Assistant Director of Student Care
Amherst Campus
Full Time
JR6215
Amherst has taken a leadership role among highly selective liberal arts colleges and universities in successfully diversifying the racial, socio-economic, and geographic profile of its student body. The College is similarly committed to enriching its educational experience and its culture through the diversity of its faculty, administration and staff.
Job Description:
Amherst College invites applications for the Assistant Director of Student Care. The Assistant Director of Student Care is a full-time, year-round position, starting at $66,000 - commensurate with experience.
Reporting to the Director of Student Care and as a member of the Office of Student Affairs, the Assistant Director is responsible for supporting a vibrant community of students at Amherst College by working directly with students and connecting them to appropriate levels of care.
The Student Care team serves as the hub of support for students who are experiencing difficulties related to mental health, physical health, psycho-social adjustment, financial, familial, and/or personal challenges by providing direct services including interventions, referrals, and follow-up services.
The Assistant Director maintains a caseload of students who are experiencing difficulties related to mental health, physical health, psycho-social adjustment, financial, family, and personal challenges. The Assistant Director works in close collaboration with Student Affairs colleagues, health care providers, campus partners, faculty, and families to address student needs by providing direct services including interventions, referrals and follow-up services.
The Assistant Director partners closely with the Director and Associate Dean to cross-train all aspects of office continuity to be able to provide backup support when the Director is out of the office. The Assistant Director takes a leadership role, in partnership with the Director, to develop training materials, student support resources, online communications, and student support systems development. The Assistant Director consults with members of our community (faculty, staff, parents, students) in the interest of assisting them in their student support roles and contributing to a culture of care and wellbeing.
The Assistant Director is a full-time, 12-month position. The Assistant Director serves in the second tier of after hours on-call rotation. Due to the nature of this position, early mornings, evenings, and weekends may be required.
Amherst College has a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The Assistant Director must be able to take appropriate actions to support the College's efforts to create a respectful, inclusive, and welcoming learning environment for all.
*Hours typically from 9:00am to 5:00pm M-F, with occasional evening and weekend hours as needed. *On-call responsibilities for Tier 2, shifts are for 24 hours a day/7 days a week during the on-duty week. On-Call Rotation for crisis, after-hours, weekend, and College holiday support.
Summary of Responsibilities:
Student Support
Manages a caseload of students experiencing significant difficulties related to mental health, physical health, psycho-social adjustment, financial, familial, and personal challenges.
Collaborates with the Director of Student Care to maintain partnerships and protocols with community resources and campus partners including but not limited to the Center for Counseling and Mental Health, the Health Center, Accessibility Services, Athletics, and Campus Police.
Serve as a liaison for student support during hospitalizations, including liaising with emergency and family contacts, peer groups, on- and off-campus treatment providers, Class Deans, other Student Affairs staff, coaches, and/or employers, and other involved parties. Engages with students, support networks, and providers throughout the hospital discharge planning and medical clearance process, including delivering follow-up support and assisting students with tracking multiple resources upon discharge. Assists with withdrawal and departure from campus when medical clearance cannot be established.
Maintains thorough knowledge of College standards and practices including 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.
Serves as a member of the Care Team Meeting, maintaining weekly agenda and meeting minutes, in collaboration with all Care Team Meeting members.
Collaborates with Health/Counseling Centers to develop and maintain a database and assists students with referral resources and community services.
Follows up with reporting parties to collect pertinent case details and to provide updates on case progress, with respect to student privacy.
Ensures assigned cases are receiving timely attention and that records are being kept in accordance with College protocol.
Supports students through all phases of the Leave and Return process.
Provides follow-up support for students who receive medical attention from ACEMS, the College's emergency medical service.
Evaluates and processes student requests for housing extenuating circumstances.
Provides Student Care support outreach to students 21 years and older who are reported for concerns with alcohol or other drugs.
Assists students who are experiencing interpersonal concerns with safety planning
Training and Outreach
Participates in weekly Case Review meetings with the Care & Accountability Team and other members of Student Affairs.
In partnership with the Director of Student Care, communicates support services initiatives to the College community through outreach education, training, consultation, and the production and distribution of materials to faculty, staff, and students.
Serves as a resource, trainer and consultant to faculty, staff, and students on recognizing and responding to students at risk and reporting concerns.
Serves as a resource to Health/Counseling Centers to assist students with referrals and connections to off-campus resources.
Assist with reviewing Student Care and Administrator On Call templates, manuals, policies, and resource guides to provide updates and suggested changes.
Remains engaged in professional organizations, including creating and facilitating presentations for peers within organizations such as COFHE and the IVY+ Student Support group.
Represents Student Care on the College's Student Emergency Funding Committee.
Provides support for students who are experiencing significant family concerns, including students making dependency override requests through Financial Aid.
Creates resources that facilitate student support, including safety planning resources
Collaborates regularly with the College's Civil Rights & Title IX Office (CRTIX)to support students who are experiencing issues at the intersection of Student Care and CRTIX.
Maintains relationships with community partners, including local interpersonal violence support services and organizations and local recovery groups.
Regularly provides and facilitates training for students and the College community, including during first-year student orientation.
Maintains knowledge of current practice in the field for purposes of benchmarking Student Care services and programs.
Assists Director of Student Care with data collection and analysis around student demographics, student response to outreach, student use and engagement, and student outcomes.
Student Affairs Generalist
Attends Week-in-Review Meeting (WIRM) to assist with timely responses and intervention plans to reported health & wellbeing incidents on campus.
Provides backup coverage for Student Care oversight and meeting facilitation when the Director of Student Care is out of the office.
Serves in the Administrator on Call (AOC) rotation. The AOC responds to crisis situations and helps to resolve a wide range of issues related to a residential campus environment. Determine crisis response level based on expertise, skills, and protocol training. Effectively use campus and community resources to address issues and appropriately seek consultation from and/or escalate issues to AOC2 or AOC3 on-call personnel. Conduct follow-up as needed for the affected students and impacted students or groups.
Assists Director to submit an annual report outlining goals, progress, assessment, and emerging opportunities.
Serves on campus-wide committees as appropriate.
Qualifications
Required:
- Master's Degree
- Four years of related experience in student support, crisis intervention, or behavioral intervention with college-aged students
- Knowledge of college student development theory and practice.
- Demonstrated commitment to student on-campus living and learning community development and programming.
- Demonstrated effective administrative, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
- Strong skills in written, verbal, and electronic communication
- Evidence-based commitment to supporting a diverse student community.
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively with other Student Affairs departments and members of the faculty in the College community.
- Ability to exercise sound judgment, exhibit resilience under pressure, set priorities, and achieve goals.
- Demonstrated ability to steward sensitive and private student data toward its inclusion in operational processes and procedures.
- Demonstrated ability to problem-solve 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.
- An acceptable result from a criminal offender records information (CORI) check.
Amherst College is pleased to provide a comprehensive, highly competitive benefits package that meets the needs of staff and faculty and their families. Benefits are an important part of our overall compensation, so it is critical that you review all of the options to ensure it meets your total compensation requirements. Click here for Benefits Information.
Interested candidates are asked to submit a resume and cover letter online at https://amherst.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/Amherst_Jobs. Please be sure to upload all requested documents prior to clicking Submit. Applications cannot be revised once submitted. (Current employees and students should apply by clicking on the Jobs Hub icon from their Workday home screen) Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.
It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.
To apply, visit https://amherst.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Amherst_Jobs/job/Amherst-Campus/Assistant-Director-of-Student-Care_JR6215
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Amherst College
Aug 21, 2025