Full-Time Exempt Staff
Palo Alto, CA, US
Job Title: Field Director of Social Work
Department: Social Work Program
Reports To: Program Director
Location: Palo Alto, California or Remote
Compensation: $115,000 - $135,000
Plus medical, dental and vision benefits, 403(b) retirement plan,
flexible spending account, and paid time off.
Palo Alto University (PAU), a private, non-profit university, founded in 1975 and located in the heart of Northern California’s Silicon Valley, is a community grounded in values of social justice, dedicated to addressing pressing and emerging issues in the fields of psychology and counseling that meet the needs of today’s diverse society. The students at PAU reflect the diversity of the region, are engaged in their education, and committed to improving the lives of others. Hiring, supporting, and retaining faculty and staff who reflect the diversity of our students is one example of inclusive excellence at PAU and is essential in preparing our students to serve our many communities. PAU offers undergraduate and graduate programs with online, hybrid, and residential options. PAU is seeking faculty who can make a significant impact in their fields and prepare future leaders who make a difference in the lives of individuals and communities. These are important milestones in PAU's efforts to create a legacy of confident, competent, and compassionate professionals who are at the forefront of psychology and counseling and who move ahead in life by moving lives ahead.
Position DescriptionPalo Alto University invites applications for a Field Director in our proposed Master of Social Work (MSW) program. The proposed MSW program will provide a specialization in Culturally Informed Behavioral Health, with emphasis on clinical practice with adults in the public behavioral health system and with children and youth in school and community settings, as well as leadership and management in publicly funded behavioral health services.
The selected candidate will be required to demonstrate knowledge and skills applicable for implementing the MSW program’s field education component, including developing field placements, field education policies, field and other curriculum, and supporting the accreditation process with the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The selected candidate will also be required to demonstrate professional and teaching experiences that contribute to the specialization area, including professional experiences in the publicly funded behavioral health system and teaching experiences related to clinical social work and field education.
Additionally, the selected candidate will need to demonstrate the ability to enhance the program’s goal to graduate students who are competent and culturally sensitive behavioral health practitioners who provide care to underserved populations in urban and rural regions of California.
The candidate’s expertise should also include an understanding of the concepts of institutional and structural racism and bias and their impact on underserved and underrepresented communities. Such an understanding promotes PAU’s goals to elevate academic and clinical training standards, integrity, and reputation in an environment that values inclusive excellence as well as recruitment and retention of a diverse community of outstanding faculty, staff, and academic leaders in an equitable, inclusive, and positive workplace.
Specific Duties And ResponsibilitiesAdministrative

• Development of the field education program and overall MSW program, including development of policies, procedures, and partnerships with external organizations and recruitment of students.
• Development of self-study, assessment, and other materials in support of accreditation.
• Administration of the field education program (50% FTE assigned time for administration, once students are enrolled).

Teaching and Advising

• Development of MSW program curricular materials.
• Teach approximately 2 classes per quarter (50% FTE assigned time for teaching, once students are enrolled).
• Teach online courses and be available for in-person teaching on campus (or at off- campus sites) one week per quarter.
• Advise/mentor master’s students.

Service and Engagement

• Serve on department and university committees.
• Participate in department and university faculty/staff meetings.
• Serve in leadership roles regionally and nationally in recognized social work profession associations and organizations.

Scholarly Engagement

• Active engagement in the field of social work through participation in professional associations and/or presenting at conferences or communities.
• Faculty and staff are expected to attend university events, such as convocation, commencement graduation, and other major events.
• Other Duties as Assigned

and meeting together with the social work team on a regular basis, working on campus several days per month, teaching in-person 4-5 days per quarter, and traveling to field sites occasionally.
Required Qualifications

• Master of Social Work degree from a CSWE-accredited program.
• Minimum of two years post-MSW degree practice experience.
• Professional experience in behavioral health social work practice, especially with underserved populations and/or in the publicly funded behavioral health system;
• Professional experience and/or training in multicultural competence/culturally informed clinical social work;
• Demonstrated ability to communicate with students and/or supervisees both face-to- face, and connecting online through email, video conferencing, and chat;
• Demonstrated capacity to engage in scholarly presentations;
• Demonstrated engagement in leadership and/or service in the social work profession;
• Experience with using data management systems and office applications, including Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.

Preferred but not required qualifications:

• Doctoral degree in social work, social welfare or a related field;
• License or license eligible as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker;
• Teaching or supervisory experience with MSW students or graduates;
• Management and leadership experience in public/publicly funded behavioral health agencies;
• Professional social work experience in rural regions of California;
• Professional or volunteer experience in developing collaborative relationships and partnerships between organizations.
• Potential for excellence in teaching in virtual synchronized and residential formats;
• Demonstrated commitment in facilitating conversations related to culture, power, and oppression and increasing cultural sensitivity in students.

Salary Range

• $115,000 - $135,000
• This staff position is eligible to hold a coterminous faculty appointment as Clinician Educator.

Application ProceduresPAU is committed to providing an educational environment that supports a diverse, equitable, and inclusive population. In your cover letter, please include information on how your background and experience has prepared you to be in an environment that holds equity and inclusion core to its mission and values. The expected start date for this position is August 1, 2024. Interested candidates should submit:
Required

• A letter of interest. Your letter of interest should detail your interests in the position as well as relevant qualifications. In addition, it should also address information about your experiences in working in a diverse environment, and what qualities you would bring to foster an environment of equity and inclusion at PAU.
• Resume/Curriculum Vitae
• A list of 3-5 references with contact information
• 1-page statement of teaching and clinical supervision philosophy

Optional

• 1-3-page summary of teaching evaluations and TA, student, and/or peer comments/ observations of teaching. Tables of teaching evaluation scores can be provided.

The position is open until filled. All applications received by June 28, 2024 will receive full consideration. Please direct questions to Rose Wong,
PhD, LCSW, MSW Program Director (rosewong@paloaltou.edu).