Counselor, Student-Athlete Mental Health

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Benefits of Being a Lindenwood Employee:

• Upon hire, employer-paid tuition benefits for bachelor’s (employee, spouse, and dependent) and master’s degree programs (employee and spouse only).
• Tuition discounts for doctoral programs (employee only).
• Comprehensive benefits plan: medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability insurance, and retirement options.
• Paid holidays: MLK Jr. day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving break (Wednesday – Friday), and winter break (Dec. 23 – Jan. 1).
• Free lunch Fridays: LU employees are eligible for a free meal on Fridays at the Evans Commons Dining Hall or Spellman Dining Hall; Chick-fil-A and Qdoba included.
• Professional development opportunities through the Lindenwood Learning Academy .

JOB TITLE SUMMARY

Job Title: Counselor, Student-Athlete Mental Health

Division: Athletics

Evaluation Group: Staff

FLSA Status: Exempt

Reports To: Director, Student-Athlete Mental Health

Positions Supervised: N/A

Job Summary

The counselor, student-athlete mental health supports the wellness of Lindenwood University student-athletes by providing the following for individual athletes and groups/teams: clinical services, crisis management, resources, and education/outreach related to mental health and substance use. This role promotes overall health and success for student-athletes at Lindenwood and beyond. The counselor also builds rapport and relationships with student-athletes, coaches, faculty and staff, and campus/community partners.

Essential Job Functions and Performance Indicators

The intent of this job description is to provide a representation of the types of duties and level of responsibility that will be required of positions given this title. This job description shall not be construed as a declaration of the total of the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Employees may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.

Job Responsibilities and Execution

• Provides clinical evaluations to determine student-athlete needs and establish individualized treatment plans/goals
• Provides counseling to student-athletes, utilizing psychometrically sound measures/tools to track client progress, evaluate and alter treatment goals, and provide referrals when needed
• Provides culturally sensitive, brief individual and group evidence-based psychotherapy to a diverse student body that may present with various challenges, including among others: depression, anxiety, substance use, eating disorders, trauma, suicidal ideation, grief, personality disorders, sport performance issues, and academic/family-related stressors
• Assesses student-athletes in crisis; maintains working knowledge of diagnostic criteria; and provides appropriate, effective therapeutic crisis intervention strategies
• Assists director with mental health screenings for all incoming student-athletes to identify at-risk student-athletes and provide early intervention
• Assists director with overseeing the administration of the Mental Health Emergency Action Management Plan and Athletics mental health policies/procedures
• Maintains timely and accurate psychotherapy records in the electronic health records system; upholds confidentiality; and collaborates with community mental health providers when appropriate
• Provides psycho-social assessments to identify the impact of stressors unique to student-athletes, such as injury, sport performance, increased time commitments, and stigma associated with mental health help-seeking; provides evidence-based therapeutic interventions targeting such stressors
• Teaches relaxation, coping strategies, positive self-talk, and skills training in order to help student-athletes/teams enhance their performance and manage sport-related activities
• Assists student-athletes with both the cognitive and emotional aspects of athletic performance, conflict resolution, motivation, recovery from injury, and team building
• Carries out needs assessments to determine student-athlete and Athletics staff mental health needs; presents needed/requested mental health topics
• Understands and complies with state statutes governing the ethical provision of providing counseling/social work services, along with the rules governing the NCAA
• Participates in continuing education by attending conferences/seminars and reading current scholarly articles
  

Service Excellence

• Supports the mission of the University and serves as an ambassador of the Q2 culture of service excellence
• Models, supports, and holds others accountable to the University’s values – integrity, dedication, excellence, creativity, and teamwork

Communication, Teamwork, and Collaboration

• Provides campus-wide consultation services for faculty and staff
• Communicates timely and effectively to appropriate staff regarding any student-athlete safety concerns (danger to self or others or potential duty to warn)
• Collaborates with community mental health resources/partners as needed

Job may require other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications – An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience will be considered. Additional requirements may be designated by position.

• Master’s degree or above in counseling, clinical psychology, social work, or mental health counseling
• Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) or Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) designation in the state of Missouri
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in providing evidence-based psychotherapy (individual and group)
• Experience working in a college/university counseling center setting strongly preferred
• Experience working with student-athletes strongly preferred
  

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities – May be representative, but not all inclusive, of the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform this job competently.

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse communities and cultures and presenting with a variety of diagnoses/needs
• Strong professional integrity and ability to process and maintain highly confidential information
• Competency in group psychotherapy and outreach programming
• Ability to build and foster relationships with students, administrators, faculty, and campus-wide staff
• Knowledge of the unique mental health issues of diverse clients, including: student-athletes, individuals from ethnically and racially diverse backgrounds; individuals representing a variety of sexual orientations and gender identities; and international students
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively on a professional team with strong clinical, leadership, interpersonal, organizational, and communication skills
• Knowledge of counseling and psychotherapy theories, evidence-based psychotherapy interventions, crisis intervention techniques, strong conflict resolution skills, and ability to assess and manage ethical dilemmas
• Ability to multi-task and manage time effectively

Work Environment – Environmental or atmospheric conditions commonly associated with the performance of this job’s functions.

• General office setting
• Regular use of telephone and e-mail

Physical Abilities – The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform this job’s essential functions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Ability to work effectively at a computer for up to eight hours daily
• Ability to sit for extended periods of time
• Regular attendance is a necessary and essential function

Equal Opportunity Employer

Lindenwood University is an Equal Opportunity employer. The University complies with appropriate federal, state, and local laws and provides equal employment opportunities and access to educational programs without regard to race, color, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability, or any other protected status to all qualified applicants and employees. Lindenwood University is committed to a policy of non-discrimination and dedicated to providing a positive discrimination-free educational work environment.