Counseling & Wellbeing Clinician - Veterinary Medicine Administration

Veterinary Medicine Administration

Job Summary

This position's main role is to serve as a generalist counselor, providing clinical mental health care and well-being services to a diverse population within the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM). Key responsibilities will include individual therapy (time-limited) and wellbeing activity and education. This position will also consult with faculty and staff or groups, provide instruction on related content, provide referrals to agencies and programs outside the college, and may also provide group therapy and/or crisis/triage support as needed. Primary service focus will be residents and interns in Veterinary Clinical Medicine (VCM) and clients of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH) with possibility of supporting students in various programs within the college, as well as overall support efforts to create a culture of wellness as a member of the Counseling and Wellbeing team.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Clinical services during typical business hours including the scheduling and maintenance of appropriate documentation/records of all clinical work.
  
  • Within the College of Veterinary Medicine, VCM, and VTH
  • Provide initial consultation, triage assessment and intervention such as psychotherapy, safety planning or other treatment options consistent with treatment plan for veterinary residents and interns.
  • Provide services to CVM students as backup to primary student counselor or upon referral from Director of Counseling and Wellbeing Services.
  • Provide referral to campus and/or community services and conflict mediation as appropriate.
• Provide therapeutic support, case management, and acute intervention for clients of the VTH. Collaborate with VTH Director and hospital administrative team.
• Assist faculty and staff with the emotional needs of clients who are facing their pet’s chronic illness, euthanasia, or death.
• Work as a member of the veterinary health care team to provide in-hospital counseling with follow-up personal contact after the event as needed. Liaison with clients, the veterinary health care team, and VTH finance team related to possible gift funding options.
• Provide appropriate referral resources and information to clients and veterinary staff related to mental health.
• Wellbeing:
  
  • In collaboration with VCM department head, participate in the development and implementation of wellness programs for the College/VCM/VTH community, including wellbeing outreach, course offerings, and orientations.
  • Active participant in college committees related to inclusion, belonging, mental health and wellness; and other wellbeing-related activities within the college.
  • Provide consultation, maintain professional relationships, and serve as a liaison with college, campus, and community partners.
  • Participate in college-wide resource management including content for well-being website, accessibility, digital and other media to communicate resource and support availability.
  • Maintain awareness of interventions and work to improve wellbeing at both individual and systemic levels.
• Other:
  
  • Maintain awareness of issues impacting the field of veterinary medicine, its members across domains, and client populations.
  • Engage in peer clinical case consultation.
  • Attend meetings and educational opportunities with college, campus, and community partners. Participate in university, college and unit quality improvement and risk management programs. Serve as liaison between the College of Veterinary Medicine and local community programs related to pet loss and related content. Ongoing collaborations and committee service:
  • With campus services for referrals.
  • With House Officer (resident and intern) Advocacy Committee, College DEI leaders/committee and VTH culture committee to foster a culture of wellness, belonging, diversity and inclusion in the College of Veterinary Medicine.
  • With state, national, and student veterinary medicine and mental health and/or wellbeing organizations.
  • Develop and maintain technical skills necessary to provide excellent service within college and university systems. Continuing education to maintain appropriate licensure for the position and intervention appropriate to role.
  • Adhere to university, college, unit and role policies and procedures that guide individual practice.

Additional Physical Demands

Persons allergic to animal dander, dust, pollen, hay etc., may experience discomfort in this position.
Workplace/shift flexibility is an option for this position, specifically around client needs.

Minimum Qualifications

1. Master’s or doctoral degree in clinical psychology, counseling, clinical social work, or related field 2. Demonstrated experience with mental health concerns of adults. 3. Licensed in Illinois with ability to obtain clinical licensure in Illinois within six months. Must maintain according to Illinois law.

Preferred Qualifications

1. Demonstrated experience working with mental health concerns of university or professional students, or mental health related to veterinary or other high intensity fields. Experience in wellness programming.

2. Clinical licensure in Illinois (Clinical Psychologist – LP, Licensed Clinical Social Worker – LCSW, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor – LCPC, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist – LMFT). Must maintain according to Illinois law.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong clinical skills in therapy.
• Demonstrated knowledge, sensitivity, and interest in working with individuals of diverse backgrounds including but not limited to ethnic, cultural, socioeconomic and ability.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Must be able to maintain exemplary professional ethics including confidentiality related to mental health in other settings.
• Ability to work well both collaboratively as well as independently is critical.

Appointment Information

This is a 100% full-time Academic Professional position, appointed on a 12-month basis. The expected start date is as soon as possible. The budgeted salary range for the position is $65,000 to $80,000. Final salary offered will be determined by a thorough assessment of available market data, internal salary equity, candidate experience and qualifications, collective bargaining agreements, and budget constraints. Sponsorship for work authorization is not available for this position.

Application Procedures & Deadline Information

Applications must be received by 6:00 pm (Central Time) on August 17, 2025. Apply for this position using the Apply Now button at the top or bottom of this posting. Applications not submitted through https://jobs.illinois.edu will not be considered. For further information about this specific position, please contact Nichole Summers (nichole7@illinois.edu). For questions regarding the application process, please contact 217-333-2137.

The University of Illinois offers a very competitive benefits portfolio, depending on the position. Click for a complete list of Employee Benefits.