Mental Health Counselor/ Specialization in Neurodivergent Students

Job Description:

Mental Health Counselor/ Specialization in Neurodivergent Students

Description

DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS
DEPARTMENT OF COUNSELING AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES

Mental Health Counselor/ Specialization in Neurodivergent Students
SSP-AR Level I, 12-Month,
Full-Time Faculty, Temporary

Counseling and Psychological Services at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), invites applications for a full-time mental health counselor faculty member (non-tenure track) with an appointment to begin July 1st 2026.

California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) is a minority-serving institution with a Hispanic-Serving Institution designation and equal opportunity employer. CSUF is firmly committed to increasing the diversity of the campus community and the curriculum and fostering an inclusive environment within which students, staff, administrators, and faculty thrive. Candidates who can contribute to this goal through their teaching, research, advising and other activities are encouraged to identify their strengths and experiences. Individuals advancing the University’s strategic diversity goals and those from groups whose underrepresentation in the American professoriate are particularly encouraged to apply.

CSUF is committed to retaining all faculty and has established affinity groups you can join to support your success.

Position Overview
California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) is seeking a full-time mental health counselor faculty member (non-tenure track) to join our Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) team. This position specializes in providing mental health services to students on the autism spectrum and other neurodivergent students, supporting their unique psychological, emotional, and developmental needs. Under the general supervision of the CAPS Director, the selected candidate will provide a full range of clinical services (65%) and participate in outreach, consultation, and other duties as assigned (35%).

This is a 12-month position, with regular hours Monday-Thursday, 9:00 AM-6:00 PM, and Friday, 8:00 AM-5:00 PM. Occasional evening or weekend hours may be required. The employee must be able to accept on-campus work, and come to campus each day. This job is not remote.

Key Responsibilities
Direct Counseling Services

• Conduct intake clinical interviews, psycho-diagnostic assessments, and short-term individual and couples counseling.
• Facilitate group counseling and psycho-educational groups.
• Provide crisis intervention, clinical triage, case management, and referrals to on-campus and off-campus resources.
• Collaborate with academic counselors, disability support services, health professionals, and community mental health providers.

Specialization in Working with Neurodivergent Students

• Provide tailored mental health services to address the unique needs of students on the autism spectrum and those with other neurodivergent conditions (e.g., ADHD, learning disabilities, sensory processing differences).
• Support students in areas such as social skills, sensory regulation, executive functioning, academic stress, and mental health challenges (e.g., anxiety, depression).
• Develop and implement outreach programs, workshops, and presentations focused on the mental health needs of neurodivergent students.
• Collaborate with campus partners, including the Disability Support Services (DSS) office, to promote inclusion, accessibility, and success for neurodivergent students.

Crisis Response

• Provide crisis intervention and support for students experiencing psychological emergencies.
• Respond to urgent mental health needs on campus, including collaborating with campus partners to address student crises.

Outreach Services

• Develop and deliver outreach programs (e.g., workshops, presentations) for a metropolitan, largely commuter campus with a highly diverse student population.
• Participate in campus-wide prevention initiatives, mental health screenings, and other special outreach projects.
• Collaborate with faculty, staff and student organizations to promote mental health awareness and reduce stigma among residential students.

Consultation

• Provide consultation to the university community regarding the psychological and developmental needs of neurodivergent students.

Training and Supervision

• Provide supervision and training to CAPS trainees, including psychology interns and practicum students, and post degree students seeking licensure as appropriate.
• Facilitate educational seminars and co-lead outreach programs with supervisees.

Crisis Response

• Provide crisis intervention and support for students experiencing psychological emergencies.
• Respond to urgent mental health needs on campus, including collaborating with campus partners to address student crises.

Administrative Duties

• Maintain accurate and timely clinical documentation, contribute to departmental meetings, and participate in professional development activities.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Counseling, Clinical Psychology, Social Work, or a related field from an accredited program.
• California license to practice as an LMFT, LCSW, or LPCC.
• Clinical experience providing crisis stabilization services in either a community mental health setting or university counseling center.
• Demonstrated knowledge, sensitivity, and ability to work with students from diverse ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Proven ability to conduct intake interviews, psycho-diagnostic assessments, and treatment planning for a broad range of psychological issues, including adjustment concerns and major psychiatric disorders.
• Experience providing individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, and outreach programming.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team environment.
• Proficiency in electronic scheduling and record-keeping systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Doctoral degree (Ph.D., Psy.D., or Ed.D.) in Counseling, Clinical or Educational Psychology from an APA-accredited program.
• California license to practice as a Psychologist.
• Completion of an APA-accredited internship.
• Specialization in working with neurodivergent students, particularly those on the autism spectrum, and addressing issues such as sensory regulation, executive functioning, and mental health challenges.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize and manage a variety of clinical and administrative duties effectively.
• Experience serving as a clinical supervisor to psychology trainees.
• Bilingual or multilingual proficiency is highly desirable.

Application
A complete online application must be received by electronic submission to be considered. To apply, please visit http://hr.fullerton.edu/careers/Faculty.php , choose full-time faculty, search for position 556616, and provide the following required materials:

• cover letter in which you respond to the required qualifications
• curriculum vitae
• candidate statement on commitment to inclusive excellence (no more than 500 words):
  • Inclusive excellence is a strategic framework that recognizes the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in achieving organizational success and high-quality learning. It's a way of thinking and acting that integrates these values into all aspects of an institution, from curriculum and pedagogy to recruitment and hiring. Essentially, it means that excellence is not just about achieving high standards, but also about ensuring that all members of the community have the opportunity to thrive and contribute (Williams et al., 2005).
  • With the Inclusive Excellence Statement, we aim to learn about the applicant’s perspective on their past and present contributions to and future aspirations for promoting and engaging with a diverse student population. This statement should showcase the candidate's professional experience, intellectual commitments, and/or willingness to teach and create an academic environment supportive of all students, including but not limited to those of diverse ages, abilities, cultures, ethnicities, gender identities, languages, religions, and sexual orientations.
  • Cal State Fullerton serves a student body that reflects the rich cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic mosaic of Southern California. Please provide concrete examples of how you, as a faculty member, will support our students in one or more of the following areas, which fall under the areas of awareness and understanding, experience and commitment, and future plans.
  • Your contributions (past, present, or future) to embedding perspectives that are reflective of the student population into your mental health practice and/or scholarship.
  • Your experience in service activities that are reflective of a diverse student population.
  • Your experience and commitment to mentoring and providing opportunities to a diverse student body inside and outside the classroom environment.
  • Your experience integrating creative activities that are inclusive of the identities of our student body and communities.

a list of three references with relevant contact information

• Finalists will be required to have three letters of recommendation submitted. Please have these ready for the referents to submit. On the References page of the online application, enter information and email addresses for three referents who will provide a confidential letter of reference for your application. At the appropriate time in the search process, they will receive a request via email along with information on uploading the letter. You can verify that CSUF has received each letter by logging back into your applicant portal.

Please direct all questions about the position to Cari Morelli at [email protected]

Application Deadline
To be assured full consideration, all application materials must be received by April 26, 2026. Review of applications will begin on April 27, 2026, and will continue until the position has been filled. The anticipated appointment date is July 1, 2026.

Compensation
This is a full-time 12-month Counselor, non-tenure track, temporary position. Appointment is for one year and may be renewed for additional years based on satisfactory performance and funding availability. Faculty salaries are subject to budgetary authorization and any California State University System faculty contract increases. The Student Services Professional-Academic Related I-12-month salary range is $7,127 to $12,771 per month (12 monthly payments per year). Anticipated hiring range depending on experience and qualification not to exceed $7,400 per month.

Salary offered is commensurate with experience and qualifications. In addition, the California Equal Pay Act prohibits employers from paying its employees less than those of the opposite sex and/or another race or ethnicity for substantially similar work ( https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/california_equal_pay_act.htm ).

CSUF Benefits
An excellent comprehensive benefits package includes health/vision/dental plans; spouse, domestic partner, and dependent fee-waiver; access to campus child-care; and a defined-benefit retirement through the state system and optional tax-sheltering opportunities. For a detailed description of benefits, please visit https://hr.fullerton.edu/total-wellness/ .

New employees hired by the CSU for the first time who first become CalPERS members on or after July 1, 2017, are subject to a 10-year vesting period for retiree health and dental benefits.

Additional Information
At the time of appointment, the successful candidate, if not a U.S. citizen, must have authorization from the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services to work in the United States. For information on the University policy on support for non-immigrant probationary faculty visa acquisition, please visit the Faculty/Staff Visas and Permanent Residency page: https://hr.fullerton.edu/risk-management/faculty-staff-visas-permanent-residency/default.php

Multiple positions may be hired from this recruitment based on the strength of the applicant pool.

CSU Policies
The person holding this position is considered a ‘mandated reporter’ under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and must comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083, revised July 21, 2017, as a condition of employment.

A background check (including a criminal records check) must be completed satisfactorily before any candidate

can be formally offered a position with the CSU. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the application status of applicants or the continued employment of current CSU employees who apply for the position.

Reasonable accommodations will be provided for qualified applicants with disabilities who self-disclose.

Notice of Non-Discrimination based on Gender or Sex and Contact Information for Title IX Coordinator ( http://www.fullerton.edu/titleix/about/notice.php )

In accordance with the California State University (CSU) Out-of-State Employment Policy, the CSU is a state entity whose business operations reside within the State of California. It requires hiring employees to perform CSU-related work within the State of California. The CSU also prohibits hiring and retaining employees working permanently from a business location outside of the United States.

Advertised: Mar 27 2026 Pacific Daylight Time
Applications close: