FIT NYC Assistant Director, Counseling Center

The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), part of the State University of New York and an internationally renowned college of art, design, business and technology with a strong emphasis on liberal arts, invites nominations and applications for a Assistant Director, Counseling Center.

Job Description

Reporting to the Director of the Counseling Center, the Assistant Director supports the clinical and operational functions of the Counseling Center while providing direct counseling services to students. This role serves as a senior licensed clinician responsible for short-term individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, case management, and clinical consultation to staff. The Assistant Director helps ensure continuity of care, assists in maintaining ethical and evidence-based practices, and contributes to data reporting, outreach, and strategic initiatives that enhance student well-being, retention, and institutional success.

Essential Functions

Clinical Counseling & Student Care

• Provide short-term individual and group counseling services to students utilizing a stepped-care and brief treatment model.
• Conduct intake evaluations, develop treatment plans, and provide referrals and follow-up services to ensure continuity of care.
• Provide case management and coordinate care with on-campus and community-based providers.
• Adapt care approaches to meet the diverse needs of FIT's student population.
  
  

• Respond to urgent, high-risk, and walk-in student concerns, including situations involving hospitalization or emergency services.
• Conduct suicide risk assessments, safety planning, and disposition planning for students in distress.
• Exercise sound clinical judgment under pressure to support student health and safety.
• Serve as senior clinical back-up when the Director is unavailable or managing institutional responsibilities.
  
  

• Support the Director in day-to-day Counseling Center operations and service delivery.
• Coordinate scheduling, clinical coverage, and continuity of services.
• Provide clinical consultation and support to Counseling Center staff on complex or high-risk cases.
• Assist in maintaining ethical, legal, evidence-based, and trauma-informed clinical practices.
• Help develop departmental procedures, operational plans, and service improvements.
  
  

• Track service utilization, analyze clinical data, and prepare reports, metrics, and assessments to support grant funding and operational effectiveness.
• Contribute to departmental planning, strategic initiatives, and policy implementation.
• Use electronic records systems and data platforms to maintain accurate clinical documentation and reporting.
  
  

• Develop and deliver workshops, support groups, and outreach programs based on student needs.
• Collaborate with academic and administrative departments to support student mental health and respond to campus incidents affecting student well-being.
• Build effective partnerships across the college community and with external stakeholders as needed.
  
  

The preceding description is not designed to be a complete list of all duties and responsibilities required of the position; other duties may be assigned consistent with the classification of the position.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Psychology, Social Work, Mental Health Counseling, or a related field.
• Licensed mental health clinician in New York State (Psychologist, LCSW, LMHC, or equivalent).
• Minimum of five (5) years of clinical experience in counseling, mental health, higher education counseling, or related settings.
• Demonstrated experience in crisis intervention, risk assessment, treatment planning, and case management.
  
  

• Doctoral degree in a related discipline preferred.
• Experience in a college or university counseling center.
• Experience with grant reporting, assessment, and clinical data analytics.
• Prior supervisory or administrative leadership experience.
  
  

• Strong knowledge of college mental health trends, stepped-care models, and brief treatment approaches.
• Expertise in crisis response, suicide prevention, and emergency intervention procedures.
• Ability to balance clinical care, crisis management, and administrative priorities.
• Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Knowledge of multicultural, LGBTQ+, and trauma-informed counseling frameworks.
• Ability to work collaboratively with students, faculty, staff, and community providers.
• Skill in coordinating services and leading within a multidisciplinary environment.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality, ethical standards, and sound judgment in complex situations.
• Proficiency with electronic medical records, reporting systems, and data tools.
• Commitment to student success, equity, and inclusive practice.
  
  

Please note all offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of the background check process.

Salary

Starting Salary: $69,346.37 - $142,271.78 per year with step increments after one year of service and annually thereafter.

The final starting salary and appointment rank will be based on education level and cumulative experience; Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) Salary Schedules pgs. 73-74.

Instructor: $69,346.37 - $80,793.82

Assistant Professor: $80,736.40 - $118,984.88

Associate Professor: $94,498.31 - $142,271.78

Professor: $115,232.32 - $173,403.37

Work Schedule

Days/Hours: M-F, 10am-5pm, in person; work schedule subject to change based on needs of the department.

Benefits

The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) provides comprehensive employee benefit programs designed to help keep our faculty and staff and their families healthy, safe, happy, and productive. Our programs also include a variety of components to help our employees improve the quality and balance of their work and family lives, and to help them prepare for their futures.

• Retirement Plans
• Health Care Plan and Dental Plan
• Employee Assistance Program
• Flexible Spending Account
• Commuter Benefit Plan
• FIT Tuition Exemption Program
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Personal, Sick and Holidays)
• 4-day Summer Workweek
• Qualifying Employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program
  
  

For a full list of FIT benefits, visit our benefits webpage .

Pay Equity by State Employers

Pursuant to Executive Order 161, no State entity, as defined by the Executive Order, is permitted to ask, or mandate, in any form, that an applicant for employment provide his or her current compensation, or any prior compensation history, until such time as the applicant is extended a conditional offer of employment with compensation. If such information has been requested from you before such time, please contact the Governor's Office of Employee Relations at (518) 474-6988 or via email at info@goer.ny.gov.

Visa Sponsorship

This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship by the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Statement

FIT is firmly committed to creating an environment that will attract and retain people from a range of backgrounds. FIT is firmly committed to creating a learning and working environment that encourages, utilizes, respects, and appreciates the full expression of every individual's ability. The FIT community fosters its mission and grows because of its rich, pluralistic experience. FIT is committed to prohibiting discrimination, whether on the basis of race, color, creed, age, national origin, immigration or citizenship status, gender, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, partnership status, caregiver status, sexual and reproductive health decisions, uniformed service, height, weight, any lawful source of income, status as a victim of domestic violence or as a victim of sex offenses or stalking, whether children are, may be or would be residing with a person or conviction or arrest record, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. FIT is committed to providing equal opportunity in employment, including the opportunity for upward mobility for all qualified individuals. Applications from veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged. Inquiries regarding FIT's non-discrimination policies may be directed to the Chief Equal Employment Opportunity Officer/Title IX Coordinator, 212.217.3360.

Annual Security Report

The safety and well-being of FIT's students, faculty, staff, and visitors is of paramount importance. Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, FIT publishes an annual report containing crime statistics and statements of security policy, accessible here: Safety Statistics . A paper copy of the report will be provided upon request by contacting Public Safety's administrative office number at (212) 217-4999.

Physical Requirements And Work Environment

The working conditions for this position will be primarily in an office space. The physical requirement for this position will require constant sitting, frequent standing, occasional bending, occasional walking, occasional repetitive motions, and occasionally lifting 10 lbs. or less.

Application Instructions

In order to be considered for this position, please submit the following documents online:

• Resume
• Cover letter
• Unofficial Transcript
• A list of three references with telephone numbers and email addresses
  
  

Returning Applicants - Login to your FITNYC Careers Account to check your submitted application material.

Review of applications will begin immediately until the position is filled.

Please note that due to the volume of applications, we will not be able to contact each applicant individually.

Additional information about the Fashion Institute of Technology can be found at: http://www.fitnyc.edu .