Sport Psychologist, University Counseling Center

Job Description

The Sports Psychologist in the University Counseling Center (UCC) will join a team of licensed psychologists in our growing and highly collaborative sport psychology team. This position will join a team of licensed psychologists in our growing and highly collaborative sport psychology team. Vanderbilt Sport Psychology was created out of a vibrant partnership between the University Counseling Center, Vanderbilt Athletics, and the broader Student Care Network. This fully embedded position located within Athletics will perform team and individual sports performance consultation as well as integrated psychological services to student-athletes including counseling, assessment, crisis intervention and evidence-based therapeutic treatment for Vanderbilt University’s diverse varsity student-athlete population. Additionally, this role will work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary environment consisting of sports medicine, sport performance, sport nutrition, and academic support services, and provide consultation to coaches and athletic department staff.

The Sport Psychologist is a valued member of our multidisciplinary collaborative healthcare team, upholding and embracing our mission of providing an excellent student-athlete experience and fostering a commitment to diversity and inclusiveness throughout the program. The role will also involve outreach, consultation and liaison activities aimed at increasing access to services for student athletes by promoting awareness and reducing stigma around seeking assistance. Multicultural awareness and responsiveness, as well as professionalism are important components of all clinical and community outreach-oriented work, and specific knowledge, experience, and skills working with AAPI/APIDA, International, African American/Black, Latinx, and/or LGBTQI students is preferred. Flexible hours, including some evening and weekend hours and activities, are an essential component of this role.

About the Work Unit:
The University Counseling Center (UCC) supports the mental health needs of Vanderbilt students, encouraging their work toward their academic and personal goals. Our highly skilled and multidisciplinary staff develop evidence-based treatment plans tailored to everyone’s unique background and needs by working together with students, campus partners, and community providers. The UCC also emphasizes prevention and education through collaboration and consultation focused on the development of the skills and self-awareness needed to excel in a challenging educational environment. We offer culturally responsive services in a safe and affirming space and are committed to engaging in an ongoing dialogue that provides our team with opportunities to grow in the context of their own cultural identity development. The UCC is committed to understanding the role of diverse experiences and backgrounds in order to best promote mental health and wellbeing in the lives of individuals and in our community.

Vanderbilt University’s Athletics Department prepares student-athletes to become leaders and champions in life by placing the highest values on integrity, character, sportsmanship, and victory. Vanderbilt is a charter member of the Southeastern Conference and is the conference's only private school. The university fields 17 varsity teams (6 men's teams and 11 women's teams), 15 of which compete in the Southeastern Conference. 

About the Student Care Network:
The Student Care Network (SCN) is comprised of the Center for Student Wellbeing, Student Care Coordination, the University Counseling Center, and the Student Health Center. The SCN is a holistic network of services and resources pertaining to health and wellness available to all Vanderbilt University students who have paid the Student Health Fee. As such, staff within the offices comprising the SCN work collaboratively to create integrated processes, referrals, and treatment plans to better serve the entire student. 

About Student Affairs at Vanderbilt:
Student Affairs serves a central role in student learning and development at Vanderbilt, advancing the University’s mission of teaching, research, and service. Student Affairs at Vanderbilt cultivates vibrant, inclusive communities that foster a student’s sense of belonging and wellbeing through collaborative partnerships, transformative learning experiences, and an accessible and holistic network of resources. We value connection, belonging, compassion, development, and innovation. Our staff are committed to continued growth in knowledge, awareness, skills, and experience engaging with these priorities in a higher education environment.
 

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Job Description

The Sports Psychologist in the University Counseling Center (UCC) will join a team of licensed psychologists in our growing and highly collaborative sport psychology team. This position will join a team of licensed psychologists in our growing and highly collaborative sport psychology team. Vanderbilt Sport Psychology was created out of a vibrant partnership between the University Counseling Center, Vanderbilt Athletics, and the broader Student Care Network. This fully embedded position located within Athletics will perform team and individual sports performance consultation as well as integrated psychological services to student-athletes including counseling, assessment, crisis intervention and evidence-based therapeutic treatment for Vanderbilt University’s diverse varsity student-athlete population. Additionally, this role will work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary environment consisting of sports medicine, sport performance, sport nutrition, and academic support services, and provide consultation to coaches and athletic department staff.

The Sport Psychologist is a valued member of our multidisciplinary collaborative healthcare team, upholding and embracing our mission of providing an excellent student-athlete experience and fostering a commitment to diversity and inclusiveness throughout the program. The role will also involve outreach, consultation and liaison activities aimed at increasing access to services for student athletes by promoting awareness and reducing stigma around seeking assistance. Multicultural awareness and responsiveness, as well as professionalism are important components of all clinical and community outreach-oriented work, and specific knowledge, experience, and skills working with AAPI/APIDA, International, African American/Black, Latinx, and/or LGBTQI students is preferred. Flexible hours, including some evening and weekend hours and activities, are an essential component of this role.

About the Work Unit:
The University Counseling Center (UCC) supports the mental health needs of Vanderbilt students, encouraging their work toward their academic and personal goals. Our highly skilled and multidisciplinary staff develop evidence-based treatment plans tailored to everyone’s unique background and needs by working together with students, campus partners, and community providers. The UCC also emphasizes prevention and education through collaboration and consultation focused on the development of the skills and self-awareness needed to excel in a challenging educational environment. We offer culturally responsive services in a safe and affirming space and are committed to engaging in an ongoing dialogue that provides our team with opportunities to grow in the context of their own cultural identity development. The UCC is committed to understanding the role of diverse experiences and backgrounds in order to best promote mental health and wellbeing in the lives of individuals and in our community.

Vanderbilt University’s Athletics Department prepares student-athletes to become leaders and champions in life by placing the highest values on integrity, character, sportsmanship, and victory. Vanderbilt is a charter member of the Southeastern Conference and is the conference's only private school. The university fields 17 varsity teams (6 men's teams and 11 women's teams), 15 of which compete in the Southeastern Conference. 

About the Student Care Network:
The Student Care Network (SCN) is comprised of the Center for Student Wellbeing, Student Care Coordination, the University Counseling Center, and the Student Health Center. The SCN is a holistic network of services and resources pertaining to health and wellness available to all Vanderbilt University students who have paid the Student Health Fee. As such, staff within the offices comprising the SCN work collaboratively to create integrated processes, referrals, and treatment plans to better serve the entire student. 

About Student Affairs at Vanderbilt:
Student Affairs serves a central role in student learning and development at Vanderbilt, advancing the University’s mission of teaching, research, and service. Student Affairs at Vanderbilt cultivates vibrant, inclusive communities that foster a student’s sense of belonging and wellbeing through collaborative partnerships, transformative learning experiences, and an accessible and holistic network of resources. We value connection, belonging, compassion, development, and innovation. Our staff are committed to continued growth in knowledge, awareness, skills, and experience engaging with these priorities in a higher education environment.
 

Key Functions and Expected Performance:

Provide mental health and sport performance services to varsity student athletes:

• Provide comprehensive culturally informed sport psychology services to individual varsity student-athletes, including clinical assessment, evidence-based counseling and psychotherapy, and treatment planning.
• Develop appropriate treatment plans to target the needs of the student-athletes within a short-term, multidisciplinary, and multimodal system of care and collaborate effectively with other treatment resources for the benefit of students. Work effectively as an embedded sport psychologist within a collaborative care model with VU/VUMC Athletic Medicine and Medical Staff.
• Provide individual, group and team-based performance enhancement interventions to optimize wellness and performance. Serve as the primary point of contact for 3-5 varsity teams.
• Perform informal and formal psychological screenings and assessment with student-athletes.
• Maintain appropriate and timely documentation for recordkeeping and communication with other service providers based on ethical and legal standards to enhance care coordination.
• Comply with all NCAA rules, guidelines, and expectations. Engage in ethical decision-making as outlined in the APA Code of Ethics and applicable Vanderbilt University policies. 
• Develop effective working relationships with the Vanderbilt community, including colleagues, Student Care Network entities, academic deans, faculty, residential staff, Dean of Students departments, Vanderbilt University Police Department, and other relevant campus partners, to ensure a collaborative support network on campus to respond to student needs and optimize support and safety for Vanderbilt students.

Provide outreach and consultation services:

• Provide consultation and outreach on clinical/wellness topic areas specific to student-athletes.
• Manage social media account in alignment with VU Student Affairs and VU Athletics communication guidelines.
• Consult with VU coaches, staff, sports medicine personnel, and student-athletes regarding student-athlete behavior, mental health, performance enhancement, and education.
• Develop and present various workshops for multiple audiences including but not limited to varsity teams, student-athletes, coaches and staff members.
• Provide and support outreach and educational programming to support campus and individual mental health, wellness, and skill development. Specific knowledge, experience, and skills in providing outreach and liaison services to a diverse student and student athlete population including AAPI, International, African American, Latinx, Disabled, and/or LGBTQI students is preferred.
• Lead educational sessions for coaches, staff, and student-athletes related to best practices, relevant topics, and industry leading programming, including raising mental health awareness and stigma reduction.

Provide specialized crisis intervention and follow-up services:

• Provide clinical assessments of students in a mental health crisis demonstrating effective diagnostic skills and effective treatment planning for a variety of mental health concerns and conditions.
• Respond to mental health emergencies in a culturally responsive manner to support students in a framework and manner that acknowledges their unique and intersecting personal and cultural identities.
• Identify appropriate interventions for students in crisis, working effectively with the staff of the UCC to access appropriate resources, and engaging campus partners effectively to develop an effective plan for supporting students.
• Communicate with campus partners supporting students in crisis and develop intervention strategies to ensure student safety and support.
• Collaborate with the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Emergency Department, Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital, the Partial Hospital Program at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and other community providers, as appropriate, to ensure positive student outcomes, a smooth transition to outside care, and/or a seamless discharge/transition back to campus for students.

Provide clinical supervision for staff and trainees:

• Ability to provide clinical supervision and participate in relevant training activities.

Perform other administrative functions:

• Serve on divisional or athletics committees and working groups to enrich the experience and resources available to staff across the division.
• Perform other administrative duties as assigned by the Assistant Athletic Director for Sport Psychology.
• Engage in professional development, including presentations at pertinent conferences and workshops, to expand upon and bring back skills and knowledge to the greater Sport Psychology and UCC team.
• Perform other duties necessary to enhance the student experience and/or facilitate the success of the University, division, or department.

 

Supervisory Relationships:
This position may have clinical (but not administrative) supervisory responsibility for unlicensed and newly licensed mental health clinicians in position as well as trainees, the position reports administratively and functionally to the Assistant Athletic Director for Sport Psychology.

 

Education and Certifications:

• Doctoral degree in Counseling or Clinical Psychology from an APA-accredited program is required prior to date of hire, with licensure as a psychologist and Health Service Provider in Psychology in the state of Tennessee within the first year of employment. 
• Specialized education, training and experience in sport psychology and/or current or anticipated certification as a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) through the Association of Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) is required within the first year of employment.
• Completion of an APA accredited internship is preferred.

 

Experience and Qualifications:

• Evidence of outstanding skills in clinical assessment, psychotherapy, crisis management, and psychoeducation is necessary. Experience with disordered eating is highly recommended.
• Three to five years of experience (can include internship) providing mental health counseling and performance enhancement services to athletes and/or, preferably in a university or college counseling center setting is required.
• Demonstrated ability and proficiency in addressing all aspects of student’s intersecting identities within the context of clinical and performance work. 
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills to form and maintain meaningful relationships with students, colleagues, and all stakeholders is necessary.
• Ability to work independently and as a part of a team, as well as openness to continued growth and learning. 
• Ability to problem solve, handle sensitive information, and nuanced situations.

 

Special Requirement:
Flexible work schedule required. Position may require early mornings, evening, and weekend hours.
 

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