Behavioral Health Advocate - Bloomington, IN

UnitedHealth Group•Bloomington, IN

9h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Behavioral Health Advocate's goal is to help individuals live their lives to the fullest by promoting recovery and resiliency through coordination and collaboration with multiple internal and external partners, including consumers, their families/caregivers, and medical, behavioral health, and clinical network teams. Behavioral Health Advocates work with complex and high-risk members diagnosed with Behavioral Health and Substance Use Disorder (SUD) needs. The aim is to engage the consumer in the treatment process, decrease their reliance on higher levels of care, help them access appropriate community services, and assist them in improving community tenure. Up to 25% of the week is spent in the community, meeting with members in hospitals, facilities, or homes. The remainder of the week is spent working remotely from home. Typical hours are Monday – Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm. Licensure and residency in the State of Indiana are required.

Requirements

Licensed Mental Health Clinician with a Master’s degree in psychology, social work, counseling or marriage, or family counseling, or related mental health discipline, OR a Registered Nurse (RN/BSN or MSN) with 4+ years of dedicated Behavioral Health experience.
Active, unrestricted license to practice independently in the State of Indiana.
2+ years of post-licensure experience in a related mental health setting.
Computer and typing proficiency to enter and retrieve data in electronic clinical records. Experience with email, internet research, use of online calendars, and other software applications.
Access to install secure, high-speed internet and a dedicated, distraction-free workspace at home.
Access to reliable transportation and ability to travel as needed within the designated service delivery area (up to 25%).
Live in or near Bloomington, IN.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in community/county mental health.
Dual diagnosis experience with mental health and substance abuse.
Experience working in an environment that required coordination of benefits and utilization of multiple groups and resources for patients.
Experience working with low-income populations.
Experience working with either Medicaid or Medicare funded programs.
Clinical training experience.

Responsibilities

Utilize advanced clinical skills to engage and motivate Consumers via a recovery, health and wellness-oriented approach.
Assist consumers and their families/caregivers with connections to appropriate psychiatric, medical, and psychosocial referrals and services.
Identify and remove barriers to procurement, delivery, participation in and success of services.
Provide supportive follow-up, monitoring and education as indicated, in-person and telephonically.
Meet with consumers in-person at facilities, provider offices, and in homes as appropriate.
Partner with designated external providers, programs, entities to address the needs, gaps in care, and recovery goals of complex and high-risk consumers.
Identify and address the needs of members who are consistently high utilizers of services through case conferences and informal communications.
Participate in standing meetings to review performance, identify areas of opportunity, and oversee course for improvements.
Establish and foster positive relationships with the medical team, participate in medical-behavioral integration activities and discussions.
Identify high-risk, co-morbid needs of consumers.
Accept referrals via designated processes, collaborate in evaluating available services, and coordinate necessary psychiatric and community referrals, as needed.
Contribute to treatment plan discussions; routinely attend clinical rounds and other meetings with medical partners or external entities, when applicable.
Partner with internal Optum Behavioral Health Services Teams to coordinate a seamless transition for consumers from an inpatient setting to community-based services.
Meet all contractual requirements; collaborate early and frequently with other teams in the management of cases stratified as having intensive, complex, and high-risk needs.
Assist in the development of a relevant and consumer-specific aftercare plan.
Comply with all policies, procedures and documentation standards in appropriate systems, tracking mechanisms and databases.
Collaborate with providers to determine acuity of mental health concerns, barriers and progress; coordinate appropriate services.