Description

External Retirement Plan TRS or ORP Employment Type Employee Benefits Eligibility Benefits Eligible Underutilization Advertised Salary Commensurate with Experience Anticipated Start Date 01/01/2026 Effective End Date (for Limited-Term postings) Job Posting Date 07/09/2025 Job Closing Date Open until filled Yes Special Instructions to Applicants
Applicant screening will begin immediately. Candidates are encouraged to submit their materials by Sunday, September 7, 2025; however, screening will continue until the position is filled. The application packet should include a cover letter detailing how the applicant's credentials and experience meet the needs, responsibilities, and qualifications stated above; a current vita/resume; and contact information for three references (who will not be contacted without further correspondence with the applicant).

To request a descriptive Opportunity Profile for this position, provide a nomination, or seek additional information, please contact Paige Gates, Primary Consultant with the UGA Search Group, 706-542-5230 or [email protected]. Letters of recommendation or a simple nomination should include the name and contact information for the nominee.
Location of Vacancy Athens Area EEO Statement
The University of Georgia is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or veteran status or other protected status. Persons needing accommodations or assistance with the accessibility of materials related to this search are encouraged to contact Central HR ([email protected]).
USG Core Values Statement
The University System of Georgia is comprised of our 26 institutions of higher education and learning, as well as the System Office. Our USG Statement of Core Values are Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that we do as an organization, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 8.2.18.1.2 and can be found online at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section8/C224/#p8.2.18_personnel_conduct.

Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom found online at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/C2653.

Position Details

Position Information

Classification Title Director, College/Division/School AC FLSA Faculty Rank Professor Contract Type Fiscal (12 mo.) Tenure Status Tenured Minimum Qualifications
Ph.D. or Ed.D. in a FACS discipline or a related area.
Position Summary
The Executive Director is responsible for overseeing research, developing an information/resource clearinghouse, training and building collaborations with other behavioral health colleagues and professionals, creating workforce connections with mentorship and internship programs, partnerships, developing inter-professional education and growing evidence-based practices and resources.

The Ralston Institute for Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities comprises units on behavioral health, developmental disabilities, research and evaluation, instruction, and administrative services. Currently housed in the Rivers Crossing building at the University of Georgia, the developmental disabilities unit is a designated University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD), part of a national network of 68 university centers with core funding provided by the US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. The behavioral health unit has been recently added to the Institute, through funding from the state that has been provided to enhance the behavioral health workforce in the state. The Institute has an admirable record of procuring federal, state, and foundation funding for its activities that include technical support, evaluation or projects, and applied research on developmental and physical disabilities, direct service providers, vocational development, and other projects that fit within its scope. The Institute can be envisioned as stretching across Georgia, with educational programs and outreach projects touching every corner of the state. Under its previous name, the Institute for Human Development and Disability is one of UGA's oldest continuously-funded federal programs, and has, since 1965, provided a strong and positive force for social change focused on the strengths and contributions of people with disabilities and conceptualizes disability as a natural part of human existence. Disability issues are explored from infancy through aging.
Additional Requirements

• Ph.D. or Ed.D. in a FACS discipline or a related area including demonstrated expertise in developmental disability and behavioral health.
• Currently at the rank of Professor or have completed at least five years as Associate Professor (for appointment to rank of Professor by the effective date of the appointment) and must show clear and convincing evidence of high levels of achievement in scholarship, and evidence of successful administration. To be eligible for tenure upon appointment, candidates must be tenured at their current institution or have been tenured at a prior institution and bring a demonstrably national reputation to UGA. Candidates must be approved for tenure upon appointment before hire. For more information about the requirements for the rank of Professor, please see the University Guidelines for Appointment, Promotion and Tenure.

Relevant/Preferred Education, Experience, Licensure, and/or Certification

• Demonstrated engagement in interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Demonstrated track record for sustained measurement of program and project outcomes, ability to work independently and with others to achieve desired results.
• Three (3) years of organizational leadership experience.
• Three (3) years of experience with development, implementation, and evaluation of services and interventions focused on treatment ecosystems as well as experience working within and navigating community systems including service provision or employment for individuals with disabilities, human services, behavioral health, community service provision, first responders, law enforcement, community corrections, and courts.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and/or Competencies

• Demonstrated verbal and written communication skills with the ability to manage a variety of relationships with various stakeholders.
• Knowledge of and the ability to effectively utilize project management processes, methodologies and tools.

Physical Demands Is this a Position of Trust? Yes Does this position have operation, access, or control of financial resources? Yes Does this position require a P-Card? No Is having a P-Card an essential function of this position? No Is driving a responsibility of this position? No Does this position have direct interaction or care of children under the age of 18 or direct patient care? No Does this position have Security Access (e.g., public safety, IT security, personnel records, patient records, or access to chemicals and medications) Yes Credit and P-Card policy
Be advised a credit check will be required for all positions with financial responsibilities. For additional information about the credit check criteria, visit the UGA Credit Background Check website.
Background Investigation Policy
Offers of employment are contingent upon completion of a background investigation including, a criminal background check demonstrating your eligibility for employment with the University of Georgia; confirmation of the credentials and employment history reflected in your application materials (including reference checks) as they relate to the job-based requirements of the position applied for; and, if applicable, a satisfactory credit check. You may also be subject to a pre-employment drug test for positions with high-risk responsibilities, if applicable. Please visit the UGA Background Check website.

Duties/Responsibilities

Duties/Responsibilities

• Collaboratively with faculty and staff, develop an overarching mission and philosophy for the Institute, engage in long-range planning, and lead and manage the Institute's strategic planning and operational effectiveness, ensuring that program evaluation findings and information obtained from needs assessments are used to continuously improve Institute programs and activities.
• Design and oversee Institute programs that enhance the overall Teaching, Research, and Service missions of the University of Georgia. Ensure that the Institute maintains balance among its various programmatic efforts.
• Facilitate cooperative relationships with groups, agencies, and individuals on the university campus, in the state, and nationally. Promote the visibility of the Institute on the university campus, in the state, and nationally. Represent at state conferences, trainings, etc. to create visibility for the Institute.
• Promote leveraging of resources, including successful competition for grants and other extramural sources of funds.
• Recruit highly qualified professionals who are dedicated to the fields of developmental disabilities and behavioral health and who hold values consistent with the mission. Supervise faculty and professional staff; develop and implement policies which enhance their professional growth.
• Manage the overall budget in a cost-effective and sound manner.
• Support, encourage, and coordinate research efforts. Provide research technical assistance on behavioral health and disabilities. Oversee collection of Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) data related to research and leveraging of funds.
• Ensure that the Institute consistently meets or exceeds all ADD Performance Criteria.
• Ensure that programs in the Disabilities unit are responsive to the needs of individuals with disabilities and their families, as well as to the needs of advocacy groups and the local and state service systems.
• Assure that the Institute is represented on the Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities. Participate in the AUCD network; encourage faculty and staff to actively participate in the network.
• Increase the pipeline of personnel working in the Georgia behavioral health and developmental disability service systems, with particular emphasis on critical shortages in the state behavioral health workforce.
• Oversee creation and maintenance of a Clearinghouse focused on the intersection between behavioral health and criminal justice. Incorporate new opioid-related projects into the Clearinghouse as they are funded.
• Identify resources/gaps in training for individuals to work in behavioral health field, determine the need for developing new classes, certificates, degrees, etc. to address identified shortages across the state, and develop trainings and certificates, etc. to address the gaps. Explore possible new programs to incentivize graduates to seek jobs in the state behavioral health system.

Percentage Of Time 100

Posting Specific Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

Applicant Documents

Required Documents

1. Cover Letter
2. Resume/CV
3. List of References with Contact Information

Optional Documents

1. Other Documents #1