Employee Assistance Counselor

Job Posting Title:

Employee Assistance Counselor

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Hiring Department:

Office of Human Resources

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Position Open To:

All Applicants

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Weekly Scheduled Hours:

40

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FLSA Status:

Exempt

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Earliest Start Date:

Immediately

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Position Duration:

Expected to Continue

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Location:

AUSTIN, TX

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Job Details:

General Notes

This is a full-time (40-hour/week) position with a hybrid work schedule. Counseling appointments are held both in person and virtually. The current expectation is that counselors work on-site three days per week to support in-person appointments, team collaboration, and university outreach.

The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides brief counseling and consultation services, crisis intervention, assessment and referral, educational programming, and supervisory consultation. We strive to create a supportive, inclusive environment for all University of Texas System and University of Texas at Austin employees.

Your skills will make a difference.

You’ll be working for a university that is internationally recognized for academic excellence and research. Your contributions will directly impact the well-being of faculty and staff, which in turn supports the student experience. If you are someone who finds purpose in meaningful, relationship-centered work, we hope you’ll consider joining our team.

UT Austin provides an outstanding benefits package including but not limited to:

• Competitive health benefits (employee premiums covered at 100%, family premiums at 50%)
• Voluntary vision, dental, life, and disability insurance options
• Generous paid vacation, sick time, and holidays
• Teachers Retirement System of Texas, a defined benefit retirement plan with employer matching funds
• Additional voluntary retirement programs: Tax Sheltered Annuity 403(b) and Deferred Compensation 457(b)
• Flexible spending account options for medical and childcare expenses
• Free access to LinkedIn Learning and other professional development tools
• Tuition assistance
• Expansive employee discount program, including athletic tickets
• Free access to UT Austin’s libraries and museums with staff ID
• Free rides on all UT Shuttle and Austin CapMetro buses with staff ID

For more details, visit: https://hr.utexas.edu/prospective/benefits  and https://hr.utexas.edu/current/services/my-total-rewards 

Security sensitive position; criminal background check conducted on selected candidate. Hiring decision is contingent upon applicant clearing background requirements. Must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis for any employer without sponsorship.

Hybrid work available: work from home 1-2 days per week

Purpose

To transform lives and enhance organizational well-being by providing counseling, consultation, and training services to the UT community. This position serves as a bilingual counselor on the EAP team and contributes to a culture of collaboration, responsiveness, and professionalism.

Responsibilities

• Direct Clinical Services Deliver short-term, bilingual individual and group counseling to UT faculty, staff, and retirees. Conduct mental health assessments, develop treatment plans, and facilitate goal-oriented therapeutic interventions. Establish collaborative, problem-solving relationships with clients. Inform clients of confidentiality limits and mandatory reporting responsibilities. Refer to community and campus providers for additional levels of care, including outpatient and inpatient treatment.
• Presentations and Outreach Create and deliver bilingual presentations on topics such as stress management, suicide prevention, navigating workplace mental health, dealing with difficult customers, and crisis response. Promote EAP services through campus outreach and tailor trainings to the needs of departments and units.
• Crisis Management Provide assessment and intervention for individuals in crisis. Collaborate with university threat assessment professionals and participate in response efforts for distressed or unsafe employees. Offer support to managers navigating the Fitness for Duty process. Provide outreach to workgroups affected by critical incidents or trauma.
• Consultation with Campus Leaders Consult with supervisors and university leaders to address concerns about employee behavior, team dynamics, and workplace functioning. Topics include but are not limited to workforce transitions, conflict, change management, and employee wellness. Apply an understanding of organizational systems, university policies, and departmental operations.
• Organizational Planning Participate in department-wide planning efforts. Use client and community feedback to inform services. Align programming with Human Resources and university priorities.
• Professional and Administrative Responsibilities Maintain accurate and timely documentation in accordance with professional standards. Attend staff meetings and represent EAP in relevant university and cross-departmental initiatives.
• Other Duties as Assigned Carry out additional responsibilities as needed in support of departmental and university goals.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s or doctoral degree in social work, counseling, psychology, or a related mental health field
• Licensure in Texas as LCSW, LPC, LMFT, or Psychologist
• Bilingual fluency in Spanish and English
• Five years of full-time experience providing mental health counseling to adults
• Ability to provide respectful, effective care to clients with a range of lived experiences and backgrounds
• Experience providing individual counseling for concerns such as anxiety, depression, trauma, and work-related stress
• Experience designing or delivering group therapy and trainings
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• Adherence to high ethical and professional standards • Proficiency in basic computer skills and clinical documentation

Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in a multidisciplinary environment such as a university, hospital, or EAP setting
• Experience providing consultation to leadership or human resources partners
• Familiarity with internal or external EAP models
• Experience with crisis response, trauma-informed care, or threat assessment
• Specialized training or certification in areas such as EMDR, CEAP, organizational development, or substance use treatment
• Knowledge of and comfort navigating complex systems and institutional dynamics

Salary Range

$70,000

Working Conditions

Standard office

Required Materials

• Resume/CV
• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
• Letter of interest

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded.  Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.

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Employment Eligibility:

Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.

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Retirement Plan Eligibility:

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

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Background Checks:

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

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Equal Opportunity Employer:

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

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Pay Transparency:

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

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Employment Eligibility Verification:

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form.  You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States.  Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment.  Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

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E-Verify:

The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:

• E-Verify Poster (English and Spanish) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (English) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]

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Compliance:

Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.

The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.