UTAD Mental Wellness and Sports Performance Services - University of Tennessee Athletics

The University of Tennessee Athletic Department (UTAD) offers its student-athletes a variety of health, wellness, and performance support services in order to recognize the unique needs and demands on the student-athlete and to strengthen their overall mental health and well-being. This is accomplished through the provision of an array of integrated services addressing physical, emotional, mental, educational, spiritual, and performance needs. This holistic approach provides the student-athlete with the necessary skills to excel in his or her sport as well as life. Services are coordinated by the Head Team Physician and the Senior Associate AD of Sports Medicine & Sports Performance and are provided directly by the Director of Mental Health and Wellness, the Director of Mental Training, 2 Assistant Directors of Mental Health & Wellness and medical & mental healthcare professionals from UTAD and local community contracts with UTAD. Members of these departments work together via referrals, consultation, and coordination of efforts on behalf of the student-athletes.

Mental Health and Wellness Services

In order to create a healthy culture in which student-athletes can thrive, the program provides core services that include substance abuse and mental health treatment through a multi-disciplinary team. Referrals for these services are generated and coordinated through the Head Team Physician, who facilitates the integration of services as needed. Services can be categorized as either Primary Behavioral Health Services or Intercollegiate Support Services.

Primary Behavioral Health Services
- Primary Behavioral Health Services Team Members
  - Head Team Physician
  - Director of Mental Health & Wellness
  - Senior Associate AD of Sports Medicine & Sports Performance
  - Clinical Psychiatrist
  - Clinical Psychologist
  - (2) Director of Mental Health & Wellness
  - Substance Abuse Counselor
  - Sports Dietitians
  - Sport Athletic Trainer(s)

Depending on the unique needs of the student-athlete, specialists in these areas are utilized to provide assessments and subsequent services if indicated. This integrated system allows for each student-athlete's physical and behavioral health needs to be evaluated and treated simultaneously. Services may include interventions for stress reduction, anger management, grief counseling, substance abuse, and mental heath treatment. In the event of a significant mental health crisis the team can offer initial screening, coping skill enhancement, and referrals for higher levels of care as indicated to local mental health resources, with which the team has close and effective working relationships. Primary behavioral health services are as follows:

Psychological / Psychotherapy Services - Available for student-athletes in need of individual, group, and family psychotherapy. Treatment services are designed to address an array of needs including increasing coping skills, managing behavior, managing symptoms of anxiety or depression, and issues related to emotional aspects of injury and recovery. Services are provided either on-site or off-campus by either the Director of Mental Health and Wellness, (2) Assistant Directors of Mental Health & Wellbeing or consultant clinical psychotherapists.

Psychiatric Services - Provided on-site by a consulting psychiatrist for diagnostic and treatment evaluations through the UTAD contract with the Helen Ross McNabb Center. Recommendations are provided to the Head Team Physician for review and referral as indicated. If clinically indicated, medications are prescribed by the Head Team Physician to integrate primary and behavioral health medications. Follow-up consultations and evaluations are provided as needed on-site.

Nutritional Education and Assessments - When there is a concern that a student-athlete may suffer from a possible eating disorder, an assessment is conducted by the Director of Mental Health and Wellness or an Assistant Director of Mental Health & Wellbeing in one-on-one sessions to determine the nature and magnitude of the problem. All student-athletes considered 'at risk' will be referred to the team physician for further medical health screening as necessary. Psychotherapy services will be available to help an athlete begin the recovery process. In addition, nutritional evaluation and counseling are provided by UTAD registered dietitians. These services are designed to address the nutritional needs of each student-athlete and identify problem eating behaviors that may lead to more serious disorders. Problem eating behaviors include, but are not limited to, disordered eating and nutritional supplement education.

Performance-based nutrition education and assistance is also provided by UTAD registered dietitians to all student-athletes, in order to enhance their physical development, sport performance, and recovery.

Banned Substance Screening- Student-athletes are screened for risk factors for substance abuse during pre-participation physicals and undergo banned substance screening randomly throughout their career in order to identify the need for education, treatment, or intervention.

Substance Abuse Counseling - On site assessment, prevention, intervention, and treatment for substance abuse and dependence is provided by on-site, experienced substance abuse counselors through the Helen Ross McNabb Center (HRMC). The assessment results indicate the level of care that will most benefit the student-athlete. These levels of care include prevention education, outpatient treatment, intensive outpatient treatment, relapse prevention/refusal skills planning, and recovery support services. Referrals for more intense levels of care are also available.

Sports Medicine - Student-athlete's injuries and illnesses are cared for by a full-time staff of athletic trainers and physical therapists, as well as a variety of consulting physicians. All services are coordinated by the Head Team Physician and Senior Associate AD of Sports Medicine & Sports Performance. This process begins with an extensive pre-participation physical exam, which includes evaluation of mental health concerns and history. Both the physical and emotional/psychological aspect of injury recovery will be considered during all phases of the rehabilitation process.

Intercollegiate Support Services
- Intercollegiate Support Services Team members
  - Thornton Academic Center Personnel
  - Academic Disability Needs Coordinator
  - Team Chaplain/FCA
  - Sport Coach(es)

To ensure the most successful outcome for each student-athlete, services are tailored to include those persons identified by the student-athlete as most important to him or her.

Thornton Athletics Student Life Center - Student-Athletes are provided with educational support services through the Thornton Athletics Student Life Center. Student disability services, learning specialists, and academic advisors work with the student-athlete to identify and diagnose education-impacting disabilities and provide the necessary support services for the student-athlete diagnosed with learning disorders and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Student-Athlete Development program - The Student-Athlete Development program is designed to prepare student-athletes at the University of Tennessee for life after the completion of their collegiate careers. Experience engaging with the community through volunteer work or service, gaining work experience and learning about career fields through networking and internships, and becoming a better leader through leadership programs and working with local organizations are examples demonstrating a well-roundedness that will allow student-athletes to stand out as potential employees and/or graduate school applicants. The Student-Athlete Development program supports student-athletes in their academic and athletic endeavors and assists in preparation for the next phase of their lives.

Team Chaplain - Many student-athletes identify spirituality as a foundation for success and may seek interaction with a team chaplain. These services are available and provided through partnerships with Fellowship for Christian Athletes (FCA) as well as services provided by local ministry staff and focus on building successful relationships and decision-making skills.

Wellness Education Services and In-Services

Student-athletes are provided wellness and prevention education via group discussions. Wellness topics are designed to educate the student-athlete on general issues that are most commonly encountered. Topics may include general wellness and self-care, substance use, effective communication, boundaries, their role as student-athlete, active bystander approach, healthy relationships vs unhealthy relationships, relationship violence, consent, sexual assault, stalking, and resources that are available. Outreach includes sharing prevention information in group and individual settings, and universally at global university and community events.

Mental Training/Sports Performance Services

Advancement to the highest levels of competitive sport brings increased challenges to the athlete's mental game. At Tennessee, Mental Training Services are provided in-house to address performance related issues including: goal setting, attentional focus training, effective thinking, pressure coping, team building and competition preparation. Located in the UT Mental Training Center, the program offers instruction and training in both one-on-one and full team formats.

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For more information about any of the programs listed, please contact:

Jason McVeigh, Sr Assoc AD of Sports Medicine & Sports Performance(865) 974-9098 or via email at jmcveigh@utk.edu
Kristen Martin, Director of Mental Health and Wellbeing *865) 974-9754 kmartin5@utk.edu

Dr. Chris Klenck, Head Team Physician (865) 974-1147 or via e-mail at cklenck@utk.edu

Updated for utsports.com December 2018 - JSM