Special Instructions to Applicants: 

All interested applicants should attach a resume in the Supporting Documents section of the application, preferably in a PDF format to avoid any formatting issues.

About Rice

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities. 

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence.

Position Summary:

This position will manage day-to-day operations that support strategic planning and departmental engagement efforts. Oversees counseling and sport psychology staff service provision and professional development.  Oversees training and mentorship programs with the assistance of counseling and sport psychology staff as part of a collaboration with campus partner – the Rice Counseling Center.  Provision of general mental health and performance enhancement, mental skills services (evaluation, treatment, and education) to student athletes. Coordinate and provide consultation and relevant education to coaches, athletic trainers, and other athletic department staff. Additionally, the position is responsible for implementation of philosophies, policies, and procedures of counseling and sport psychology service operations for student-athletes.

This is a full-time position with the Department of Athletics. The position will report to the Athletics Health Care Administrator (AHCA), and will collaborate with the Clinical Director of the Rice Counseling Center and take close direction from the team physicians.   

Workplace Requirements:

On campus position: This position is exclusively on-site, necessitating all duties to be performed in-person at [insert location and schedule]. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

This role is classified as an essential position, requiring on-site presence to effectively carry out its vital functions.

Hiring Range: Commensurate with experience.

Minimum Requirements: 

Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Counseling, or Social Work 3+ years of experience in Division I or professional sports Expertise in one or more of the following areas is required: experience with 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 Texas within six months of employment, or Licensed in the State of Texas 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.

Preferences:

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 2-3+ years’ post-doctoral experience providing mental health services to athletes or serving as a primary mental health provider/consultant to a sport organization. 3-4+ 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.

Essential Functions:

Maintain clinical and sport-performance caseload comprised of student-athletes for both individual and group service provision in collaboration with Rice Counseling Center and community providers. Serve as lead point of contact for emergency mental health crises, coordinate referrals for higher level of care, and coordinate the multi-disciplinary Consultation and Assessment Team (CAT) to support campus and sport reintegration efforts when appropriate. Provide daytime, evening, and weekend Emergency Action Plan for crisis intervention and emergency services in situations involving individual student-athletes or teams with support from the Rice Counseling Center as needed.  Engage in counseling-related activities including, but not limited to, maintaining counseling records, administering and interpreting annual psychological tests/inventories, referrals, and managing various organizational and administrative aspects of counseling cases. Create a written plan to mental health promotion efforts that is responsive to risk and protective factors at multiple levels, including individual team, athletic department, campus and societal factors. Diversity, equity and inclusion are important influencing factors that should be addressed in this plan. Coordinate service delivery for special cases to include substance use, disordered eating, and severe-persistent mental illness education and treatment. Assist the academic support staff, as requested, with LD/ADHD assessments and serve as lead for coordinating medication management referrals when appropriate. Effectively use assessment and evaluation results in determining the department’s accomplishment of its missions/goals and re-allocation of resources. Facilitate the prioritization of decisions and resources to implement those decisions that are informed by program evaluations. Understand and comply with Texas state statutes governing the ethical provision of psychological care, as well as those rules governing the NCAA and AAC. Participate in Rice Counseling Center’s weekly case management and staff meetings. Coordinate with the creative services team to create content for the department’s social and digital media platforms related to mental health, wellness, and sport-performance. Work closely with the AAC clinical mental health partners, conference headquarters representatives, and cross-conference peer institutional partners to provide evidence-based, NCAA Mental Health Best Practices as a member of the larger clinical and sport-performance community.

Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits-overview 

Rice Mission and Values: Mission and Values | Rice University 

Rice University is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to diversity at all levels and considers for employment qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status.

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and the full inclusion of all qualified persons in the workplace. This commitment includes providing reasonable accommodations to persons with disabilities. For applicants with disabilities who require a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please contact Rice University’s Disability Resource Center at 713-348-5841 or adarice@rice.edu for support.