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Job Description: Director of Athletics Mental Health & Performance

Position Title:  Director of Athletics Mental Health & Performance

Department: Athletics Department

Reports To: Senior Associate Athletic Director of Sports Performance

Position Summary: 

The Director of Athletics Mental Health & Performance will oversee Athletics Mental Health & Performance, providing strategic leadership, education, administrative management, clinical engagement, management of outside contractors and technology apps, and development of a comprehensive strategy to support and maintain a culture of wellness and performance at Davidson. This role includes conducting relevant training, offering consultation and educational outreach to scholar-athletes, coaches, and athletics department staff, supporting counseling and crisis services, and triaging potential clinical cases for referral to Davidson College's Student Health & Well-Being Center. The Director will collaborate with various stakeholders, including coaches, administrators, scholar-athletes, sports performance personnel, and both on- and off-campus counseling services, to ensure comprehensive care and support for the personal, academic, and athletic success of scholar-athletes. Additionally, the Director will be instrumental in developing and implementing policies and procedures tailored to the needs of scholar-athletes, coaches and staff.

Key Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Leadership & Administration

• Provides vision, leadership, and strategic direction for the Mental Health and Performance division.
• Creates a plan to develop future staff, interns, trainees and consultants.
• Develops departmental policies, procedures, strategic initiatives, and annual goals.
• Manages departmental budget, resources, and operational planning.
• Leads program assessment, outcome evaluation, and quality improvement efforts.
• Serves as the primary advisor to Athletics leadership regarding scholar-athlete mental health and performance initiatives.
• Maintains partnerships with campus and community stakeholders to enhance support services for scholar-athletes.

Sports Psychology, Education & Programming

• Facilitates performance sessions (both 1-on-1 and team) and workshops for scholar-athletes, coaches, athletics staff, and campus partners.
• Designs and implements educational programming focused on sports psychology, mental health, mental performance, resilience, leadership development, life skills, and overall well-being.
• Supports initiatives through Student Health and Well-Being that address anxiety, depression, adjustment concerns, eating disorders, burnout, trauma, substance misuse, and other challenges commonly experienced by scholar-athletes.
• Coordinates clinical referrals for specialized care of scholar-athletes to Student Health & Well-Being.
• Maintains timely, accurate, and confidential documentation in accordance with professional standards and applicable laws.

Crisis Management 

• Supports crisis intervention and emergency response efforts involving scholar-athlete mental health concerns in conjunction with Student Health & Well-Being.
• Consults with athletics leadership and healthcare providers regarding risk assessment and management within reason and what is allowed by confidentiality boundaries.
• Develops and maintains crisis response protocols and emergency procedures.

Compliance & Collaboration

• Ensures departmental compliance with NCAA legislation, NCAA Mental Health Best Practices, Atlantic 10 Conference, Pioneer Football League, and Southern Conference policies, college regulations, state law, and professional ethical standards.
• Participates in college, conference, and national committees focused on scholar-athlete health and wellness.
• Remains informed regarding emerging NCAA, conference, and intercollegiate athletics mental health initiatives.
• Collaborates with internal and external stakeholders including as a contributing member of the Student Health & Well-Being C.A.R.E. Team

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master's degree in sports psychology or a terminal degree in another appropriate human services field.
• Licensed in the State of North Carolina in a relevant field or licensed in another state and eligible for North Carolina licensure.
• Minimum of 3-4 years of experience working with scholar-athletes in an athletic setting.
• Experience providing performance enhancement strategies as well as supporting counseling, mental health services and crisis intervention.
• Ability to work with a diverse student population and adapt to various backgrounds and cultures.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Doctoral degree (Ph.D. or Psy.D.) in Clinical Psychology or Counseling Education, with specialized training in sports psychology.
• Strong understanding of the unique pressures and challenges faced by collegiate athletes.
• Excellent communication (verbal and written) and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment.
• Proficiency in assessment and therapeutic intervention techniques.
• Knowledge of NCAA regulations and compliance issues related to mental health services.
• Experience in short-term counseling and interest in working with diverse and/or underrepresented college student populations.
• Expertise in outreach programming and consultation skills.
• Knowledge of current research in sports psychology, counseling, and college student development.
• Experience working with a scholar-athlete population in a Division I athletics department.
• Knowledge and experience in managing professional boundaries and ethics.

Due to the nature/scope of Athletics and Athletics events, position may require work during evenings, weekends, and holidays, as well as the ability to stand / walk for extended periods of time and occasional travel.

As a staff member of Davidson Athletics, the selected candidate will be a person of integrity and character who knows / complies with NCAA, Conference, and institutional rules as they apply to the Davidson Athletics program. This person must also have a high cultural competence and ability to work across a wide range of people, backgrounds and experiences.

Information about how to submit an application can be found at https://employment.davidson.edu