Behavioral Health Consultant

Role Overview

• 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)
• 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
• 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

Requirements

• 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)
• CPR – American Heart Association
• Act 34 Criminal Background Clearance Certificate
• Act 33 Child Abuse Clearance Certificate
• Act 73 FBI Fingerprinting Criminal Background Clearance Certificate

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Professional development opportunities