverse community; and to the application of this knowledge to benefit the people of the state, the nation, and the world.
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