SENIOR ASSOCIATE COUNSEL – 69241

Executive Service

SENIOR ASSOCIATE COUNSEL

Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Division of General Counsel

Chattanooga, TN

Salary: Salary Range $9,761 to $15,674 per month

Closing Date: 07/14/2025

This position works in person at Moccasin Bend Mental Health Institute.

Background Check:

This position requires a criminal background check. Therefore, you may be required to provide information about your criminal history in order to be considered for this position.

Who we are and what we do:

The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS) is Tennessee’s state mental health and substance abuse authority which provides an assortment of community-based services including prevention, early intervention, treatment, crisis intervention, and recovery support. TDMHSAS mission is creating collaborative pathways to resiliency, recovery, and independence for Tennesseans living with mental illness and substance use disorders. Our vision is a state of resiliency, recovery, and independence in which Tennesseans living with mental illness and substance use disorders thrive. Our Values: Customer Focused: An unwavering commitment to keep patients and those who serve them at the forefront of every decision. Integrity: Honesty and truth in all that we do. Inspired Purpose: The call to action in service of a cause greater than oneself. Excellence: The highest standards for services, efficiency, and conduct. Compassionate and Effective Leadership: The ability to make effective decisions and inspire others through active listening and empathy. Solutions and Outcomes-Oriented: The commitment to positive outcomes and meaningful changes in response to the critical needs of the Tennesseans we serve. Partnership: Beyond teamwork, collaboration based on mutual success to the benefit of the Tennesseans we are blessed to serve.

Job Overview:

The Senior Associate Counsel position for the Division of General Counsel represents and provides counsel to TDMHSAS and its Regional Mental Health Institute in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This position works in person at MBMHI.

Key Responsibilities:

• Specific duties include, but are not limited to:
• Representing the Department in a wide variety of litigation, including probable cause hearings, judicial commitment hearings, conservatorship hearings, and administrative law hearings.
• Providing legal advice to hospital leadership. Handling responses to Labor and Employment Law matters.
• Completing a moderate amount of research and writing on issues affecting the Department.
• Coordinating litigation responses with the Office of the Attorney General.
• Supporting the Division of General Counsel on other projects as needed.
• Providing onsite counsel to the CEO on RMHI operations.
• The Senior Associate Counsel for the Division of General Counsel will report directly to the Director of RMHI Legal Services.

Minimum Qualifications:

Valid Tennessee law license in good standing. Five (5) or more years of continuous legal practice, preferably with litigation experience. Experience working with vulnerable populations. Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office and Adobe products and able to learn new software. Strong organizational skills, including the ability to prioritize, multitask, and manage workload to meet specific timelines and deadlines. Innovative thinking and problem-solving skills, and the ability to adapt to changing priorities. Strong interpersonal and diplomatic skills. Excellent oral and written communication skills. Strong decision-making and ethical judgment required. Please include a writing sample and a resume with this Application.

Pursuant to the State of Tennessee’s Workplace Discrimination and Harassment policy, the State is firmly committed to the principle of fair and equal employment opportunities for its citizens and strives to protect the rights and opportunities of all people to seek, obtain, and hold employment without being subjected to illegal discrimination and harassment in the workplace. It is the State’s policy to provide an environment free of discrimination and harassment of an individual because of that person’s race, color, national origin, age (40 and over), sex, pregnancy, religion, creed, disability, veteran’s status or any other category protected by state and/or federal civil rights laws.

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