About UMass Amherst
UMass Amherst, the Commonwealth's flagship campus, is a nationally ranked public research university offering a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, and offers a rich cultural environment in a bucolic setting close to major urban centers. In addition, the University is part of the Five Colleges (including Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College), which adds to the intellectual energy of the region.
Job Summary
Under the direction of the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Campus Life and Wellbeing, the Director of University Mental Health Promotion and Wellbeing Strategies is responsible for the overall vision and administration of strategies related to student wellbeing and mental health promotion. The Director will work within a Collective Impact Framework to target population-level outcomes.
Essential Functions
- Facilitates the design and implementation of campus-wide mental health and wellbeing strategies, based on an expert understanding of collegiate mental health and diversity, equity, and inclusion, which must be infused in all aspects of the work.
- Links and aligns efforts throughout the Division, across campus related to student mental health and well-being.
- Integrates wellbeing initiatives with university strategic direction and policies.
- Cultivates and facilitates the engagement of partnerships and networks across campus, both within and outside of Student Affairs and Campus Life (SACL) to support collaborative strategies for the promotion of mental health and wellbeing.
- Leads and participates in campus committees as necessary to provide mental health promotion and content expertise and forwards the initiatives of the Health Promoting Campus.
- Participates and engages in leadership in national networks and organizations designed to address mental health promotion and wellbeing on college campuses.
- Develops working collaborations with academic staff and faculty. Identifies faculty whose research aligns with or is related to mental health and wellbeing and engages their participation in applied research that forwards mental health and wellbeing promotion efforts on campus.
- Leads departmental review, needs assessment and consultation to academic units, providing them with a developmental pathway that enables all faculty to build an environment of mental health promotion for students that supports overall student success.
- Participates in and represents SACL and University in community coalitions, collaborative efforts and initiatives in support of student mental health and wellbeing.
- Provides leadership and coordination of mental health and wellbeing curricula delivered to students.
- Supervises Program Directors and all associated curricular programs within Campus Life and Wellbeing, including credit-bearing courses related to mental health and wellbeing such as Positivity and Relaxation Training and Wellbeing 203.
- Oversees the development and administration of campus-wide training efforts aimed at crisis and postvention response.
- Conducts analysis and needs assessment for training in specific areas of the University.
- Guides development and training of peer-based student support and coaching efforts.
- Hires and manages professionals, student workers and/or graduate intern staff in compliance with HR guidelines.
- Leads other professional staff, internal and external collaborators, and stakeholders in the development of a broad, campus-wide data analysis and collection systems to guide the process of mental health promotion to enhance wellbeing and student success for the UMass student community.
- Identifies trends and needs of participating organizations and campus stakeholders.
- Seeks feedback from diverse groups, and collaboratively develops strategies to best address their needs and develop their capacities
- Works with Division and Collaborative staff to design and implement strategies to market and promote population level student mental health and wellbeing, the health promoting campus settings approach and the interconnection of mental health and wellbeing with student learning, success, and retention.
- Oversees the development of the annual budget to be submitted for approval. Overall management of budget expenditures for operations, maintenance, and programs, prepare purchase requests and authorizes invoice payment. Maintains records of all administrative, operations and programming matters. Prepares program reports for use as directed by the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Campus Life and Wellbeing.
- Researches and prepares grant proposals and/or development proposals for the Assistant Vice Chancellor’s submission to private/public organizations.
- Cultivates donor relationships for efforts related to student mental health promotion and wellbeing.
Other Functions
- Performs related duties as assigned or required. Understands responsibilities with respect to Title IX, Clery and other compliance requirements.
- Demonstrates capacity, skill, and willingness to engage students and contribute to student success.
- Understands responsibilities regarding conflicts of interest and behaves consistent with law and university policy.
- Contributes toward creating a positive and respectful workplace. Uses access to sensitive and/or not yet public University-related information only in the performance of the responsibilities of position and exercises care to prevent unnecessary disclosure to others.
Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)
- Master’s Degree in related field, including but not limited to Business Administration, Public Health, Counseling, or directly related field.
- Five (5) years' progressively responsible management of wellness-related programs or services.
- Experience implementing training and development of students and staff at all levels, related to wellbeing and mental health.
- Experience with budget development and resource allocations.
- Superior knowledge of contemporary theories and practice related to wellness and well-being of college students.
- Superior knowledge of integration of diversity, equity and inclusion, and capacity to communicate and integrate these perspectives into training, initiatives and responses related to mental health and wellbeing.
- Exceptional planning and project management skills, with emphasis on understanding of a public health approach to mental wellbeing and culture change.
- Exceptional ability to relate to and communicate clearly and effectively with broadly diverse constituencies and utilizing multiple spoken, written, and electronic media modalities.
- Strong knowledge of contemporary assessment practices/techniques and the use of data in decision-making.
- Demonstrated organizational/research skills and significant knowledge of public higher education issues.
- Demonstrated ability to build positive work teams.
- Experience using personal computers, including experience with Windows, MS Office (Work, Excel) software and on-line resource development such as Web page production.
Preferred Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)
- Doctoral/Terminal degree in related field, including but not limited to Psychology, Business Administration, Public Health, Counseling, or directly related field.
- Experience delivering clinical services in collegiate mental health.
Physical Demands/Working Conditions
Typical office environment.
Work Schedule
Typical work schedule Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5:00pm including some evenings and weekends to attend functions, trainings, and capacity building activities.
Salary Information
Level 30
PSU Hiring Ranges
Special Instructions to Applicants
Along with the completed application, please upload a resume, cover letter, and contact information of three (3) professional references. Posting will remain open until position is filled.
UMass Amherst is committed to a policy of equal opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, disability, military status, or genetic information in employment, admission to and participation in academic programs, activities, and services, and the selection of vendors who provide services or products to the University. To fulfill that policy, UMass Amherst is further committed to a program of affirmative action to eliminate or mitigate artificial barriers and to increase opportunities for the recruitment and advancement of qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans. It is the policy of the UMass Amherst to comply with the applicable federal and state statutes, rules, and regulations concerning equal opportunity and affirmative action.