Sport Psychologist, Intercollegiate Athletics

Department: UL Classification: Professional Faculty Job Category: Administrative or Professional Faculty Job Type: Full-Time Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk) Location: Fairfax, VA Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible Sponsorship Eligibility: Not eligible for visa sponsorship Salary: Salary range starting in the $110k's, commensurate with education and experience Criminal Background Check: Yes About the Department: Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at George Mason University provides comprehensive, inclusive, and accessible mental health services that support students' psychological well-being, academic success, and personal development. CAPS collaborates across University Life and academic and administrative partners, including Intercollegiate Athletics, to promote resilience, equity, and holistic student success. About the Position: The Sport Psychologist serves as Intercollegiate Athletics' senior leader overseeing the delivery of comprehensive mental health and wellbeing services for all student-athletes within Mason. This position is responsible for developing and executing a strategic vision for mental health care that reflects the demands of elite collegiate athletics, emphasizing proactive wellbeing, crisis management, and peak performance support. The Sport Psychologist leads a multidisciplinary mental health team and work collaboratively with the Chief Medical Officer, Sports Medicine, Sports Performance, Nutrition, and Academic Support to promote a holistic model of care. This individual ensures that services align with best practices, NCAA and SEC standards, and the department's commitment to student-athlete welfare and competitive excellence. Responsibilities: Administration, Compliance, and Leadership Develops, implements, and evaluates mental health policies, emergency response procedures, and best practice protocols to ensure high-quality, compliant, and risk-informed care delivery that supports student-athlete well-being while optimizing performance consistency and competitive readiness; Leads and oversees the athletics mental health team to ensure consistent service delivery, accountability, and professional standards and development; and Ensures compliance with NCAA and institutional guidelines related to mental health to uphold regulatory standards and protect student-athlete wellbeing. Direct Clinical Services Provides individual psychotherapy, case management, and crisis intervention services to student-athletes to support mental health stabilization, recovery, and ongoing well-being within elite performance demands; and Participates in daytime and after-hour on-call systems as needed to ensure timely response to urgent and emergent student-athlete needs. Education, Prevention, and Performance Optimization Integrates performance psychology principles and concepts into care and programming to enhance and support mental preparation, focus, resilience, and recovery outcomes; Develops and implements in partnership with coaches and support staff tailored team-based initiatives that promote a positive mental health culture and early intervention; Engages directly with student-athletes and team in applied settings (e.g. practices, team meetings, and selected competitions including occasional travel with the team) to increase service utilization and support well-being and performance in real-time environments; Designs and delivers education and prevention programs in collaboration with the Health Promotions Educator to build mental health literacy, resilience, and help-seeking behaviors among student-athletes, coaches, and staff; and Evaluates and assesses mental health programs and services to measure effectiveness, guide improvements, and inform strategic decision-making. Collaboration and Integration Serves as a core member of the Sports Medicine and Performance leadership team to align interdisciplinary care and optimize student-athlete health and performance outcomes; Leads case management discussions and provide clinical consultation in multidisciplinary meetings to support and address effective decision-making for complex or high-acuity cases; Collaborates with campus mental health, medical, and well-being partners to provide coordinated, seamless integration of services and resources to ensure continuity of care; Supports divisional planning initiatives and other special projects as assigned; Actively participates in UL divisional meetings, initiatives, and in-person events to stay connected with divisional and institutional priorities, and to foster a cross-unit collaboration; Participates in professional development workshops and training sessions for staff across the division to promote continuous learning and skill enhancement; Stays informed about best practices, research, and emerging trends in higher education and student support services to ensure CAPS remains innovative and responsive to the evolving needs of the student body; Supports and volunteers at divisional programs and events, contributing to a culture of service and community within the division; and Performs other related duties as assigned. Required Qualifications: Terminal degree in a related field; Experience (typically obtained in 3+ years) providing psychological services to student-athletes or comparable elite populations; Demonstrated experience providing clinical supervision; Demonstrated experience working effectively with individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds. Knowledge of clinical psychology, including assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, and evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions; Working knowledge of sport psychology, performance psychology, and mental skills training as applied to competitive athletes or similar populations; Knowledge of ethical principles and legal standards governing psychological practice, including confidentiality, mandated reporting, and documentation; Knowledge of NCAA regulations, institutional policies, and best practices related to student-athlete mental health and wellbeing; Skill in providing psychological services to athletes or similar populations across a range of presenting concerns, including high-acuity and crisis situations; Skill in providing clinical guidance and consultation within multidisciplinary teams, including case management discussions; Skill in developing, implementing, and evaluating mental health policies, emergency response procedures, and clinical protocols; Skill in leading case management discussions and providing clinical consultation within multidisciplinary teams; Ability to exercise advanced clinical judgment in complex, high-risk, and time-sensitive situations; Ability to manage competing clinical, administrative, and leadership responsibilities in a high-demand environment; and Licensed or license-eligible psychologist in the Commonwealth of Virginia in accordance with the Virginia Board of Psychology's license and testing requirements Preferred Qualifications: Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) or in pursuit of certification; Experience working within a Division I intercollegiate athletics environment; Experience in a university counseling center; Knowledge of prevention science, resilience-building, and mental health programming in collegiate or elite sport settings; Skill in delivering education and training for coaches, staff, and student-athletes on mental health awareness, early intervention, and performance-related topics; Ability to adapt clinical and educational approaches to sports, teams, and individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds; and Supervision of licensed and license-eligible mental health providers. #J-18808-Ljbffr George Mason University