TBR | The College System of Tennessee

We have an opening for a Counselor, Educational Outreach Programs at our Chattanooga State campus!

Our Purpose - We support and empower everyone in our community to learn without limits.

Our Values: 

We cultivate a welcome and supportive environment.

We care about the well-being of each other.

We instill trust through integrity and transparency.

We encourage fearless innovation and resilience.

We collaborate to build a better future.

Our Mission - We are Chattanooga State, a dedicated team that delivers accessible, innovative learning opportunities that surpass expectations.  Together, we enrich the lives of students, and their families; develop a talented workforce; and partner with our community to lead boldly into the future.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Community College Counselor (Educational Outreach Programs) plays a critical role in fostering student success and well-being through direct services, collaboration, and strategic engagement across the institution's core priorities. This position requires a dedication to holistic student support, a commitment to teaching excellence in student development, the pursuit of program innovations, the advancement of an organizational culture , and a strong sense of fiscal stewardship.

POSITION OBJECTIVES

Holistic Student Supports

• Provide short-term, evidence-based personal counseling, addressing mental health, psychosocial, and academic challenges for students of all ages.
• Conduct crisis intervention and threat assessments, coordinating with emergency services and internal resources to ensure student safety and well-being.
• Develop and facilitate referral pathways to community-based mental health resources, social services, and specialized care providers, ensuring seamless continuity of care.
• Collaborate with faculty and staff to identify and support students experiencing distress, using a proactive, preventative approach.

Teaching Excellence

• Design and instruct student success workshops and seminars (e.g., stress management, study skills, coping mechanisms, career exploration) to promote developmental skills.
• Integrate counseling theories and student development models into psychoeducational programming, serving as a pedagogical resource for student-facing services.
• Mentor and train peer counselors, student leaders, and college staff on mental health literacy, appropriate boundaries, and effective referral processes.
• Utilize data to inform and evaluate the effectiveness of psychoeducational offerings, continually refining curriculum to meet evolving student needs.

Program Innovations

• Research, propose, and implement creative, student-focused counseling programs and service delivery models that address specific needs of historically underserved or marginalized student populations (e.g., first-generation, veterans, students with disabilities).
• Leverage technology (e.g., virtual counseling platforms, mental wellness apps) to expand access to counseling and support services for students in hybrid or fully online modalities.
• Contribute to assessment and evaluation practices for all counseling services and programs to demonstrate effectiveness and inform future planning.

Organizational Culture

• Advocate for and contribute to a college-wide culture of care and belonging, ensuring counseling practices are culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and grounded in social justice principles.
• Provide consultation to college leadership on policies and procedures that impact student mental health and academic success (e.g., withdrawal, leave of absence, code of conduct).
• Lead professional development activities for college personnel, focusing on topics that promote student well-being.

Fiscal Stewardship

• Identify and utilize low-cost or no-cost resources to enhance service offerings without compromising quality, ensuring efficient and cost-effective service delivery
• Utilize Medicat and other relevant platforms to maintain thorough documentation, including clinical records and those that meet FERPA and HIPAA regulations.
• Maintain strict confidentiality and ethical standards as prescribed by state licensing boards and professional organizations.
• Participate in quality assurance and documentation audits to ensure accuracy, completeness, and adherence to professional standards.
• Align program spending with institutional priorities and demonstrate a clear return on investment (ROI) in terms of student retention and completion.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in counseling, Social Work, Psychology, or a closely related field from an accredited institution.
• Minimum of three years of counseling experience, preferably in a higher education setting.
• Demonstrated experience with crisis intervention, short-term counseling models, and psychoeducational program development.
• Working knowledge of helping organizations in the greater Chattanooga area.
• Commitment to the mission of the community college and the success of students 18 and older at an open-enrollment institution.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with students of all ages, including veterans, non-traditional, and international students.

• Familiarity with community college data systems and assessment methodologies.

• Working understanding of FERPA, the Clery Act, Title VI, and Title IX legislation

• Proficiency in a second language relevant to the local community. 

KNOWLEDGE / SKILLS / LICENSURE / CERTIFICATION

• Licensure: Current, unrestricted state license as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), or equivalent designation appropriate for independent practice in the Tennessee.

• Experience: Previous experience working in a college environment preferred. Experience with clients over the age of 18. Experience in areas such as trauma, human development, etiology and treatment of mental illness, alcohol and drug abuse, physical and sexual abuse, suicide, and those with diagnosed disabilities.
• Knowledge of: Knowledge of counseling theories and practices in higher education; FERPA; Working knowledge of OCR, the Clery Act and Title IX legislation
• Ability: Strong communication, interpersonal, and crisis intervention skills are essential. Counselor must be able to handle sensitive, confidential information with professionalism and discretion. Counselor must have the ability to adjust in an ever-changing environment.

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL DEMANDS

The physical and mental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this class. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Demands

Work is typically performed in an office environment. While performing the duties of this position, employees are regularly required to sit, walk and stand; talk or hear, both in person and by telephone, use hands repetitively to operate standard office equipment; and reach with hands and arms.

Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision and the ability to adjust focus.

Mental Demands

While performing the duties of this position, employees are regularly required to use written and oral communication skills; read and interpret data, information and documents; analyze and solve non-routine and complex office administrative problems; use math and mathematical reasoning; observe and interpret situations; learn and apply new information or skills; perform detailed work on multiple, concurrent tasks.

Salary Range: $48,572 - $60,715

* application review will begin 30 days after posting *