Community Behavioral Specialist at Rice University in Houston, Texas

Job Description:

Special Instructions to Applicants:

All interested applicants should attach a resume and cover letter in the Supporting Documents section of the application, preferably in a PDF format to avoid any formatting issues.

About Rice:

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice's culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name - RICE - Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence.

Position Summary:

The community behavioral specialist will provide crisis intervention and assessment, case management, community outreach and engagement, and campus education to all members of the Rice University community and its visitors.

This position is a joint project between the Rice University Police Department and the student Health and Wellbeing Programs, which includes the SAFE Office, Rice Counseling Center, and the Office of Student Wellbeing. This position is supervised by the Associate Dean of Students, and the Chief of Police, and is clinically supervised by the Rice Counseling Center Clinical Director. This position will be officed within the RUPD space.

Ideal Candidate Statement:

The ideal candidate will have experience working with diverse populations, with law enforcement and criminal justice systems, and with Houston community resources. Candidates must also be able to manage high-stress situations with an eye towards the dignity and respect of those they are interacting with. Preference will be given to those who have worked with clients who have experienced suicidality, and interpersonal violence.

Workplace Requirements

This position is exclusively on-site full-time, necessitating all duties to be performed in-person at Rice University. The Specialist is responsible for setting a flexible schedule to address community needs, including working days, evenings, and on some weekends on campus. Per Rice policy 440 , work arrangements may be subject to change.

This role is classified as an essential position, requiring a remote presence to effectively carry out its vital functions.

Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.

Hiring Range: $90,000 - $94,000 annually, contingent upon qualifications and experience.

Minimum Requirements:

• Master's degree in counseling, or social work
  
  
  • Must be licensed in professional counseling or social work (LPC, LMFT, LCSW, or LMSW) in the state of Texas
  
  
• 3+ years of experience in mental health and community engagement
• Experience in working with law enforcement and the criminal justice fields

Skills:

• Ability to provide assessment of need during a crisis
• Some leadership or supervisor experience
• Good oral and written communication skills
• Good problem-solving abilities
• Multicultural competence
• Ability to provide education and training
• Ability to interact with students, staff, and faculty in a team environment
• Must be able to have a flexible schedule and work in the evenings and weekends

Preferences:

• One or more years of experience providing mental health case management or outreach
• Experience case managing interpersonal violence and suicidality
• Experience with Houston and Harris County Resources
• Clinical skills to assess for suicide and other forms of crisis
• Computer literate- especially PowerPoint, Excel, Work, Google Drive, and Zoom

Essential Functions:

• Performs outreach programming for Rice students and consultations on psychological issues for faculty, staff and students
• Consults with graduate and professional schools on matters involving their students
• Assists in mental health crisis de-escalation
• Assists RCC and RUPD in assessment of suicidality for hospitalization for students
• Assesses staff and faculty in crisis for hospitalization
• Provides hospital accompaniment for mental health crisis for undergraduate and graduate students
• Welfare accompaniment in undergraduate residential colleges and graduate housing
• Crisis incident family notification
• Debriefing for RUPD officers and staff after a critical incident
• Provides crisis counseling and referrals for RUPD officers in crises
• Provides on-campus assistance to staff and faculty experiencing a crisis
• Assists with the management of student party and protest safety planning
• Acts as a RUPD liaison during campus protests
• Assists with Crime Victim Compensation process
• Performs all other duties as assigned

Additional Functions

• Participates in student meetings and campus events
• Represents RUPD at community meetings
• Designs marketing strategies and graphic materials
• Advises student organizations and student leaders

Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits-overview

Rice Mission and Values: Mission and Values | Rice University

Rice University is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to diversity at all levels. It considers for employment qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status.

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