TBR | The College System of Tennessee

Title: Counselor of Licensed Counselor

Department:  Counseling Services

Number of Positions: 1

Classification: 3m/Campus Mobile

Type of Appointment: Full-Time

FLSA Status: Exempt

Pay Rate: Pay will be determined based on related work experience above required. To be considered in determining pay, all related work experience must be listed on the application.

Counselor: $52,350 - $65,060 

Licensed Counselor: $57,400 - $71,620

Required Documents Needed to Upload at Time of Application: Resume, transcripts and three professional references.

Reference check requirements: Three (3) professional references, two (2) of which should be former or current supervisors and (1) professional reference.

Personal references (friends, clergy, customers, relatives) are not considered acceptable references

Position Summary: The overall purpose of this job is to provide crisis intervention and personal, academic and career counseling for Pellissippi State students. This position provides coordinated counseling services, programs, consultations, and activities for Pellissippi State students and faculty. The counselor will also contribute to campus-wide initiatives as a content area expert for mental health related topics and offer consultation services to faculty and staff for students of concerns while protecting the confidentiality of clients.

Essential Functions:

30% Counsel students with personal or academic issues individually or in groups.

25% Assist students with career decision-making, vocational goal-setting, and career and life planning.

15% Plan, develop and implement workshops and seminars, and other outreach on campus as requested.

10% Provide support for academic advising and retention programs.

5% Provide short-term crisis intervention and referrals.

5% Perform counseling-related administrative duties.

5% Provide consultation and support for staff, faculty, and academic programs.

5% Maintain information exchange with community agencies.

Note: The College reserves the right to change or reassign job duties, or combine positions at any time.

Key Results Areas: Measurable outcomes include the number of students seen, student satisfaction with counseling, number of outreach activities conducted and the number of student contacts that resulted from them, learning outcomes for workshops and trainings, and the number of crisis interventions completed each semester. Furthermore, mental health and wellbeing contributes to the institutions overall student persistence and graduation rates.

Job Requirements: 

Counselor: 

Formal Training: Master’s degree from an accredited institution in Counseling, Counseling Psychology, Mental Health, Social Work or a related area. License eligibility is required. Candidate must be able to attain licensure within 4 years of employment to stay employed.

Years of Experience: Two years’ experience in higher education, working with adults, and/or working with students.

Licensed Counselor:

Formal Training: Master’s degree from an accredited institution in Counseling, Mental Health, or Social Work; or a closely related field. Licensure to practice Psychology, Counseling, or Clinical Social Work. Licensure requires additional hours of practice, formal clinical supervision, passing exams, and continuing education.

Years of Experience: Two years post-master’s experience (required for licensure) to include two years’ experience in higher education, working with adults, and/or working with students.  

Part-time work experience is calculated at 50% credit of full-time work experience.

Special Skills/Application of Knowledge:

• Demonstrated ability to multi-task and work independently
• Demonstrated ability to analyze and solve problems
• Excellent communication skills
• Excellent organization skills
• Excellent mechanical skills
• Expressed thoughts clearly via written communication without grammatical and spelling errors.
• Demonstrates strong presentation skills
• Ability to communicate technical information to non-technical users.
• Ability to effectively communicate with faculty, staff, and students.
• Able to provide faculty and staff support (remote & face-to-face).
• Able to interact and provide information to diverse individuals and groups.
• Takes initiative to complete tasks/projects with minimal supervision.
• Demonstrates commitment to lifelong learning in order to remain current in developments taking places in the areas of instructional technology, instructional design, and accessibility.
• Must be able to work on multiple project simultaneously, either independently or as part of a team.
• Must be able to analyze and prioritize tasks/projects.
• Must be able to meet deadlines.
• Able to engage in the college’s mission and values.

Complexity & Creativity: Logical thinking, an understanding of counseling theories, methods, and assessments used in mental health services. Ability to communicate empathy and compassion for the student. Current, relevant continuing education to update knowledge and skills. Understanding of state laws related to counseling and higher education. Understanding of FERPA and HIPPA.

This position requires a significant amount of analytical, technical, and creative thinking guided by policies and procedures, standards, and precedents from college, state, and national institutions. This includes the ability to make independent decisions in situations for which there is little precedent and the ability to diagnose mental health disorders under clinical supervision. Understanding of counseling theories and practices. Understanding of Federal and state laws related to counseling and higher education. Decisions typically are reviewed during clinical supervision for licensure.

Magnitude of Impact: Counselors provide comprehensive support services in the form of personal, academic, and career counseling as well as crisis management, follow up and outreach programming. Stress is believed to be the number one issue that causes college students to drop out of college. Licensed counselors provide thorough assessment and diagnosis of mental health issues, including those related to stress, and provide expert treatment and available resources.  Counselors also provide comprehensive career decision-making services in the form of career counseling and career exploration. Academically, counselors assist students with navigating the complex landscape of higher education and provide practical and emotional support to academically struggling students. Through each of these services, students are given valuable tools to help them be successful and increase the retention and graduation rates at the college. The time frame of impact ranges from immediate (crisis intervention) to long-term (retention/graduation), depending on the nature of the services offered.  If a problem should arise, the director of counseling would be called on to assist. If further assessment is warranted, community crisis services would be contacted for consultation.

Responsibility for Accuracy: If a Counselor did not possess job knowledge and skills to help students make informed decisions about personal, social, career, or academic areas, the student could be seriously harmed as well as the College.  A lack of knowledge of crisis intervention techniques could in extreme instances result in the death of a student.  Not being knowledgeable of program requirements and advising a student to register for inappropriate classes or misadvising about program/majors we offer would be errors with negative consequences. For verification purposes, we use consultation, documentation, and monthly reports to track services.

Judgement and Decisions: Counselors independently select the appropriate approach to address students’ academic or personal issues. Counselors must have the appropriate skill set to assess for crisis interventions and ability to make clinically appropriate recommendations for treatment. Counselors may consult with other members of the Counseling Services Department. Decisions typically are not reviewed before becoming effective. License-eligible clinicians must adhere to high standards regarding ethics and confidentiality as provided by the state board.

Nature of Contacts: On campus interactions: Admissions Office, Records Office, Disabilities Office, Testing Center, Financial Aid, Advising Office, TRIO Staff, Stay Strong Center, Career Development, VP Student Affairs, VP Academic Affairs, ERC, Faculty and Staff on Campus, Campus Deans, Dean of Students.

Outside the college workforce:  Students for personal, career and academic issues and consultations and referrals with  mental health professionals, counseling agencies, colleges and universities, American Association of College Counseling , American Counseling Association and various community agency resources.

Physical Demands: Sitting for long periods of time is a demand of this position. This position also requires the employee to hear and see; but does not require that the employee be able to detect colors.

Hazards: A possibility of injury exists if a client becomes severely agitated due to mental health issues. While rare, this is a hazard that exists.

Full-time Employment Benefits:

• Insurance Options Health, dental, vision, life, short/long-term disability, FSA/HSA Wellness Incentive Program, if  enrolled in health plan

• Educational Assistance Fee Waiver Spouse/Dependent discounts Audit/Non-Credit Reimbursement Program

• Employee Assistance Program

• Retirement options Tennessee traditional pension plan option (TCRS) 401k with $50 company match/457/403b

• Employee Discount program with over 900+companies

• 13 Paid Holidays/Year Includes paid days off the last week of December

• Sick Leave Bank

• Longevity Pay

• Many opportunities for professional development

Special Instructions to Applicants: To be considered for a position at Pellissippi State, you must create an on-line application. Your skills, abilities, qualifications, and years of experience will be evaluated using only what is recorded on your application. Work experience that is not listed on the application will not be considered towards compensation. Please note: attaching a resume does not substitute for completion of the application form. Part-time work experience is calculated at 50% of full-time experience. Please note: to scan, upload, or attach documents, a computer and scanner are available at the Hardin Valley Campus Educational Resources Center, if needed.

Pellissippi State Community College is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA employer

If you have any problems or questions please contact Human Resources at Pellissippi State Community College’s Human Resource Office at 865-694-6607 or by email at recruiting@pstcc.edu.

If you are interested in this position, click on Apply located below or Apply Now in the upper right-hand corner. 

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