Assistant-Associate Professor

Position Description:

The Department of Child and Family Studies in the USF College of Behavioral and Community Sciences is seeking three Assistant-Associate Professors for its Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling (CRMHC) program. The CRMHC Program is housed within the Department of Child and Family Studies in the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences at USF. It offers a comprehensive suite of CACREP-accredited graduate and undergraduate programs, including:

• Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

• Master of Arts in Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling

• Master of Arts in Rehabilitation Counseling and Disability Sciences (fully online)

• An undergraduate minor in Addiction and Substance Abuse

These programs prepare students to become Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHCs) or Certified Rehabilitation Counselors (CRCs), with a strong emphasis on evidence-based practice, interdisciplinary collaboration, and service to individuals with disabilities and mental health needs.

The University of South Florida (USF) College of Behavioral and Community Sciences (CBCS) proudly houses the Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce (FCBHW), commissioned by the Florida Legislature, to strengthen the state’s behavioral health system through workforce development. CBCS also houses a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities and recently established a research center in substance abuse and mental health research that is funded by the state of Florida.

These three positions are tenure earning/tenured 9-month Assistant-Associate faculty positions. This position will teach in-person courses in the program during Fall and Spring semesters. The position will have responsibilities as a core faculty member, with responsibilities for both research and teaching. The role will include responsibilities for research and securing external grant funding, mentoring and advising graduate students, teaching, and university, community, and professional service. Successful applicants must meet University of South Florida criteria for appointment to the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor, including holding a doctoral degree from an accredited institution. This position will be a part of the USF Tampa Campus.   

Essential Functions:

• Develop and maintain an active research line in clinical mental health and/or clinical rehabilitation counseling, including pursuit of external grant funding opportunities and scholarly publications and presentations.

• Develop/teach graduate-level courses in a variety of formats (in-person, online, and hybrid) and provide clinical supervision of rehabilitation and mental health counseling students.

·     Support and strengthen the program’s thesis track by mentoring graduate student research, serving on student thesis committees, and contributing to the ongoing development and advancement of the thesis program.

• Opportunity to mentor and support doctoral candidates within the interdisciplinary behavioral health doctoral program.

• Participate in service activities within the department, college, and university, as well as in professional counseling organizations.

• Work collaboratively and ethically with other faculty, staff, and students within the department, college, and university, while promoting the mission and goals of the department and counseling profession.

Assessment of qualifications will be adjusted based on the capacity of the rank of the applicant (e.g. Assistant or Associate). ABD will be considered with appropriate experience. Degree must be conferred by the date of the appointment.

Minimum Qualifications:

·         Earned doctorate in Counselor Education (preferably from a CACREP-accredited program) or a closely related field and meets the University’s criteria for appointment to the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor.

·         Possession of or eligibility for licensure as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in Florida or Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) status within one year of employment.

Preferred Qualifications:

·         Strongly preferred: applicant meets the CACREP core faculty eligibility requirements

·         Evidence of a clear research focus and an early career record of scholarly activity

·         Teaching experience with master’s level courses in rehabilitation or mental health counseling

·         Experience providing clinical supervision

·         Knowledge of CACREP accreditation standards and/or participation in CACREP accreditation processes

·         Experience with grant writing

·         Scholarly peer-reviewed publications

Criteria for the evaluation of candidates

To ensure the fair and equitable evaluation of all candidates, the following criteria will be used in reviewing the applicants’ qualifications. Ranges for rating the criteria are weighted in terms of importance to the position. 

Applicants are required to submit the following in support of their application:

1. Cover Letter to include how you identify professionally

2. CV

3. Statement of Teaching Philosophy (1-page limit)

4. Explanation of Research Agenda (2-page limit)

5. 3-5 Professional References (name, affiliation, title)

Position open until filled. Review of applications will begin on September 14, 2026

Contact information: Leah Worthey; lworthey@usf.edu