Job Details

Position Summary

Make a meaningful difference in the lives of students at SDSU Imperial Valley.

San Diego State University is seeking a compassionate, culturally responsive mental health clinician to join Counseling & Psychological Services at SDSU Imperial Valley. This is an opportunity to provide high-quality clinical care while becoming an integral part of a close-knit campus community committed to student well-being, belonging, academic success, and personal growth.

The Clinical/Counseling Therapist will provide a broad range of psychological services to students, including individual, group, couples and/or family counseling; crisis and suicide intervention; trauma response; case management; consultation; outreach; and prevention education. The position will work with students from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences who may present with complex personal, family, academic, social, and psychosocial concerns.

Beyond direct clinical care, this role will partner with faculty, staff, administrators, families, student organizations, and campus departments to strengthen the network of support available to students. Through consultation, wellness programming, education, outreach, and community engagement, the successful candidate will help strengthen a campus-wide culture of well-being, expand awareness of mental health resources, and reduce barriers to students accessing the support they need.

What You'll Do

Provide Student-Centered Clinical Care: Deliver individual, group, couples and/or family counseling using culturally informed, evidence-based approaches responsive to the needs of a diverse student population.

Respond When Students Need Support Most: Provide emergency assessment, crisis and suicide intervention, trauma response, and appropriate referral and follow-up for students experiencing significant distress.

Strengthen Student Wellness: Develop and deliver prevention education, classroom presentations, workshops, and wellness initiatives that build awareness, resilience, and help-seeking behaviors.

Consult and Connect: Partner with faculty, staff, administrators, families, student organizations, and campus departments to address student concerns, coordinate support, and connect students with appropriate on- and off-campus resources.

Advance Outreach and Community Engagement: Lead outreach efforts that increase awareness of counseling, wellness, and mental health resources and help ensure services are accessible and responsive to the SDSU Imperial Valley community.

Contribute to a Learning Community: Participate in professional development, program development, assessment, scholarship, training, supervision, campus committees, and other initiatives that strengthen Counseling & Psychological Services and student well-being.

Why Join SDSU Imperial Valley?

Meaningful Impact: Build relationships and provide care in a campus environment where your work can have a direct and visible impact on student success and well-being.

Whole-Student Focus: Join a team that understands mental health and well-being as essential to students' academic achievement, persistence, and personal development.

Community Connection: Work collaboratively with students, faculty, staff, families, and community partners to create an integrated network of support.

Culturally Responsive Practice: Serve a diverse student community and contribute to an environment that values culturally informed care, respect, inclusion, and belonging.

Professional Growth: Engage in training, program development, research, outreach, and other opportunities that support continued professional learning and innovation.

As part of the California State University (CSU) system, San Diego State University helps power one of the largest and most impactful public university systems in the nation. See what it's like to work at the CSUwatch our video and imagine your future here: Working at the CSU.

Position Information

• Full-time, benefits-eligible, tenure-track position.
• Position is designated exempt under FLSA and is not eligible for overtime compensation.
• Standard SDSU work hours are Monday Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., but may vary based on operational needs.
• The individual hired into this role will work on campus at SDSU Imperial Valley.

Department Summary

SDSU Imperial Valley is an integral part of San Diego State University, serving students and communities throughout southeastern California from its locations in Calexico and Brawley. Offering undergraduate and graduate degrees, credential programs, and a growing range of academic and student support services, SDSU Imperial Valley provides students with access to the resources of a major public university within a close-knit, community-centered environment.

Counseling & Psychological Services (C&PS), part of the Division of Student Affairs and Campus Diversity, supports the academic success, personal growth, and well-being of SDSU students through culturally informed psychological services, prevention education, outreach, consultation, and campus partnerships. C&PS is committed to supporting and enhancing the education of the whole person, helping students realize their academic and personal potential while fostering a healthy and productive learning-centered campus.

The mission of SDSU Counseling & Psychological Services is to support and enhance the education of the whole person. Through innovative programming and culturally informed psychological services, we help students realize their full academic and personal potential. We strive to cultivate partnerships and build community in order to foster a healthy and productive learning-centered campus. 

For more information regarding SDSU Imperial Valley, click here.

Education and Experience

• Terminal degree in a psychology-related field.
• Current California licensure as a psychologist (PhD/PsyD), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), or Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC); or eligibility for licensure in California as a psychologist.
• Demonstrated clinical effectiveness using multicultural counseling approaches with clients and communities from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
• Experience with case management, brief interventions, crisis management, and complex ethical and legal issues.

Key Qualifications

• Experience providing counseling services to young adults in a college counseling center or comparable experience with transitional-aged youth.
• Demonstrated ability to provide culturally responsive counseling and outreach to students from diverse backgrounds and experiences.
• Experience assessing and responding to complex mental health concerns, including crisis, suicide risk, and trauma.
• Strong consultation and relationship-building skills, with the ability to work effectively with students, faculty, staff, families, administrators, and community partners.
• Experience helping individuals identify barriers to care and successfully connect with appropriate campus and community resources.
• Ability to develop and deliver engaging prevention education, workshops, outreach, and wellness programming.
• Knowledge of case management systems, student support services, and the broader role of Student Affairs within a higher education environment.
• Experience with motivational counseling approaches and trauma response or debriefing is highly desirable.

Compensation and Benefits

San Diego State University offers competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your well-being and professional growth.

Compensation:
 The expected hiring salary for this position is $7,127 monthly.

CSU Classification Salary Ranges: $7,127 - $12,771 per month for 12-Month classification

Full Benefits Package Includes:

• Generous Time Off: 15 paid holidays, vacation, and sick leave.
• Retirement: CalPERS pension plan with retiree healthcare, and reciprocal agreements with other California public retirement systems, including the UC.
• Health Coverage: Medical, dental, and vision options at low or no cost.
• Education Support: CSU tuition fee waiver for employees and eligible dependents.
• Optional Offerings: FlexCash, life and disability insurance, legal and pet plans.
• Campus & Community: Access to the library, campus events, employee groups, and volunteer and social activities.

Our benefits are a significant part of total compensation. Learn more at the SDSU Benefits Overview.

SDSU Values

At SDSU, our diversity gives us power and benefits every single member of our community.  Consistent with California law and federal civil rights laws, SDSU provides equal opportunity for all in education and employment.  We encourage all members of our community to purposefully learn from one another through open and respectful dialogue and responsible engagement. We strongly preserve the right to free expression and encourage difficult conversations that help lead to improved individual and community learning and cohesion.

Principles of Community

At San Diego State University, we are a community of diverse individuals who have and represent many perspectives, beliefs, and identities. This diversity lends our community strength, and we commit to creating and sustaining an inclusive and intellectually vibrant environment that benefits all members of our university. 

SDSU's Principles of Community is an aspirational statement that is intended to evolve over time. The statement reflects the ideals we are encouraged to uphold in our interactions with one another. 

Equal Opportunity and Excellence in Education and Employment

All university programs and activities are open and available to all regardless of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin. Consistent with California law and federal civil rights laws, San Diego State University (SDSU) provides equal opportunity in education and employment without unlawful discrimination or preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. Our commitment to equal opportunity means ensuring that every student and employee has access to the resources and support they need to thrive and succeed in a university environment and in their communities. SDSU complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the California Equity in Higher Education Act, California's Proposition 209 (Art. I, Section 31 of the California Constitution), other applicable state and federal anti-discrimination laws, and CSU's Nondiscrimination Policy. We prohibit discriminatory preferential treatment, segregation based on race or any other protected status, and all forms of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in all university programs, policies, and practices. 

SDSU is a diverse community of individuals who represent many perspectives, beliefs and identities, committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and intellectually vibrant environment. We cultivate a culture of open dialogue, mutual respect, and belonging to support educational excellence and student success. Through academic programs, student organizations and activities, faculty initiatives, and community partnerships, we encourage meaningful engagement with diverse perspectives. As a higher education institution, we are dedicated to advancing knowledge and empowering individuals to reach their full potential by prioritizing inclusive curriculum development, faculty and staff training, student mentorship, and comprehensive support programs. At SDSU, excellence is built on merit, talent, diversity, accessibility, and equal opportunity for all.

Supplemental Information

Apply by September 8, 2026 to ensure full consideration. Applications submitted after this date will be reviewed on an as-needed basis, and the position will remain open until filled.

The person holding this position is considered a 'mandated reporter' under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment. 

San Diego State University is not a sponsoring agency for staff or management positions (e.g., H-1B visa). Applicants must currently be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Offers of employment are contingent upon the presentation of documents that demonstrate a person's identity and authorization to work in the United States, which are consistent with the provisions of the Immigration Reform and Control Act. 

Education Code 89521 Requirements: Applicants will be required to disclose whether they have received a final administrative decision or final judicial decision determining that they have committed sexual harassment within the last 7 years only after a determination is made that they meet the minimum qualifications for the position, and before an offer of employment is extended.  Applicants who reach the final stages of the application process must also sign a release form that authorizes the release of information by the applicant's current and/or former employers to the CSU concerning any substantiated allegations of misconduct.

A background check (including a criminal records check) must be completed satisfactorily and is required for employment. SDSU will make a conditional offer of employment, which may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current SDSU employee who was conditionally offered the position.

SDSU is a smoke-free campus. For more information, please click here.

Reasonable accommodations will be provided for qualified applicants with disabilities who request an accommodation by contacting Casie Martinez at cmartinez12@sdsu.edu.