Associate Director, Group Counselling

Staff - Non Union

Job Category
M&P - AAPS

Job Profile
AAPS Salaried - Counsellors/Psychologists, Level D

Job Title
Associate Director, Group Counselling

Department
Team A | Counselling Services | Student Health and Wellbeing | VP Students

Compensation Range
$8,785.08 - $13,703.08 CAD Monthly

The Compensation Range is the span between the minimum and maximum base salary for a position. The midpoint of the range is approximately halfway between the minimum and the maximum and represents an employee that possesses full job knowledge, qualifications and experience for the position. In the normal course, employees will be hired, transferred or promoted between the minimum and midpoint of the salary range for a job.

Posting End Date
March 22, 2024

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the day prior to the Posting End Date above.

Job End Date

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career. 

Job Summary
The Associate Director Group Counselling, provides leadership to group counselling programs with an emphasis on strategic oversight of the design and implementation of all aspects of group counselling programs.  As a member of the clinical staff of Counselling Services, the Associate Director Group Counselling provides a comprehensive range of counselling services for UBC students.
Organizational Status
Reports to the Director, Counselling Services, Health and Wellbeing.  Provides leadership, guidance and support to a team of clinical staff comprised of psychologists and counsellors. Works collaboratively as a member of a team of professionals, actively participating in and contributing to the development and delivery of effective and efficient counselling services.  Works in collaboration with Health and Wellbeing units, Faculties and other University departments to support the development and delivery of mental wellbeing programming and services.  
Work Performed

​- Supervises a team of clinical staff comprised of counselors and psychologists, with duties including setting collaborative performance goals, planning and approving professional development to support, monitoring progress and conducting annual staff evaluations to ensure annual benchmarks and performance goals are reached.

- Provides strategic direction and oversight of group counselling services based on best practices in the field and ongoing tracking of student utilization and outcomes data as well as student satisfaction data to optimize timely access and quality care across all aspects of service delivery including incoming and outgoing referral processes, scheduling and resource utilization, client flow, assessment, and stepped care.   

- Provides leadership on outcome assessment efforts and quality assurance for group programming, including interpretation and analysis of service utilization, outcome, and client satisfaction data to evaluate the effectiveness of embedded counselling services.   

- Collaborates with Associate Director Clinical Services, Counselling Services to develop and maintain group counselling policies and procedures that are aligned with Counselling Services stepped care model, to ensure optimal access and adherence to the highest clinical standards, applicable legislation, local health and safety laws and regulations, student affairs risk management policies, and professional codes of ethics.

- Responds to clinical service issues as they arise including management of crises and other urgent requests for service in counselling programs. Uses knowledge, data and judgment to adjust service delivery processes and levels to meet demands.

- Collaborates with faculty and staff, student leaders, staff from Health and Wellbeing units, managers of other student services to support the development of quality group programming.

- Maintains liaison relationships with university organizations, local mental health care resources, professional organizations and other post-secondary institutions to support effective embedded program development and delivery to a diverse student body and commitment to equity-deserving student populations.

- Represents group counselling services at on-campus events and off-campus meetings of professional organizations.

- Maintains a clinical caseload which may include the following: crisis assessment and response, individual and group psychotherapy, clinical consultation, outreach programming, and clinical supervision of pre and post-doctoral interns.  

- Participates in training, supervision and professional development for student trainees and student health and wellbeing staff

- Participates in case management and administrative meetings as a member of the Counselling Services team of professionals.

- Provides quarterly reports on group programs as well as publications and other documents as required.  

- Contributes to leadership and implementation of change initiatives to improve collaboration and facilitate integration of services provided by Counselling Services with services provided by other Health & Well-being units, specifically Student Health Service and Health Promotion and Education.

- Performs other duties consistent with the mandate of Counselling Services and Student Health and Wellbeing as requested.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
Poor professional judgment or unethical practice would be extremely detrimental to student wellbeing and in some cases could be life threatening.  It would also have a significant negative impact on public relations for embedded counselling programs, Counselling Services, and the University and in some cases result in legal liability for the University.
Supervision Received
Must be able to act with a high degree of autonomy and independence in the leadership and oversight of group counselling services while adhering to the ethical standards of the profession. Acts independently within established clinical and ethical guidelines. Reports to the Director, Counselling Services and works within a model of collegial consultation and collaboration, under the direction of the Director of Counselling Services.
Supervision Given
Recruits, hires, mentors, and supervises, a team of clinical staff comprised of psychologists and counsellors.  Sets performance goals in collaboration with clinical staff reports and plans and approves professional development to support goals attainment, monitors progress and conducts annual staff evaluations to ensure annual benchmarks and performance goals are reached. Addresses performance concerns when required. Also provides clinical supervision and performance evaluation of assigned pre-doctoral interns and practicum students.
Minimum Qualifications
Ph.D. in Counselling Psychology or a related field. Eligible for certification as a Registered Psychologist in British Columbia. Minimum of nine years of related experience in clinical counselling with at least three years of management experience.
- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own

- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

- Doctorate in Counselling Psychology, or a related field with the appropriate training and experience. Canadian Psychological Association accredited doctoral program and internship or equivalent preferred.  Minimum of nine years of related experience in clinical counselling with at least three years of management experience.

- Accredited pre-doctoral internship completed. Eligible for registration as a psychologist in British Columbia.

- An expressed commitment and experience with equity-deserving student populations.  Proven sensibility and appreciation of the role that gender, race, disability, gender identity, sexuality, social background play in the experience of health and wellbeing.

- Commitment to serving the needs of a broadly diverse student population; Demonstrated ability to provide services that are responsive and sensitive to the needs of specific student populations including aboriginal students, international students, and graduate students. 

- University or college counselling experience preferred.

- Experience in coordination of services in clinical setting.

- Strong interpersonal, supervisory, organizational, leadership, management, public speaking, and communication skills.

- Training and experience in clinical supervision.

- Demonstrated knowledge of student development theory and experience in program development, consultation and outreach.

- Possession of personal attributes that facilitate teamwork and the development of effective working relationships with a wide range of students, faculty, and staff.

- Appropriate course-work and training in mental health assessment, individual and group counselling; trauma informed care, program evaluation, adolescent and adult development; learning theory; career development, cross-cultural counselling competencies and diversity, personality theory and diagnosis and treatment of psychopathology.

- Knowledge of the unique issues facing university students and university life.

- Expertise and experience in treatment of a wide range of concerns that post-secondary students may experience including stress, depression, anxiety, relationship difficulties, substance abuse, eating/body image issues, career/life planning, transition issues, trauma and sexual violence.

- Bi-lingual or multi-lingual an asset.

Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person.