Mental Health Promotion Specialist And Art Therapist

For more than 150 years, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) has been a leader in educating the world’s most influential artists, designers and scholars. Located in downtown Chicago with a fine arts graduate program consistently ranking among the top four graduate fine arts programs in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, SAIC provides an interdisciplinary approach to art and design as well as world-class resources, including the Art Institute of Chicago museum, on-campus galleries and state-of-the-art facilities. SAIC’s undergraduate, graduate and post-baccalaureate students have the freedom to take risks and create the bold ideas that transform Chicago and the world—as seen through notable alumni and faculty such as Michelle Grabner, David Sedaris, Elizabeth Murray, Richard Hunt, Georgia O’Keeffe, Cynthia Rowley, Nick Cave, and LeRoy Neiman.

Under the direction and supervision of the Executive Director of the SAIC Wellness Center, works across Wellness Center services in supporting student mental health and wellness by mobilizing and sustaining mental health promotion practices designed to promote student success and personal development and to contribute to a safe and healthy campus. Collaborates with students, staff, and faculty and coordinates the planning, implementation, and evaluation of evidence-based, comprehensive, campus-wide mental health promotion strategies, programs, and services, including the sustainment of essential components of the three-year SAMHSA Campus Suicide Prevention Grant (especially Mental Health First Aid Training, the Wellness Center Student Support Network and the Healthy Minds Study); provides art therapy services within the Wellness Center, aligned with Counseling Services, Health Services, and Disability and Learning Resource Center staff, to students who choose to engage in art and creative practices to promote personal mental health and wellbeing; serves as confidential advisor for and provides emergency and ongoing support to student survivors of sexual violence.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Works across Wellness Center services in supporting mental health and wellness by mobilizing and sustaining mental health promotion practices designed to promote student success and personal development and to contribute to a safe and healthy campus.

2. Provides art therapy services within the Wellness Center, aligned with Counseling Services, Health Services, and Disability and Learning Resource Center staff, to students who choose to engage in art and creative practices to promote personal mental health and wellbeing

3. Provides evidence-based education and training to students, staff, and faculty about mental illnesses and how to appropriately respond to mental health crisis, specifically using the Mental Health First Aid, USA curriculum

4. Facilitates the Wellness Center Student Support Network meetings and collaborates with student leaders in a student based effort to enhance natural peer supports and promote positive mental health-related practices among students at SAIC. Guides students support networks in the production of an annual exhibition held in the Wellness Center.

5. Serves as confidential advisor and provides emergency and ongoing support to student survivors of sexual violence. Participates in relevant and required trainings and carries out duties and responsibilities of the role consistent with legal requirements.

6. Provides consultation, intervention, and evidence-based alcohol education, such as BASICS (Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students) to students, especially to those who are at risk in developing substance-related problems

7. Coordinates Wellness Center efforts to reach out to new students with self-reported pre-existing conditions following admission to ensure adequate treatment plans are in place as the student begins at SAIC

8. Coordinates Wellness Center efforts with the health and mental health population-based survey assessments, including the Healthy Minds Study, a survey-based study examining mental health and related issues and service utilization among college students

9. Advises mental health related student groups, such as Active Minds, that seek to engage the SAIC community in changing the conversation and eradicating stigma surrounding mental health

10. Promotes availability of mental health promotion resources (such as Seasonal Affective Disorder Light Therapy) with Wellness Center Student Resource Room and coordinates students' access to these resources.

11. Collaborates with key off-campus resources, including connections established during the SAMHSA grant period, such as the Suicide Prevention Resource Center and the Jed Foundation, to inform and continue SAIC's comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to mental health promotion and suicide prevention for students

12. Incorporates multicultural diversity and inclusion concepts and principles into mental health promotion services, especially as they apply to Asian-International/Asian-American and LGBTQ students and others with unique mental health needs related to cultural issues and stigma

• License or license-eligible within professional field
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Experience in working with emerging adult and college-aged populations
• Masters degree in Art Therapy
• Ability to develop strong working relationships, positively represent the Wellness Center across diverse communities, and interact effectively with both health/mental health professionals and non-professionals

We offer a competitive, comprehensive benefits package:

• Paid holidays (up to 14 days)
• Tuition remission and Tuition Exchange Program
• Generous parental, caregiver, and medical leave benefits
• Competitive retirement plan (up to 9% matching contribution)
• Complimentary general admission to participating cultural institutions
• Generous paid time off
• Great employee discounts
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Want to stay abreast of the latest job openings at the Art Institute and the School of the Art Institute? Sign up for our Employment Opportunities E-announcements.

The Art Institute of Chicago requires all applicants to complete an online application to be considered for employment. 60 minutes are allotted for applicants to complete the employment application. The application will automatically time out after 60 minutes. If you are unable to submit the completed application at this time, please choose the "Save for Later" option to avoid losing the information you have entered so far.

The Art Institute of Chicago is an Equal Opportunity Employer that recruits, hires and promotes qualified individuals without regard to race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, ancestry, veteran status or citizenship. The Institute complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact the Department of Human Resources at [email protected].

This position is part of a bargaining unit represented by AFSCME Council 31