Position Function:
Responsible for the provision of general mental health and performance enhancement, mental skills services (evaluation, treatment, and education) to student-athletes. Oversees counseling and sport psychology full-time staff, in addition to interns and post-doctoral externs. Collaborates with head coaches, sport-specific general managers, and athlete services personnel in evaluating prospective student-athletes. Coordinate and provide consultation and relevant training to coaches, athletic trainers, and other athletic department staff. The position reports to the Deputy Athletic Director – Bulldog Athlete Services and takes close direction from the Senior Associate Athletic Director – Sports Medicine and team physicians.
Salary Grade: 17
Please see Staff Compensation Structure for salary ranges.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
1. Provide clinical services and sport-performance consultations for student-athletes, including evaluation, treatment planning, progress monitoring, re-evaluation, and possible referral.
2. Provide administrative, and, when applicable, clinical supervision of full-time staff, clinical interns, and trainees, as the lead practitioner of the Counseling and Sport Psychology unit.
3. Serve as lead point of contact for emergency mental health crises, coordinate referrals for higher level of care, and serve as member of multi-disciplinary team to support campus and sport reintegration efforts when appropriate and provision of daytime, evening, and weekend crisis intervention.
4. Provide consulting and outreach services to coaches, sports medicine, sports nutrition, sports science, strength and conditioning, and other administrative personnel regarding the psychological well-being of individual student-athletes and team members.
5. Maintain a clinical and sport-performance caseload comprised primarily of football student-athletes, with secondary support to all student-athletes.
6. Assist the academic support staff, as requested, with LD/ADHD assessments and serve as lead for coordinating medication management referrals when appropriate.
7. Collaborate with head coaches, sport-specific general managers, sports medicine, sports nutrition, sports science, strength and conditioning, and talent management services personnel in providing evaluations of prospective student-athletes.
8. Effectively lead the conceptualization and design of ongoing, systematic, high-quality strategies to evaluate and assess learning, programs, services, and personnel.
9. Lead the strategic use and prioritization of budgetary and personnel resources to support high-quality programming and student-athlete care.
10. Identify psychological education outreach needs and offer relevant programming.
11. Work closely with the SEC clinical mental health partners, conference office representatives, and cross-conference peer institutional partners to provide evidence-based, best practices as a member of the larger clinical and sport-performance community.
12. Coordinate and maintain good standing with licensure and accreditation organizations, including all relevant continuing education and professional association activities, and compliance with state statutes governing the ethical provision of psychological care, as well as those rules governing the NCAA and SEC.
13. Develop and execute policies and procedures in collaboration with Bulldog Athlete Services personnel.
14. Perform special functions for the department as requested by the Deputy Athletic Director – Bulldog Athlete Services, or Director of Athletics.
Supervisory Responsibility
Provides direct supervision to full-time staff of counseling and sport psychology, post-doctoral fellows, pre-doctoral interns, master’s practicum students, and clinical psychology practicum students, if applicable.
Minimum Qualifications:
Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Counseling, or Social Work, with four years of experience in Division I or professional athletics, is essential. Have expertise in one or more of the following areas: stress management, substance abuse and alcohol education, eating disorders, crisis management, depression, anxiety, grief, identity crisis, and other psychological issues related to injury and rehabilitation in competitive athletes.
Certification or Licensure Requirements:
• Licensed as a psychologist or license-eligible in the State of Mississippi within six months of employment, or
• Licensed in the State of Mississippi as a counselor, social worker, or marriage and family therapist within six months to one year of employment.
• Licensure must be maintained as a condition of employment.
Preferred Qualifications:
• PhD or PsyD in Counseling Psychology, Clinical Psychology, or Sport Psychology.
• Advanced training in Sport Psychology, such as certification as a mental performance consultant as outlined by the Association for Applied Sport Psychology.
• 3-4+ years’ post-doctoral experience providing mental health services to athletes or serving as a primary mental health provider/consultant to a sport organization.
• 5+ years’ post-master’s experience providing mental health services to athletes or serving as a primary mental health provider/consultant to a sport organization.
• Experience providing evidence-based sport performance consultation to athletic teams.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
1. Knowledge of psychotherapy and clinical/counseling psychology.
2. Knowledge of sport psychology and performance enhancement.
3. Knowledge of rules governing the NCAA and SEC.
4. Ensures all assigned tasks are in compliance with University, SEC, and NCAA rules.
5. Knowledge of academic and psychological testing standards and principles.
6. Personal qualities and skills that enable effective interaction with the sport medicine staff, athletic department, colleagues, administrators, faculty, and student-athletes.
7. Commitment to diversity and demonstrated competency in multicultural counseling skills.
8. Knowledge of and adherence to professional, legal, ethical, and professional standards endorsed by licensing professional organization.
9. Ability to conceptualize, diagnose problems, and implement appropriate treatment solutions.
10. Ability to make accurate judgments concerning the physical, emotional, and educational welfare of student-athletes.
11. Ability to educate and present to the athletic department community a wide variety of psychological topics.
12. Ability to present and represent Mississippi State University at local, national, and international conferences.
13. Knowledge of community-based mental health resources.
14. Strong work ethic.
15. Ability to work evenings and weekend hours.
16. Ability to travel.
Working Conditions and Physical Effort
Frequent – externally imposed deadlines; set and revised beyond one’s control; interruptions influence priorities; difficult to anticipate nature or volume of work with certainty beyond a few days; irregular hours may be anticipated; meeting of deadlines and coordination of unrelated activities are key to position.
Job frequently requires walking, sitting, reaching, talking, hearing, handling objects with hands
Job requires standing, stooping/kneeling/crouching/crawling, and lifting up to 10 pounds
Vision requirements: ability to see information in print and/or electronically
Hearing requirements: Heavy telephone contact requires ability to hear and respond to telephone conversations.
Instructions for Applying:
Please attach your resume and cover letter to the application.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:
Mississippi State University is an equal opportunity institution. Discrimination is prohibited in university employment, programs or activities based on race, color, ethnicity, sex, pregnancy, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, or any other status to the extent protected by applicable law. Questions about equal opportunity programs or compliance should be directed to the Office of Civil Rights Compliance, 231 Famous Maroon Band Street, P.O. 6044, Mississippi State, MS 39762, (662) 325-5839.
What do I do if I need an accommodation?
In compliance with the ADA Amendments Act (ADA), if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation in order to apply for a position with Mississippi State University, please contact the Department of Human Resources Management at tel: (662) 325-3713 or ada@hrm.msstate.edu.
If you have any questions regarding this policy, contact the Department of Human Resources Management at (662) 325-3713 or ada@hrm.msstate.edu. Upon request, sections of this job listing are available in large print, and readers are available to assist the visually impaired.
