Under the direction of the Certified Head Athletic Trainer, with a dotted line of supervision to the NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative, the Director of Mental Wellness for Athletics will provide counseling and wellness services to the student-athlete community and will have direct oversight of the mental wellness and mental performance aspect of the Montana Athletics Department. This is a 12-month position.
The Director of Mental Wellness for Athletics will work with approximately 350 student athletes and 15 athletic teams. They must be able to work within a team dynamic and view the student athlete from a holistic perspective. This position will be a valuable addition to a multidisciplinary team (Team Physician, Athletic Trainers, Nutrition) that is intricately involved in the health and wellbeing of the student athletes.
The Director of Mental Wellness for Athletics will be responsible for coordinating mental wellness programs and support for the Montana Athletics Department. They will provide services such as, but not limited to, brief individual therapy, crisis interventions, consultations with coaches and other Athletics staff, mental health assessments, mental health education to student athletes and sports programs, drug and alcohol counseling, eating disorder and disordered eating evaluations, ADD/ADHD evaluations, referrals to campus and community resources, and other services that fall under the scope of student athlete mental wellness. There will be some weekends and after-hours requirements, depending on the needs of the student athletes.
Athletic Department employees and those University employees outside the Athletic Department with NCAA rules compliance responsibilities are subject at all times to NCAA Bylaws 10.1 and 11.1 regarding ethical conduct and the responsibility to positively contribute to a campus culture of NCAA rules compliance. Failure to conduct oneself as such will result in disciplinary or corrective action up to and including immediate discharge.
Minimum Qualifications:
A master’s degree from an accredited social work, counseling or other mental health related program, and current Montana Licensure (or ability to secure licensure by hire date) to practice under supervision (e.g., CSW, ACMHC, AMFT)
Experience in a university counseling setting and/or experience in areas strongly related to mental health needs in a college population (e.g., eating disorders, anxiety disorder, depressive disorders, personality disorders).
Generalist base of knowledge and experience in psychotherapy (including teletherapy), (i.e., theories, processes, and elements of therapeutic change) and familiarity with developmental and other non-medical models of treatment and supervision.
Preferred Qualifications:
Certification as a Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) through the Association for Applied Sport Psychology or actively working toward certification.
3-5 years working in a collegiate setting with Student-Athletes.
Demonstrated experience and interest in conducting psychoeducational assessment (e.g., ADHD, learning disorders, neuropsychological screening)
Knowledge and experience in performance psychology, or related field.