Behavioral Health Consultant

Company :

Allegheny Health Network

Job Description : 

GENERAL OVERVIEW:

A BHC is a member of the core healthcare team who assists the care managers in managing overall health of their enrolled population. The BHC’s goals are to help improve recognition, treatment, and management of psychosocial/behavioral problems and medical conditions in the enrolled population. The BHC provides clinical mental health consultation services within the scope of their state's professional licensure board to all patients referred by the care team. The BHC participates in the management of psychosocial aspects of chronic and acute diseases, application of behavioral principles to address lifestyle and health risk issues, consultation and co-management in the treatment of mental disorders and psychosocial issues.  The BHC is the team's go-to expert for mental health and substance abuse assessment, intervention, and connection to higher levels of care for mental health and addiction services as required.                                                

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Member of Care Team & Population Health Efforts

• Acts as a core care team member to develop specific clinical pathways or best practice programs for targeted patient groups

• Participates in practice staff meetings and trainings

• Provides education and support on a variety of topics from behavioral health and substance abuse background, training, and expertise to multidisciplinary team members during the course of treatment planning for patients

• Participates in daily huddles, listening for behavioral health, substance abuse, and psychosocial needs

• Provides population based care based on registry to high risk/high need patients

• Provides services to all enrollees (not just those with diagnosable mental disorders)

• Participates in system-wide BHC learning collaborative

2. Effective Communicator and Change Agent

• Promotes ongoing change efforts in the practice and within the AHN health system around mental health and substance abuse disorders

• Documents in the same medical record as the rest of the team in a place that is easily visible by providers and other team members

• Engages patients via telephone as well as in person

3. Clinical Interventions

• Meets patients and providers where they are, usually the same day a patient presents in clinic providing immediate support to include assessment, intervention and referrals to higher levels of care for mental health and addiction needs when required

• Often sees patients immediately after other team members (often in exam room or nearby consult room) and encourages patient participation in the overall treatment plan

• Provides therapeutic counseling services appropriate to the ambulatory care environment: using 15-30 minute interventions

• Identify functional outcomes; make recommendations that target occupational, social, and familial functioning; home activities; recreation

• Treat patients with short term interventions based on “treat to target” approach using solution focused approaches, CBT, Motivational Interviewing and other short term counseling interventions

• Coordinates with patient family members and other support systems (with patient permission)

• Provide brief follow up, including relapse prevention education

• Promote skill building to enhance psychological and physical health/sometimes in the form of groups

• Helps patient in crisis get urgent mental health and substance abuse needs met

• Triage and refer patients to specialty mental health and substance abuse services when appropriate (i.e. Childhood trauma, IOP, inpatient hospitalization, PTSD, psychiatry, etc.)

4. Advocacy, Outreach, Community Linkages, and Coaching

• Advocates for patients who are perceived as difficult to work with or “non-compliant”

• Reaches out to patients who are not engaging (usually via phone) to re-engage them in their care

• Encourages patient to become an active participant in their own care and treatment

• Connects patient to a variety of resources in the community related to social determinants of health

QUALIFICATIONS:

Minimum

• Master’s degree in Mental Health Field

• 2 years experience in use of evidence-based counseling techniques, screening, diagnosis, and treatment of common mental health and substance abuse disorders

• Knowledge of the relationship between medical and psychological aspects of health and disease

• Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) or Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) or Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT) - for out of state license transfers allow 60 days from hire to transfer license

Additional Employment Requirements:

• CPR – American Heart Association

• Act 34 Criminal Background Clearance Certificate

• Act 33 Child Abuse Clearance Certificate

• Act 73 FBI Fingerprinting Criminal Background Clearance Certificate

Disclaimer: The job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and essential duties and responsibilities of work performed by employees within this job title. It may not contain a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees to do this job.

Compliance Requirement: This job adheres to the ethical and legal standards and behavioral expectations as set forth in the code of business conduct and company policies.

As a component of job responsibilities, employees may have access to covered information, cardholder data, or other confidential customer information that must be protected at all times.  In connection with this, all employees must comply with both the Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) as described in the Notice of Privacy Practices and Privacy Policies and Procedures as well as all data security guidelines established within the Company’s Handbook of Privacy Policies and Practices and Information Security Policy. 

Furthermore, it is every employee’s responsibility to comply with the company’s Code of Business Conduct. This includes but is not limited to adherence to applicable federal and state laws, rules, and regulations as well as company policies and training requirements.

Highmark Health and its affiliates prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on any category protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

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