The Rhode Island College Center for Health and Wellness provide confidential, holistic primary health care, counseling and mentorship through case management to enhance the academic potential for all RIC students.
Primary Purpose
The Director, Student Health and Wellness is a vital member of the Rhode Island College campus and will serve as a leader in the Division of Student Success to support the College’s strong commitment to the Health and Wellness of its student community. The Director will provide vision and strategic leadership and will envision and enact a model of service delivery and professional training to promote optimal psychological, emotional and physical health and wellness in the Rhode Island College (RIC) community. The range of services will include prevention, intervention, psychoeducation, crisis management, and health promotion for RIC students, consultation to faculty, staff, and organizations within the campus community as well as assessing and analyzing clinical signs and symptoms, and diagnosing actual/potential health problems. This position serves as the director for the Office of Health Services. This position supervises staff with a focus on fostering and supporting an integrated team approach to student health and wellness.
Essential Duties
- Provide visionary and strategic leadership for a holistic multidisciplinary approach to student wellness, including administrative leadership for Health Services.
- Create a vision for health and wellness on campus and advance the growth and improvement of these areas; serve as a thought leader among staff and faculty.
- Provide overall direction for an integrated health and wellness center that includes counseling, health services, health promotion, substance abuse prevention, and education.
- Build a cohesive team and facilitate collaborations, within Student Success, Academic Affairs, and across campus, to accomplish departmental and office goals and priorities to promote student health and wellness.
- Direct and oversee the overall operations of the Office of Health Services including personnel recruitment, training, supervision, and evaluation; budget management; and administrative functions; provide frequent opportunities for professional development.
- Supervise and manage direct reports, including the health services staff and administrative professional.
- Provide training for the staff of Residential Life and Housing, and Athletics and others on the campus.
- Organize and lead an ongoing strategic planning and assessment process for health services.
- Develop and administer policies and protocols that govern medical and mental health care and that mitigate risk to students, the staff, and the institution; keeping with current best-practices for college and university health and counseling centers.
- Coordinate the centers emergency and crisis response procedures.
- Participate in on-call rotation and respond to crisis situations involving students during the business day, evenings and weekends as necessary.
- Coordinate consultation, education, and outreach services to faculty, staff, and students on developmental, mental health and wellness, and harm-reduction issues.
- Establish and maintain close collaborations with campus partners, and liaise with off-campus medical and mental health providers.
- Evaluate the health-related needs of the campus community and respond to these needs.
- Evaluate the effectiveness and direct the day-to-day operations including staff supervision, provision of quality services, and budget management.
- Ensure effective and confidential use of the electronic records systems necessary for treatment, research, accountability, and planning.
- Develop standards, protocols, and establish task priorities for the Office of Health Services including part-time and special monthly staff personnel.
- Assist in the development and oversight of the Student Health Insurance Program.
- Prepare budgets, reports and proposals in connection with the work of the centers.
- Manage operational budgets.
- Manage contracts for the internship programs.
- Direct and oversee TELUS Health Student Support and the 24/7 HOPE Line (24-hour call in center and app offering mental health counseling).
- Provide information and data on request to represent the accomplishments and needs of the department.
- Serve on the leadership team for Student Success; serve as a member of the CARE TEAM, Behavioral Engagement Team (BET), and other relevant committees within and outside of Student Success.
- Remain professionally current in knowledge and practice and ensure that staff remain appropriately licensed.
- Coordinate the team structure organized around the main functioning of the Office of Health Services, comprised of a medical director, a nurse practitioner, registered nurses, graduate student trainees, and administrative staff.
Clinical Responsibilities:
- Perform comprehensive, holistic physical examinations of clients to identify actual or potential health problems.
- Ability to provide culturally responsive, gender-respectful and confidential care to patient population and to understand perspectives and experiences related to socioeconomic class, gender identity and expression, sexuality, and race and ethnicity.
- Assess and analyze clinical signs and symptoms, diagnose actual/potential health problems, and structure a care plan to promote optimal health with a focus on prevention, education, and health promotion; consult with other health care professionals as needed.
- Maintain complete and accurate clinical records and reports.
- Independently prescribe and/or administer appropriate medication, corrective measures, and medical therapeutics within legal scope of practice.
- Provide referrals to consulting specialist and conduct follow-up as necessary.
- Initiate emergency treatment of acute medical problems. Coordinate the centers’ emergency and crisis response procedures.
- Participate in on-call rotation and respond to crisis situations involving students during the business day, evenings and weekends as necessary.
The college requires that all applicants and employees be able to perform the above essential duties of the job and will explore reasonable accommodations for individuals with documented disabilities in accordance with ADA requirements.
Occasional Duties
Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Assistant Vice President Student Success and Dean of Students.
Required Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities
- Demonstrated supervisory and leadership skills within a diverse environment.
- Strong fiscal management/budget skills.
- Well-developed skills of team management, coalition building, and operation in interdisciplinary environments.
- Knowledge of integrated care and ability to lead effectively within an integrated model.
- Excellent public speaking, interpersonal, communication, and critical thinking skills, including the ability to work effectively with people of diverse backgrounds.
Licenses: Must have appropriate licensure for the state of RI to perform clinical responsibilities or be eligible for appropriate licensure for the state of RI and obtained within one year from date of hire.
Required Qualifications
Education:
- Graduate of an accredited Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant program/ Master’s degree in nursing or Physician’s Assistant preferred
- National board certification as an Adult or Family Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant
- Licensed as a Rhode Island Advanced Practice Registered Nurse or Physician Assistant
- Current Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) prescribing license and Rhode Island Uniform Controlled Substances Act Registration (CSR).
- Current CPR Certification
Experience:
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A minimum of ten years of relevant progressive leadership and professional experience that includes demonstrated success in the management and supervision of health and mental health services.
Preferred Qualifications
Preferred Qualifications in one or more of the following:
- Understanding of and direct experience in a college or university setting.
- Experience with Electronic Health Records and commitment to/respect for the relevant student privacy obligations.
- Experience in Women’s Health.
- Bilingual
Environmental Conditions
The employee is not exposed to known adverse environmental conditions other than those of working in healthcare settings.