Staff TherapistPsychologist

Pacific University achieves excellence and distinction by investing in exceptional people to think care create and pursue justice in our world. We embrace discovery in a close and nurturing environment that leads to genuine transformation. Our community is diverse sustainable and dedicated to discovery and excellence in teaching scholarship and practice.

At Pacific University we thrive in an extraordinary environment surrounded by the beauty of the great Pacific Northwest with campus locations inForest Grove and Hillsboro. We humbly acknowledge and thank the original caretakers of the lands on which we live work teach and acquire and share knowledge.

Enrollment Management & Student Affairs at Pacific University is dedicated to fostering student development in support of a more just sustainable and caring world. Guided by our core valuesequity and inclusion care community and learningwe center holistic student wellbeing cultivate a sense of belonging and champion equitable practices.

The Student Counseling Center (SCC) is committed to improving students well-being by co-creating nurturing spaces for students to heal grow and develop belonging. We recognize that well-being encompasses cultural emotional intellectual physical social and spiritual development. We are committed to affirming and honoring the full diversity of our students and their intersecting identities. We acknowledge the impact of systemic oppression on mental health and actively work toward a more inclusive and equitable center welcoming dialogue and feedback from our community.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF POSITION:

The SCC is seeking a full-time Staff Therapist/Psychologist to provide culturally responsive developmentally appropriate mental health services to Pacific Universitys undergraduate graduate and professional students. This position provides short-term individual therapy crisis assessment and intervention consultation clinical case management community referrals and other clinical services within the SCCs scope of practice.

Reporting to the Associate Director of Clinical Services at the Student Counseling Center the Staff Therapist/Psychologist works collaboratively with a multidisciplinary clinical team and campus partners to promote student wellbeing and strengthen access to mental health support. The position may also provide clinical supervision and professional development for graduate-level practicum trainees depending on the employees credentials and experience.

The Staff Therapist/Psychologist serves students across Pacific University locations through in-person and virtual services. The position is expected to maintain a regularpresence in both the Forest Grove and Hillsboro clinics while providing telehealth services when clinically appropriate to eligible students located in Oregon.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS/MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

Clinical Services

• Provide culturally responsive and affirming clinical services to undergraduate graduate and professional students with a wide range of identities backgrounds experiences and presenting concerns.
• Conduct initial consultations clinical assessments crisis assessments and safety planning.
• Provide short-term individual therapy and depending on student need and clinician expertise group therapy or other clinical interventions within the SCCs scope of practice.
• Participate in scheduled drop-in and crisis coverage and provide timely assessment intervention consultation and follow-up for students experiencing mental health emergencies.
• Develop treatment plans collaboratively with students and provide referrals to community mental health medical or other support services when students needs fall outside the SCCs scope or would be better served through specialized or longer-term care.
• Coordinate care with appropriate student authorization with healthcare professionals campus partners community providers and student support systems.
• Provide third-party consultation to faculty staff students families and other support persons regarding students who may be experiencing distress while maintaining appropriate confidentiality and professional boundaries.

Clinical Documentation and Case Management

• Maintain timely accurate and clinically appropriate documentation in the SCCs electronic health record system.
• Manage scheduling case communication referrals care coordination and other administrative responsibilities associated with a clinical caseload.
• Maintain clinical records and protect student information in accordance with applicable laws professional ethical standards university policy and SCC procedures.
• Participate in case consultation clinical review disposition planning and other processes that support continuity and quality of care.

Clinical Training and Supervision

• Depending on licensure credentials and experience provide primary or secondary clinical supervision to graduate-level practicum trainees.
• Collaborate with SCC staff to support trainee onboarding case consultation professional development seminars and evaluation.
• Contribute to a training environment that supports ethical practice cultural humility reflective learning professional identity development and responsiveness to the needs of diverse student communities.
• Participate in continuing education necessary to maintain professional credentials and strengthen clinical practice. An annual professional development stipend is provided by the SCC.

Consultation Outreach and Campus Collaboration

• Develop collaborative relationships with faculty staff academic programs student organizations and other campus partners to strengthen coordinated support for student mental health and wellbeing.
• Serve as a mental health consultant or liaison to assigned university programs committees or student communities.
• Participate in outreach consultation and community-engagement activities that increase awareness of SCC services reduce barriers to care and respond to the needs of undergraduate graduate and professional students.
• Contribute clinical expertise to campus discussions and initiatives related to student mental health belonging access to support and student success.
• Work collaboratively and respectfully with colleagues whose roles professional perspectives and approaches to supporting students may differ.

Assessment Quality Improvement and Center Operations

• Participate in the review and development of SCC policies procedures protocols and clinical practices.
• Contribute to assessment program evaluation accreditation and continuous-improvement efforts designed to strengthen service quality access and student outcomes.
• Use clinical data student feedback professional standards and an equity-informed perspective to identify opportunities for improving services and reducing barriers to care.
• Participate in staff meetings case consultation professional development strategic planning and other center responsibilities.
• Maintain flexibility in response to changing student needs clinical priorities campus conditions and staffing needs.

SECONDARY FUNCTIONS:

• Participate in an occasional rotating secondary on-call consultation role during evenings weekends or holidays when the Director is unavailable.
• Provide limited administrative or operational support during staff absences or periods of increased need.
• Participate in occasional evening or weekend outreach orientation crisis-response or community-engagement activities.
• Serve on university committees or working groups as assigned.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

JOB SCOPE:

• Scope of responsibility aligns with the Essential Functions described above.
• The Staff Therapist/Psychologist performs duties with a high level of professional judgment and clinical autonomy while operating within SCC procedures university policies applicable laws and professional ethical standards.
• The position independently assesses clinical needs develops treatment and safety plans provides intervention coordinates referrals and determines when consultation or escalation is necessary.
• The position manages a clinical caseload while contributing to crisis coverage consultation outreach training assessment and center operations.
• The Staff Therapist/Psychologist is expected to collaborate effectively across disciplines while maintaining the confidentiality boundaries and independent clinical judgment required of a mental health professional.
• The position may oversee designated projects in collaboration with the SCC Director Associate Director SCC colleagues and campus or community partners.
• No budget authority.
• This is an in-person position with limited remote work permitted only with prior approval. The primary office location is the Forest Grove campus with regular service and presence in the Hillsboro clinic and virtual service to eligible students located in Oregon.

SUPERVISOR RESPONSIBILITY:

• Supervises Support-Level Staff: This position may supervise support-level student workers peer educators interns and/or practicum students including hiring scheduling task delegation and performance feedback.
• Depending on licensure credentials and experience the position may provide clinical supervision to graduate-level practicum trainees.

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE:

• Masters degree in social work counseling marriage and family therapy or a closely related mental health field; or a doctoral degree in clinical or counseling psychology from an appropriately accredited program.
• Eligible for independent licensure or approved pre-licensure status in Oregon as a Psychologist Psychologist Resident Licensed Clinical Social Worker Clinical Social Work Associate Licensed Professional Counselor Licensed Professional Counselor Associate Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Marriage and Family Therapist Associate or equivalent mental health professional.
• Clinical experience providing assessment and psychotherapy to clients with varied identities backgrounds lived experiences and presenting concerns.
• Experience providing crisis assessment intervention safety planning and appropriate follow-up care.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Demonstrated ability to provide culturally responsive affirming and developmentally appropriate mental health care.
• Demonstrated commitment to cultural humility including ongoing reflection on how ones identities experiences assumptions biases power and professional role influence clinical relationships and decision-making.
• Knowledge of how identity culture discrimination inequity trauma and broader social conditions may affect mental health help-seeking access to care and the therapeutic relationship.
• Ability to provide brief individual therapy to students experiencing a wide range of clinical and developmental concerns.
• Ability to assess and respond effectively to mental health emergencies including concerns related to suicide self-harm harm to others interpersonal violence acute distress and significant impairment.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective therapeutic relationships and professional boundaries.
• Knowledge of legal ethical and professional standards governing mental health practice clinical documentation informed consent confidentiality and consultation.
• Strong written verbal and interpersonal communication skills including the ability to communicate effectively across cultural and professional differences.
• Ability to build and sustain collaborative relationships with interdisciplinary colleagues while maintaining appropriate clinical judgment and confidentiality.
• Ability to seek consultation acknowledge limitations or mistakes incorporate feedback and contribute constructively to a team environment.
• Strong organizational case-management documentation and time-management skills.
• Ability to adapt to periodic schedule changes and changing clinical or operational needs.
• Ability to obtain and maintain the Oregon licensure or registration required for the employees professional discipline and assigned responsibilities.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Independently licensed in Oregon as a Psychologist Licensed Clinical Social Worker Licensed Professional Counselor Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist or equivalent mental health professional; or independently licensed in another state with the ability to obtain Oregon licensure promptly.
• Previous clinical experience in a college or university counseling center.
• Experience providing brief therapy within a multidisciplinary or time-limited treatment setting.
• Experience providing clinical supervision or professional development to graduate-level trainees.
• Experience providing group therapy outreach consultation or liaison services in a higher education setting.
• Experience providing culturally responsive and affirming care to LGBTQIA students and other student communities that may experience barriers to mental health care.
• Bilingual or multilingual clinical proficiency particularly in Spanish.
• Experience using an electronic health record system and contributing to clinical assessment or program-evaluation activities.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Work Setting:Full-time primarily in-person position based on the Forest Grove campus with regular in-person responsibilities in the Hillsboro clinic and virtual service to eligible students located in Oregon.
• Schedule Expectations: Typically weekday hours with routine early-evening coverage. The clinical schedule is established collaboratively with priority given to student access and center coverage. Occasional additional evening or weekend responsibilities are required.
• Travel: Regular ability to travel between the Forest Grove and Hillsboro clinics and occasionally to other Pacific University locations.
• Clinical Environment: Work involves regular exposure to students experiencing emotional distress mental health emergencies trauma-related concerns and other sensitive or high-risk situations.
• Physical Requirements: Typical office responsibilities including extended computer use participation in virtual services and movement between offices or campus locations. The position is not otherwise substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Submit application materials electronically through PayCom our Human Resources Information System. Your application should include a cover letter that addresses your experience and commitment to being culturally responsive in your work current curriculum vitae and names and contact information for three (3) professional references.

Candidates are encouraged to apply by September 1st 2026 for priority consideration. The position will remain open until filled.

Selected candidates will be contacted by email and invited to participate in a two-stage interview process. The position will begin as soon as possible. Questions may be directed to Sara Pitkanen Associate Director of the Student Counseling Center at . Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background check authorization to work in the United States and current Oregon mental health licensure or eligibility to pursue the appropriate Oregon license or registration.

Annual Salary Range: The expected salary range for this position is $68000-$81000 annually depending on qualifications and experience.

At Pacific University we are dedicated to offering experiences that are authentic holistic equity-minded and responsive. Our communal success rests on the recognition that complex problems and effective solutions are best approached by teams with a variety of diverse perspectives. and life experiences. As we continue to develop our equity practices we actively promote access to opportunities and equitable pay for all employees.

Studieshaveshownthat women and people of color are less likely toapplyfor jobs where they are unsure if they can perform everyfunction in thejobdescription. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for thejoband that candidate may come from a variety of backgrounds and lived experiences. If you are interested inapplying we encourage you to think broadly about how your background and skill set may qualify you for the role.

We who make up Pacific University aspire to become a community of purpose where everyone is enabled to be wholly and comfortably who they are; accountable for inclusive behaviors and practices; built on trust civility care openness and honest conversations often around critical subjects. We know that these values are critical to prepare for a global world with complex problems through an asset-based mindset so that everyone is afforded an opportunity to succeed. We believe in fostering a workplace where every employee is respected their contributions are valued and they are provided opportunities to succeed.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

We offer a comprehensive benefits package for qualifying employees. Current benefits include:

• Generous paid time off (for vacation holidaysincluding winter breakand sick leave)
• Medical coverage with alternative care options (with in-network services covered at 100% after payroll deduction)
• Comprehensive dental and vision plans
• Generous retirement contribution after one year of service with no match required
• Free mental health appointments
• Tuition remission for employees and their dependent child(ren) who meet eligibility requirements
• On-campus benefits including free access to our sports facility and library
• Discounts on campus food bookstore purchases clinic services.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYMENT:

Pacific University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to complying with all applicable laws including those concerning employment and workplace policies. We are committed to fostering a non-discriminatory and inclusive work environment. We are proud to encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds including those from historically underrepresented groups.

NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY:

Pacific University makes all employment decisions without regard to race color national or ethnic origin ancestry age religion or religious creed disability sex gender identity and/or expression sexual orientation military or veteran status or any other characteristics protected by applicable law. Applicable laws include but are not limited to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 the Age Discrimination Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Questions or complaints may be directed to the Vice President for Academic Affairs at 2043 College Way Forest Grove OR 97116 or via email at .