Remote New

Manager, Crisis & Critical Needs

Western Governors University
life insurance, flexible benefit account, parental leave, paid time off, paid holidays, sick time

Apr 10, 2026
If you're passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country-and you're committed to working hard to play your part in building that future-consider WGU as the next step in your career. Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families. The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs. At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is: Grade: Management_Executive 607 Pay Range: $95,300.00 - $157,300.00 Job Description The Manager, Crisis and Critical Needs, leads the University's Crisis and Critical Needs (CCN) program within Student Wellbeing Services, ensuring a coordinated, traumainformed, and equitycentered response for students experiencing acute distress, safety concerns, or disruptive behaviors. The Manager chairs the Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT); defines and standardizes crisis triage, safety planning, documentation, crisis case management, and referral/handoff processes; and provides campus education on recognition, deescalation, and referral pathways. The manager analyzes trends in crisis reporting, identifies systemic risks and policy gaps, and recommends improvements that advance student wellbeing and institutional compliance. This role provides direct supervision to crisis response professionals and stewards quality assurance, metrics, and continuous improvement for the Crisis and Critical Needs Program. Responsibilities Primary Responsibilities Defines and implements consistent departmental practices for crisis triage, risk/safety planning, documentation, postincident review, and referral/handoffs, including service level agreements (SLAs). Chairs the Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT), leading multidisciplinary case reviews and threat/risk assessments; ensures alignment with national best practices. Safeguards confidentiality and manages FERPA/Clery/Title IX intersections, exercising appropriate mandatedreporting judgment. Educates faculty, staff, and leaders on crisis recognition, deescalation, mandated reporting, and referral pathways. Analyzes crisis trends and prepares reports, dashboards, and presentations to inform institutional decisions. Leads hiring, onboarding, training, scheduling, performance evaluation, corrective action, and termination for Crisis Program staff. Conducts regular team meetings and 1:1s; ensures consistent and compliant case management practices. Maintains team KPIs (response times, caseload complexity, closure rates) and implements continuous improvement. Maintains team knowledge resources (extensive knowledge base, job aids) and provides professional development. Partners with academic affairs, disability services, ombuds, Title IX, site security, internal and external Emergency Management committees, vendors, and agencies. Oversees technology and secure data needs for case management and BIT documentation. Performs other duties as assigned This job description includes a general representation of job requirements rather than a comprehensive inventory of all required responsibilities or work activities. The contents of this document or related job requirements may change at any time with or without notice. Qualifications Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Proven ability to lead and develop crisisresponse and studentsupport professionals. Advanced skills in risk assessment, crisis intervention, and safety planning. Strong understanding of FERPA, Clery, Title IX intersections, and state reporting. Demonstrated traumainformed and equitycentered practice. Ability to collaborate across complex organizations and external partners. Strong judgment, discretion, and integrity with sensitive information. Advanced communication skills, including presentations and training delivery. Datadriven decisionmaking and process improvement skills. Education Master's Degree in Social Work (MSW) Active and relevant clinical licensure (LCSW, LPC, or equivalent) Experience 7 years of experience in crisis/behavioral health/studentsupport, including 3 years of experience in highereducation leadership with supervisory responsibilities, and 2 years of experience with BIT/CARE/threatassessment leadership Experience in lieu of education Equivalent relevant experience performing the essential functions of this job may substitute for education degree requirements. Generally, equivalent relevant experience is defined as 1 year of experience for 1 year of education and is the discretion of the hiring manager. Preferred Qualifications Active Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) license Training/certification in threat assessment (NaBITA, SIVRA35, WAVR21). Experience with Clery, FERPA, and Title IX intersections. Experience developing campuswide crisis education and prevention. Travel This position requires occasional travel of up to 20%, including required attendance at designated company summits (typically one to two per year). Additional travel may include conferences, visits to company locations, and other business-related events as needed. Additional travel may be assigned as needed to support business requirements Position & Application Details Full-Time Regular Positions (classified as regular and working 40 standard weekly hours): This is a full-time, regular position (classified for 40 standard weekly hours) that is eligible for bonuses; medical, dental, vision, telehealth and mental healthcare; health savings account and flexible spending account; basic and voluntary life insurance; disability coverage; accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity supplemental coverages; legal and identity theft coverage; retirement savings plan; wellbeing program; discounted WGU tuition; and flexible paid time off for rest and relaxation with no need for accrual, flexible paid sick time with no need for accrual, 11 paid holidays, and other paid leaves, including up to 12 weeks of parental leave. How to Apply: If interested, an application will need to be submitted online. Internal WGU employees will need to apply through the internal job board in Workday. Additional Information Disclaimer: The job posting highlights the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the job. It's not all-inclusive. Accommodations: Applicants with disabilities who require assistance or accommodation during the application or interview process should contact our Talent Acquisition team at recruiting@wgu.edu. Equal Employment Opportunity: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic as required by law.