Director, Counseling Center - UT Chattanooga

Position Summary

The Director of the Counseling Center (UTCCC) will lead a team of counselors, administrative staff and interns supervising activities that provides counseling to approximately 12,000 UTC students, consultation/educational outreach to UTC staff and faculty in the areas of academic and personal concerns and provide mental health crisis intervention & emergency intervention as needed. The Director will provide clinical supervision for staff working toward licensure and provide over site for graduate interns. In coordination with the Chief Health Affairs Officer, determines and manages budgetary requirements, and allocates resources appropriately and provides annual evaluation for all Center employees. The Director may also serve as a liaison between the Counseling Center and College of Health Education and Professional Studies - Counselor Education academic unit. The individual will have earned a graduate degree in psychology, counselor education, or social work from accredited programs. Licensure commensurate with graduate degree required. Licensed or license-eligible to practice and provide supervision in the state of Tennessee. The Director should have at least 5 years’ experience in licensed clinical practice.

Key Responsibilities:

Administrative Duties

• Impacts all aspects of the UTCCC services, including scheduling, initiating new programs offered by the UTCCC or in conjunction with other units or community stakeholders, hiring, administrative supervision for clinicians and administrative staff, clinical supervision, and ensuring that comprehensive counseling services are offered to all UTC students. Manages budgets and allocates resources.
• Determines staffing needs for the daily operation of the clinic and during peak hours and hours of operation depending on student needs.
• Work with clinicians and managers at the Parkridge Mental Health Therapy Center to ensure appropriate referrals are being seen. Act as a liaison between UTC and Park Ridge for this outreach effort.

Direct Clinical Care

• Consists of holding a reduced caseload of ongoing clients, engaging in intake services as needed, completing emergency evaluations of students in distress during business hours, providing clinical consultation to UTCCC staff and other UTC employees as needed. Provides clinical supervision towards licensure for junior clinicians and consults with licensed professionals as needed as part of case management.
• Partner with staff in all areas of the University to ensure that UTCCC programs are integrated into the mission of the University and are a central component of general mental wellness education and outreach efforts within the University. Serve on university/wellness committees when appropriate such as the Behavioral Intervention Team and Students of Concern committee.

Emergency Crisis Intervention:

• Available to coordinate mental health crisis response and intervention services for the UTCCC and communicate these procedures to other University units so that students are served with expediency. Provides supervision for on-call clinicians after hours, serves as a back-up for on-call services, and engages in on-call services as a first-line responder when needed.
• Engages with area mental health services providers, such as hospitals, in-patient psychiatric hospitals/clinics, psychiatrists and clinicians, to create a network of referrals for university students and staff/faculty as needed.
• Lead strategic planning and goal setting, program evaluation and research. In concert with the staff develops and implements UTCCC philosophy and develops procedures for counseling service operations.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to manage, direct, and motivate a team of individuals to provide quality mental health care services in a university setting.
• Excellent customer service and communication skills.
• Decisions for care are made according to state law and legal scope of practice, UTC Counseling Center practice protocols, collaborations and consultation with other providers, standing institutional policies and procedures, the American Counseling Association code of ethics & other helping professions' codes of ethics, and within System, State, and Federal guidelines and standards.
Knowledge of the budget process and ability to maintain budget, advocate for resources as needed, and allocate resources appropriately. Ability and knowledge to perform mental health care at the advanced practice level. Skills to obtain mental health histories, interpret diagnostic tests and other treatments.

Review of applications will begin 2/19/26 and will continue until the position is filled. Applications received by this date will receive priority consideration.

Qualifications:

Required:

• Master’s Degree
• Experience in a University Counseling Center
• Experience in supervising staff
• Experience providing clinical supervision
• Experience in budgeting and managing fiscal personnel and other resources

Preferred:

• Doctoral Degree

Work Location:

• University of Tennessee – Chattanooga, TN Campus
• This is a fully on-site position

Compensation and Benefits:

• UT market range: MR16
• Anticipated hiring range: $107,000-$120,000

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is in the heart of one of Tennessee’s largest and most dynamic cities. As a national model for metropolitan universities, UTC collaborates with its many regional partners to offer an experiential learning environment with outstanding teaching scholars in 128 undergraduate degree programs and 55 graduate programs—at both the master's and doctoral levels. UTC and Chattanooga—nationally recognized for its downtown redevelopment and wealth of outdoor recreation—are inextricably linked, and the University is central to the workforce and economic development efforts of the region and the state.

Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business; Engineering and Computer Science; Health, Education and Professional Studies; and the Honors College are home to an array of award-winning programs from Nursing to Computer Science, Entrepreneurship to Veteran Student Support. Innovation is a strategic focus, and UTC research and development in smart city technology is an industry leader. UTC is the first and only university in the country with access to a managed, commercial quantum computing network, and we are introducing an artificial intelligence initiative involving entities across campus and engaging partners throughout the region.

From our deep ties to the city of Chattanooga to our national reputation for innovation and hands-on learning, UTC stands out as a university where students thrive, faculty inspire, and partnerships create real impact.