Staff Positions: Administrative Specialist, Counseling Services

Administrative Specialist, Counseling Services

Posted: January 3, 2022

Reporting to the Director of Counseling Services, the Administrative Specialist supports a dynamic team of mental health providers in the Counseling Center. The Administrative Specialist aids all Counseling Services staff by performing administrative support functions, including but not limited to answering telephones, database support, data entry, scheduling appointments, filing, and monitoring records. Other tasks typical of a small, mental health setting include schedule coordination, front desk coverage, coordination of office workflow, completion of reports, maintaining assessment functions, and assisting staff members and students when needed.

The Administrative Specialist regularly interacts with students, members of the campus community, and off-campus partners, providing service delivery to students who utilize the Counseling Center. With a high level of discretion and confidentiality, as well as sensitivity, this Administrative Specialist assists students who may be in distress and are in immediate need of services of the Counseling Center. Day-to-day work can be complex and may involve frequent change in priority.

In addition, the Administrative Specialist takes appropriate actions to support a diverse workforce and participates in the University’s efforts to create a respectful, inclusive, and welcoming work environment. This person interacts respectfully with patients understanding and promoting patient rights, and communicates discreetly and confidentially. The Administrative Specialist is tasked with maintaining a welcoming and supportive environment, and may be asked to participate in committees and division-wide committees as appropriate. The Administrative Specialist contributes to a positive university experience for every student.

Employees must understand the mission of Catholic higher education and be committed to the core values, mission, goals and objectives of Holy Family University.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide an accepting, safe, and nurturing environment for students seeking counseling. Provide information to students, faculty and staff about mental health services offered, and how to access care.
• Monitor and enhance the Counseling Center waiting area environment, with an emphasis on safety, privacy, and professionalism, while also implementing proper crisis management strategies when necessary.
• Able to clearly articulate the functions of Counseling Services, explain purposes of sessions, answer questions about services, identify applicable services for potential student clients, assist clients in completing paperwork, scans and faxes confidential paperwork as needed, and make appropriate referrals to other offices within the university and outside agencies.
• Client support functions to include appointment scheduling/follow-up/confirmation, confirming student eligibility of services, questionnaires and initial intake forms circulation/completion. Track inquires for record keeping and data collection. Prepare special reports and summaries by compiling data from various departmental resources. Assist Director in chart auditing.
• Able to evaluate workload and determine prioritization.
• Maintain calendars of all Counseling Services personnel, schedules initial and follow up appointments for counselors; maintain schedule of tele-conference room(s), and monitors counselor waiting lists as needed.
• Data entry to include creation of new charts, entry of students into record keeping systems, tracking service utilization, logging consultations.
• Answer phone calls and triaging incoming phone calls.
• Email account management and response oversight, responds to inquiries as appropriate; alert counselors as needed to emergencies.
• Outreach to all Counseling Center cancellations, no shows, and reschedules.
• Monitor counselor waiting lists as needed.
• Creation and editing of web pages, forms, letters and office-specific materials. Development of marketing tools and resources. Filing paperwork, pulling charts, making copies.
• Assist students with identifying referrals. Lead the referral processes by making phone calls, identifying provider(s), understanding insurance information, and provide next-step guidance to students. Management of the referral processes, procedures and agency/provider list.
• Provide oversight and support to the planning, development, and execution of outreach events and training workshops. This may include creation of Information Technology support tickets, event scheduling, reservation of rooms, set-up/take-down support, technology support as well as editing and creating documents utilized for these events. Additional duties may include connecting with and coordinating community organizations who collaborate with the center for mental health wellness events.
• Support Counseling Services staff in the coordination of unfolding crisis situations to include making phone calls, waiting for replies, sitting with students in crisis, preparing paperwork.
• Be first point of contact for clients entering Counseling Services. Create a welcoming and supportive environment.
• Assist with identifying for students general mental health support resources available (worksheets, guides, other self-help tools) and online support resources (websites, virtual support groups).
• Conduct brief assessments and triage patients to determine level of care needed (e.g. routine, urgent or emergency care).
• Provide de-escalation, support, and immediate care for students in crisis and assist with coordinating hospitalizations and referrals.

Qualifications Required

• Associate’s Degree and 2-3 years of increasingly responsible administrative support personnel experience, including greeting the public, maintaining detailed records, editing professional documents and presentations, developing administrative policies and procedures, and working with technology and computer software to include Microsoft Office Suite. •
• Experience in maintaining confidentiality and highly sensitive information. •
• Experience working as part of a team and sensitivity to cross-cultural issues, with a supportive approach to colleagues.

Preferred

• Experience in college setting. 
• Experience in a medical office or mental health position. 
• Exposure in an office setting dealing with crisis intervention and/or experience related to emergencies or mental health. 
• Working knowledge of basic medical or mental health clinic practices, operations, techniques, equipment, and terminology. 
• Experience managing and maintaining health records. 
• Experience with social media platforms.

Qualified candidates may apply by sending a resume, a cover letter that addresses the responsibilities and requirements described above and desired salary to careers@holyfamily.edu. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

Holy Family University seeks to foster an inclusive and healthy educational and work environment based on respect, the dignity of each person and the oneness of the human family. The University prohibits harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and bias incidents in any form, including, but not limited to, those based upon race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, disability, marital status, military/veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws, in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, employment policies and practices, financial aid programs, athletic programs, and other school-administered activities and rights and privileges generally accorded or made available to employees and students at the University. Holy Family University complies with Title IX of the U.S. Education Amendments of 1972 (“Title IX”), a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs and activities. Holy Family University is dedicated to ensuring an environment free of discrimination or harassment of any kind, and promotes equal opportunity and inclusion in its education programs. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation to the application, and/or interview process should notify Human Resources at hr@holyfamily.edu.