Director of Student Care

Amherst College invites applications for the Director of Student Care, a full-time, year-round position. The expected salary range for this opportunity is $90,000 to $100,000.

About the Role

Reporting to the Associate Dean of Students and Class Dean, the Director of Student Care supports a vibrant community of students at Amherst College by overseeing and creating policies, processes, and practices that are transparent and equitable. The role ensures that students of concern are connected to appropriate levels of care. The Care & Accountability Team focuses on comprehensive student development in a challenging and supportive environment.

The Student Care team serves as the hub of support for students experiencing difficulties related to mental health, physical health, psycho-social adjustment, financial, familial, and/or personal challenges by providing direct case management services, including interventions, referrals, and follow-up services.

Responsibilities

• Department Leadership
  • Provides strategic direction, operational oversight, and guidance for the Student Care team.
  • Oversees the development, supervision, and assessment of policies, practices, services, systems, and processes that facilitate support for students in collaboration with other Student Affairs departments and campus partners.
  • Hires, on-boards, supervises, and evaluates the Student Care Coordinator.
  • Oversees wellbeing checks and outreach conducted by Area Coordinators.
• Student Support
  • Manages a caseload of students experiencing significant difficulties related to mental health, physical health, psycho-social adjustment, financial, familial, and/or personal challenges.
  • Collaborates with the Associate Dean to develop and maintain partnerships and protocols with community resources and campus partners, including the Center for Counseling and Mental Health (CCMH), the Health Center, Accessibility Services, Athletics, and Campus Police.
  • Serves as a primary liaison for student support during hospitalizations, including coordinating with emergency contacts, family, peer groups, on- and off-campus treatment providers, Class Deans, and other involved parties.
  • Engages with students, support networks, and providers throughout the hospital discharge planning and medical clearance process, including follow-up support and resource tracking.
  • Assists with withdrawal and departure from campus when medical clearance cannot be established.
  • Communicates with staff, family members, or peers during crises or critical incidents impacting students, and assists with coordinated care plans for high-risk students.
  • Collaborates with the Associate Dean and/or General Counsel to develop behavioral expectations statements for high-risk student behaviors.
  • Maintains thorough knowledge of College standards, the Student Code of Conduct, and related state and federal laws such as FERPA, HIPAA, Title IX, Section 504, and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• Workflow and Recordkeeping
  • Facilitates the cross-departmental Care Team Meeting, including preparing agendas, leading meetings, and arranging follow-up.
  • Oversees the triage of Care Reports from campus police, Office of Community Living, administrators-on-call, faculty, staff, parents, and others.
  • Assigns and routes student concerns to appropriate support resources using Maxient workflow, following Student Affairs protocol.
  • Partners with the Associate Dean on the Leave/Return Process and serves on the Leave/Return Committee.
  • Follows up with reporting parties to collect case details and provide updates while respecting student privacy.
  • Ensures assigned cases receive timely attention and records are maintained according to College protocol.
  • Assists in the preparation of annual reports and other analyses as requested, including collecting data and analyzing trends.
• Team Support, Training, and Outreach
  • Facilitates weekly Case Review meetings in collaboration with the Associate Dean and Director of Community Standards.
  • Regularly reviews specific student support cases with the Care & Accountability Team and other OSA members.
  • Communicates student care and support services initiatives to the College community through outreach, training, and consultation.
  • Serves as a resource, trainer, and consultant to faculty, staff, and students on recognizing and responding to students at risk.
  • Assists the Health/Counseling Centers with referrals and connections to off-campus resources.
  • Provides consultation to Office of Student Affairs staff, including Class Deans and Accessibility Services, on documentation, communication strategies, and strategic goals.
  • Offers training and mentorship on navigating college and community resources.
• Student Affairs Generalist
  • Serves as a member of the Behavioral Intervention Team.
  • Participates in a rotational Tier 2 Administrator on-Call schedule for Student Affairs, including nights and weekends.
  • Responds to crisis situations, assesses and refers at-risk students for additional intervention.
  • Submits an annual report outlining goals, progress, assessment, and emerging opportunities.
  • Participates in strategic planning discussions for the Care & Accountability Team and the Office of Student Affairs.
  • Serves on campus-wide committees as appropriate.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in Education, Counseling, Social Work, or a closely related field.
• 5 to 7 years of related experience in case management, student support, or crisis intervention in higher education, including progressively greater levels of responsibility and accountability.
• Experience leading and supervising professional staff with a commitment to their professional development.
• Knowledge of college student development theory and practice.
• Demonstrated commitment to student on-campus living and learning community development and programming.
• Understanding of academic priorities and how on-campus living and learning communities promote student engagement and learning.
• Effective administrative, supervisory, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
• Strong written, verbal, and electronic communication skills.
• Evidence-based commitment to supporting a diverse student community.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively with Student Affairs departments and faculty.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, exhibit resilience under pressure, set priorities, and achieve goals.
• Demonstrated ability to steward sensitive and private student data in operational processes.
• Problem-solving skills for complex issues while functioning as an independent decision-maker.
• Knowledge of applicable state and federal laws, including FERPA, HIPAA, Title IX, Section 504, and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• Successful completion of required reference and background checks, including an acceptable criminal offender records information (CORI) check.

Preferred Qualifications

• Seven or more years of related experience in case management.
• Experience working with the complexities of a diverse residential community.

Pay

$90,000 to $100,000 per year.