Senior Mental Health Counselor

Description

Recruitment Period: 07/15/2026 - Until Filled

Status: Full-Time, 40 hours/week

Salary Information: Annual Minimum Salary-$67,200-Annual Maximum Salary-$107,500

Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences (PNWU) does not sponsor employment visas. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire and for the duration of their employment with PNWU. Employment eligibility will be verified in accordance with federal law.

Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences (PNWU) was founded as a 501(c) (3) non-profit medical institution in 2005 aimed at increasing access to health care in medically underserved areas of the Pacific Northwest.

The University currently offers the degrees of Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Doctor of Dental Medicine, Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences, and Master of Science in Occupational Therapy enrolling over 550 students annually. Interprofessional education partnerships with other universities adds another 100 students to the population. The campus includes 300 employees with academic programming spread over a five-state region.

PNWU is located in Yakima, WA, a city of approximately 95,000 located in the south-central part of the state near the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains in a major agricultural and outdoor recreation region. It is approximately 140 miles from Seattle, 170 miles from Portland, and 200 miles from Spokane. The Yakima Valley is a wonderful place to live, work and play. For more information, visit https://www.visityakima.com/.

General Summary:

The Senior Mental Health Counselor provides comprehensive psychological services to PNWU students, including individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, assessment, psychoeducation, and referral, so that students can sustain the wellbeing needed to thrive in demanding health sciences programs and go on to serve rural and medically underserved communities.

Exercising independent clinical judgment within professional and ethical standards, the counselor manages a caseload with a high degree of autonomy and serves as a trusted consultant and educator to students, faculty, and staff.

As a senior member of the counseling team, this role coaches and develops counseling associates, practicum students, and peers through clinical supervision, consultation, and mentorship, and helps build a cohesive, psychologically safe clinical environment grounded in trust.

The counselor builds productive, trust-based relationships across the university and with community partners, resolves conflict and navigates emotionally charged situations with directness and compassion, and contributes to a student-focused culture that keeps student success and community health at the center of its work.

Essential Job Functions:

• Provide individual and group counseling to currently enrolled students, helping them identify and address personal, developmental, and clinical concerns affecting their wellbeing and education, including the appropriate use of assessment methods. Hold students to high expectations while providing the support needed to succeed and manage emotional dynamics through crisis and periods of transition. 

• Provide clinical supervision, consultation, and developmental feedback to counseling associates, practicum students, and trainees; mentor peers and newer clinicians to grow their skills; and provide clear clinical guidance that advances the team’s collective capability.

• Develop and implement outreach, prevention, and psychoeducational programming that fosters student success and addresses the needs of all students, including those from rural and underserved communities. 

• Consult with faculty, staff, students, and other professionals to support students; build productive, trust-based relationships across departments; and resolve interpersonal concerns constructively and with compassion. 

• Develop and maintain a networking relationship with community referral resources, and coordinate referrals to psychiatric and other medical resources as needed. 

• Maintain accurate, complete, and up-to-date clinical files, written reports, and job-related data commensurate with current professional and disciplinary standards. 

• Understand and comply with relevant FERPA, HIPAA, and confidentiality standards, and model ethical practice for students, peers, and supervisees.   

Marginal Job Functions: Duties that contribute to the work of the unit but are not fundamental to this role and could reasonably be reassigned.

• Represent counseling services on departmental, student affairs, or university committees and working groups.

• Contribute to program review, accreditation activities, and continuous improvement of counseling services.

• Additional duties consistent with the scope, level, and primary responsibilities of the position may be assigned.

Standard Institutional Requirements:

• Performs job duties in accordance with safety, legal, and regulatory requirements; University policy and procedures; and accepted business practices.

• Acts with the highest level of professional ethical standards in all aspects of job performance, in accordance with the mission and values of PNWU.

• Understands and adheres to accreditation standards and expectations specific to the department.

Requirements

Education:

• Required: A master’s degree in counseling, clinical or counseling psychology, social work, marriage and family therapy, or a related mental health field, AND current Washington State licensure that authorizes independent counseling or therapy practice (for example, LMHC, LICSW, LASW, LMFT, or licensed Psychologist), AND five or more years of relevant clinical counseling experience with adults, including experience mentoring, supervising, or providing clinical consultation to other clinicians, OR

• An equivalent combination of education and experience that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the essential functions of the position.

• Preferred: Doctoral degree in psychology, counseling, social work, or a related field, qualified to independently provide counseling or therapy in Washington State.

• Current status as a Washington State approved clinical supervisor, and prior experience providing formal clinical supervision.

Experience:

• Required: Experience with high-achieving graduate students in professional health sciences programs.

Desired Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities:

Skill in applying varied therapeutic and psychoeducational modalities, and in program development and implementation; skill in coaching, developing, and providing clinical supervision and developmental feedback to associates, trainees, and peers; skill in independent clinical decision making, problem solving, and exercising sound judgment in ambiguous or high-stakes situations; ability to maintain professional composure and manage emotional dynamics in emergent and crisis situations; skill in building and maintaining trust-based relationships and in communicating and resolving interpersonal conflict directly and with compassion; ability to adapt to differences in culture, communication style, and lived experience, and to create inclusive environments where diverse perspectives are valued and heard; ability to collaborate across departments and disciplines to support students, and to build a cohesive, psychologically safe clinical team environment; knowledge of regulations governing confidentiality in therapeutic relationships, including FERPA and HIPAA; knowledge of local social services and external referral resources, and of advising and counseling practices; skill in effective written and oral communication with a range of stakeholders, including public speaking, and proficiency with the Microsoft Office suite and electronic records; and skill in maintaining data and records and developing reports to assess effectiveness of counseling services

To ensure full consideration submit:

• A letter of introduction outlining background and qualifications for the position

• Detailed resume

• Contact information for three professional references

The job announcement above is not the full job description but represents the job responsibilities and requirements. A full job description can be provided upon request.

PNWU offers a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees first of the month following date of hire and competitive salary.

Benefit Package (benefit eligible is at least .5 FTE):

• Health Benefits - Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance
• Paid Time Off
• 403b with Roth Option
• Paid Holidays

For information about life in Yakima visit our PNWU page.

PNWU is a drug-free workplace, equal opportunity employer and educational institution. To request this publication in an alternative format, or to apply in an alternative format, please call Human Resources, 509.452.5100.