Director of Law Student Wellbeing

Position Classification

FT Admin

Position Summary

Consistent with Detroit Mercy Law’s commitment to educating the complete lawyer through the Jesuit and Mercy traditions of service, justice, compassion, and care for the whole person, the Director of Law Student Wellbeing leads the law school’s holistic approach to supporting student flourishing, spiritually, emotionally, intellectually, and professionally.

Serving 650+ residential and online JD students, the Director provides clinical mental health support, partners in integrating wellbeing throughout the curriculum, advances a compassionate and inclusive school culture, supports faculty and staff as educators and mentors, and engages in scholarship that strengthens the field of wellbeing in legal education.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

1. Direct Student Support & Clinical Consultation.

• Provide clinical therapeutic mental health consults, short-term counseling, crisis intervention, and triage for both residential and online JD students.
• Maintain high ethical standard clinical records and ensure appropriate confidentiality and compliance.
• Collaborate with university clinicians, disability services, community mental health providers, and student affairs team to support care continuity.
• Provide targeted well being programming during peak stress periods such as 1L transition, exams, and bar preparation.

1. Organizational Culture & Community Wellbeing.

• Lead schoolwide initiatives that promote an inclusive culture of wellness.
• Use data informed strategies to identify systemic stressors and implement improvements that support a professional learning community.
• Partner with DEIB leadership to ensure equitable access to wellbeing resources and responsive support for historically marginalized student populations.
• Provide training on trauma-informed teaching, supporting distressed students, and cultivating professional identity in ways consistent with Jesuit & Mercy values.

1. Curricular Integration of Wellness Principles.

• Partner with faculty integrating wellbeing, resilience, professional identity formation, and trauma-informed practice into courses, clinics, externships, and orientation.
• Develop workshops and modules that help students understand the relationship between mental health, ethics, professionalism, and effective lawyering.
• Serve as a consultant to faculty in designing teaching practices that support equitable and healthy learning environments consistent with Jesuit pedagogy.

1. Scholarship, Assessment & Professional Leadership.

• Engage in scholarship related to law student well being, mental health, identity formation, ethics, or legal education practices.
• Represent Detroit Mercy Law at conferences, associations, and professional communities focused on wellness and legal education.
• Assess wellbeing initiatives and prepare reports for accreditation, strategic planning, and leadership review.
• Stay informed about emerging trends in professional school mental health, student development, and regulatory standards.

JOB REQUIREMENTS SECTION

Minimum Qualifications

Education – A college degree and a professional certificate or graduate degree; or 10 or more years of work experience in a related field.

Employment - Two years to five years (Equivalent combination of Education and employment).

Preferred Qualifications 

Master’s degree (M.A.) in Counseling Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Counseling, Social Work, or related clinical area; five or more years of related experience.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Flexible in meeting the needs of a graduate proffesional students in terms of availability, schedule modifications, modality of therapeutic intervention, and referrals on an ongoing basis.
• Demonstrated ability to navigate complex issues involving mental health triage and response within the context of a higher education environment.
• Previous experience working with college or professional students and an awareness of developmental perspective is preferred. Willingness to engage and interact in a dynamic and inclusive educational environment with a social justice and equity-minded approach.

Physical Requirements 

Job may require lifting light weight objects (1 to 10 pounds) with no repetitive bending or stooping. Occasionally lift average weight objects (1 to 10pounds).

Work Environment

Regular exposure to favorable conditions such as those found in a normal office.

Licenses/Certifications

Must currently possess full licensure

• Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
• Licensed Psychologist (LP)
• Licensed Master Social Worker - Clinical (LMSW)

Salary/Pay Information

Commensurate with experience

Anticipated Schedule

Monday to Friday 8.30 AM to 5.00 PM.

Additional Information

This is a full-time position with all job responsibilities occurring at the School of Law. This position includes routine collaboration with the Student Health & Wellness Center at the University of Detroit Mercy on university-wide initiatives and case-by-case consultations, as needed.