Executive Director, National Board for Certified Counselors Foundation (NBCCF)

ORGANIZATION

The National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) is a not-for-profit, independent certification organization whose primary purposes are to establish and monitor a national certification system, and to identify those counselors who have voluntarily sought and obtained board certification.  The organizational mission is to advance counseling as the premier certification body of the profession with a vision of enhancing society worldwide through quality counseling.  NBCC and Affiliates is comprised of three organizational affiliates: the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), the Center for Credentialing and Education (CCE), and the NBCC Foundation (NBCC-F).

NBCC and Affiliates has operations and partnerships in 40 countries providing certification, training programs, and public health services through institutes and residencies.  Over 66,000 Board Certified Counselors serve the public and advance mental health efforts across the globe.  With a portfolio of nine credentials related to professional counseling, mental health, addictions, human services and career development, NBCC and Affiliates seeks to expand the professional capacity of counselors and human service professionals.  NBCC is focused specifically on credentialing, certification and quality assurance, while CCE focuses on providing education and training opportunities and leveraging credentials to best serve communities.  Additionally, CCE provides organizational management services for associations, boards and other management clients.  The NBCC Foundation engages in capacity building, seeking to expand access to mental health services in underserved and never-served communities and increase the accessibility of high quality professional development resources for counselors.

NBCC FOUNDATION

The NBCC Foundation was established as an affiliate organization of the National Board for Certified Counselors to develop and lead philanthropic programs that help address unmet needs in the area of professional counselling. The Foundation’s mission is to “leverage the power of counseling by strategically focusing resources for positive change with the goal of improving the mental health of the underserved and never-served throughout the world.”

POSITION PURPOSE

The Executive Director leads the Foundation in designing and implementing strategies to develop and deploy philanthropy, through both financial and volunteer support, to improve counseling services for the underserved and never-served. The Executive Director reports dually to the President and CEO of the NBCC and to the Foundation Board.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Executive Director is responsible for leading the Foundation’s work in achieving its primary objectives as directed by the Foundation Board of Directors:  strengthening and increasing available services provided by Board-Certified Counselors and Mental Health Facilitators for underserved and never-served populations (“high priority populations”). The Executive Director will achieve these aims through the fulfillment of the following responsibilities:

1. Develop and maintain ongoing systems to identify, engage and draw support from individuals and entities (foundations, organizations, etc.) with an affinity for the Foundation’s mission. Such support should be both financial (annual gifts, major gifts and grants) and in the form of volunteer services (e.g., helping recruit and select scholarship applicants, mentoring new counselling professionals, helping develop programs).

1. Develop and maintain systems to continuously build a strong network of NBCC certificants and other parties relevant to and/or interested in the Foundation’s mission.

• • Increase information about interest areas, talents, and other data that could be helpful to furthering the Foundation’s mission.
  • Devise meaningful engagement strategies.
  • Cultivate relationships to help advance the Foundation’s work.
  • Travel to priority areas to conduct personal meetings and/or attend gatherings.

1. Make effective use of existing strengths throughout the NBCC organization to design and manage programs to advance the Foundation’s mission such as those listed below. This includes working with the Division of CCE, Business Services and Partnerships in the areas of training, curriculum, assessment, organizational services, business development and entrepreneurial efforts both internationally and domestically. This also includes identifying and recruiting expertise from among the 66,000 NCC’s.

• • Recruit candidates, select recipients, and award scholarships and fellowships to individuals pursuing careers in professional counseling who will serve high-priority populations;
  • Foster innovation in counseling practices that benefit the underserved;
  • Expand mental health services among communities where access to mental health care is extremely limited (e.g., minorities, rural areas) by promoting and awarding grants for capacity building in areas;
  • Sponsor free or inexpensive training and professional development to bolster effective delivery of counseling services.
  • Drawing largely from the network described in #2 above, build a sub-network of experienced professionals to strengthen capacity by serving as mentors and as consultants/resources in specialized areas.

1. Work closely with the NBCC President and CEO to help advance the Foundation, including utilizing the NBCC President and CEO for speaking engagements, donor visits, etc.

1. Facilitate optimal functioning of the NBCC Foundation Board of Directors.

• • Engage the board in developing annual and long-range plans.
  • Implement priorities as directed by the Board.
  • Provide information and logistical support necessary for the Board to meet governance responsibilities.
  • Help board members optimize their capacity to constructively participate in the Foundation’s work.
  • Ensure that program practices are aligned with the organizational vision, mission, By-laws and approved policies.

1. Actively participate in and contribute to NBCC and Affiliates Strategic Planning and evaluating.

1. Ensure that administrative and fiscal responsibilities are properly carried out. These include:

• • Staff—organize, recruit, hire, supervise and evaluate.
  • Budget—prepare and manage with approval of the Foundation Board and the President and CEO.
  • Financial reporting—maintain and communicate with the Foundation Board, President and CEO and others as appropriate.
  • Stewardship responsibilities such as assuring that grant and contract obligations are delivered on a timely basis.
  • Foundation gifts and grants—allocate and distribute ethically, equitably, and effectively in accord with priorities of the Foundation Board.
  • Gift accounting—acceptance policies and procedures, records, receipts, etc.

EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree required in business, communications, education, counseling or related field. Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum five years of experience in non-profit management on a national scale including experience working directly with a board of directors.
• Minimum five years of experience and successful track record in comprehensive non-profit development including expertise ranging from research, to proposal development, to major gift cultivation, solicitation and stewardship.
• Minimum five years of experience in managing and developing a constituency (e.g., membership, association, etc.)
• Background working in the area of social services or health services.
• Skilled in working collaboratively and in interdisciplinary teams, especially representing diverse perspectives.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to plan, prioritize, attain goals, and meet deadlines.
• Background in student recruitment, retention, career placement, and/or training a plus.

NBCC and Affiliates is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Apply via National Board for Certified Counselors Career Page: https://nbcc.org/about/careers