Counselor- Fall 2027 or Spring 2028

Job Position: Counselor - Fall 2027 Voyage or Spring 2028 Voyage

Reports To: Executive Dean

Assignment Type: Temporary, full-time

Location: MV World Odyssey

• Fall 2027 - embarking on or around September 6, 2027, and disembarking on or around December 22, 2027

• Spring 2028 - embarking on or around January 2, 2028 and disembarking on or around April 20, 2028

Itineraries are always subject to a variety of changes, both major and minor, before and during a voyage. Please reference semesteratsea.org for the most updated itinerary.

Organization Description

Established in 1963, the Institute for Shipboard Education (ISE) is a 501(c) non-profit organization. In

collaboration with academic partner Colorado State University, ISE delivers the Semester at Sea®

program, one of the longest operating higher education study abroad programs. Semester at Sea®

provides its students a global comparative education through classroom and experiential learning in the

field. The Semester at Sea® floating campus, the MV World Odyssey, carries around 550 students plus

faculty, staff, and others. The duration of the semester voyage is typically 105 days, including visits to 8-

10 countries. ISE conducts two semester voyages annually. See semesteratsea.org for more information.

Mission

Journeys of discovery that spark bold solutions to global challenges

Position Description

The Counseling Team includes up to three counselors who are responsible for coordinating and providing mental health care for voyage participants. The Counseling Team reports to the Executive Dean and is part of the Health Team. The Counseling Team also has a representative on the Care Team and a liaison with the Student Life Team.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The individual in this position must be able to perform the essential duties and responsibilities with or without reasonable accommodation:

Prior to the Voyage

• Participate in regular online training and update calls with ISE personnel and the Health Team

• Attend a multi-day, in-person training orientation in Fort Collins, Colorado

• Participate with members of the Health Team in the pre-voyage health form review process to ensure all voyagers are medically cleared to sail

• Provide pre-voyage consultation to voyagers as requested to recommend steps to prepare for the voyage

• Complete identified parts of online sexual assault training as required

During the Voyage

• Provide high-quality individual and group counseling services to participants who may be experiencing psychological, behavioral, or learning difficulties

• Provide programs focused on the developmental needs of college students to maximize the potential of students to benefit from the academic environment and the cultural experience both on the ship and in ports

• Conduct training for faculty and staff to help them identify and respond to students in distress

• Facilitate short presentations to introduce voyagers to shipboard counseling services and explain how to access them

• Provide consultative service to the faculty, staff, and administration to help foster an environment supportive of the intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and physical development of students

• Provide assessment services to identify student needs and appropriate services and referrals

• Serve on-call for consultation at night while at sea (rotated among the counselors) for situations that need attention and crisis management

• Serve on-call for consultation in port (rotated among the counselors) for situations that need attention and crisis management

• Work with Counseling Team colleagues and the ISE Mental Health Consultant to review and make changes to mental health services as identified to meet the mental health needs of the shipboard community

Requirements

• Be available for a full semester assignment

• Have valid U.S. work authorization

• Have or be able to obtain a valid passport and required visas, as well as any vaccinations as directed by a health care provider or required by the program; this applies to the faculty/staff member and any accompanying companions

• Passports must be valid for 6 months post voyage

• It is recommended that U.S. passport holders have no fewer than 12 blank passport pages

• Be able to successfully pass a background check

Minimum Qualifications and Skills

• Support the mission of ISE; reflecting ISE values, candidates are expected to have a demonstrated ability to advance the SAS commitment to support diverse and inclusive community-building

• Demonstrated knowledge of and ability to support culturally diverse communities

• An appropriate combination of graduate course work, formal training, and supervised experience to include a graduate degree in

• counseling psychology,

• clinical psychology,

• social work,

• counselor education, or

• other related discipline from an accredited institution

• Current state or provincial licensure as a mental health professional

• 3+ years clinical experience in addressing developmental and more severe mental health issues

• Attention to detail, with the ability to balance multiple priorities in a complex and dynamic environment

• Ability to manage the challenges of maintaining confidentiality while being an active member in a living-learning community

• Flexibility and ability to complete tasks efficiently

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, and the capacity to relate effectively with program constituents

• Ability and experience working with colleagues in other mental health and medical disciplines to provide comprehensive assessment and treatment to clients

• Ability to exercise good judgment on a range of issues

• Ability to handle emergencies and to consult with counseling colleagues, medical colleagues, and SAS/ISE staff and administration to address these emergencies

Preferred Qualifications and Skills

• Licensure as a psychologist

• 5+ years clinical experience, including:

• Significant experience working with the college-age population

• Some experience providing mental health services to minors and to families

• 3+ years experience as a staff member in higher education counseling services

• Training and/or participation in diversity, inclusion, and equity initiatives

Working Conditions

• Initial Adjustment: Shipboard life can be stressful for some voyage participants, particularly those with anxiety issues and those who require a longer period of acclimation to highly stimulating and fast-paced environments.

• Environment: This job position requires work performed on a moving ship for which there are narrow doorways, and tight, enclosed quarters. There may be odors or noise. The temperature on the ship can be cool or warm, depending on many variables. There may be periods of rough seas, making it harder to move on the ship.

• Health: A health team (physician, PA/NP, counselors) is available on the ship. The medical capabilities while at sea are focused on urgent care and temporary stabilization of emergency medical and mental health conditions. Very limited medications may be available; voyagers are expected to bring sufficient current medications for the entire voyage. In some regions, there may be no access to emergency evacuation. While in port, local healthcare system resources are utilized, which can vary widely in capabilities. Counseling services typically focus on short-term, solution-oriented interventions to address situational issues. Owing to the unique semester schedule divided between port and sea days, counselors cannot meet with voyage participants on the equivalent of a week-to-week basis. Extended psychological or psychiatric services are not available on the ship and are limited in quantity and quality in different ports. Voyagers who present a risk to themselves or others will likely be required to leave the ship to receive more extended and appropriate care as this cannot be provided on the ship.

• Sea Conditions: It is not uncommon for participants to experience sea-related conditions, including but not limited to loss of balance and potential risk of falls; seasickness; vertigo; nausea; and difficulty concentrating.

• Accessibility and Accommodation: On the vessel, elevators may not always be accessible. There are a limited number of wheelchair-accessible cabins. Some field programs/classes may not be accessible to those with physical disabilities. Depending on the port facilities, tides affecting the gangway, and weather, those with physical disabilities may not be able to always disembark the ship.

• Privacy: Faculty and staff can expect to be in the company of students, lifelong learners, and dependent children when in public areas on the ship. Overall, privacy Is very limited aboard the vessel.

• Food & Dining: It may not be possible for the ship to accommodate certain dietary restrictions onboard or in the field. Dining is limited to brief windows of time & facilities are typically busy.

• Time Frame: There are over 100 days of travel on a 700+ passenger ship. The 100 days are divided between time at sea and time on land in foreign ports. There may be voyage segments that include long stretches at sea. Classes are held nearly every day at sea; there are no regular ‘weekend’ breaks.

• Field Program: Travel and sometimes significant walking are required for Field Programs/Classes. Field programs are optional fee-based in-country experiences organized by ISE available to all voyagers. Field classes are led by faculty members and are required, eight-hour, in-country components of each course. They account for 20% of each student’s grade in that course.

Physical Demands of the Job

• Computer work is required

• Extended walking and standing, sometimes on uneven surfaces, is required

• Lifting/carrying/bending/moving objects up to 25 lbs.

• Climbing stairs to embark and disembark the ship, in the port terminal, and in-country may be required