Behavioral Health Consultant

Spira Care•Independence, MO

About The Position

The Behavioral Health Consultant (BHC) delivers direct behavioral health care in collaboration with Spira Care medical providers, integrating patients’ physical and behavioral health needs within primary care. The BHC is a fully integrated member of the primary care practice and consults with both patients and practice team members. This generalist role serves patients across the lifespan, from birth through end of life, and uses a team-based, whole-person approach to address common physical health, developmental, mental health, and substance misuse concerns. The aim is to promote health, functioning, quality of life, and patient self-management through brief, evidence-based, consultative services. The BHC helps improve the care delivery system by working with Care Center colleagues and supporting the primary care model. Integrated behavioral health care is intended to reduce barriers and stigma, prevent duplication of services and adverse events, and support better clinical outcomes and patient and provider satisfaction. The position requires occasional local travel. Some meetings may take place over lunch or outside typical duty hours.

Requirements

Master's degree in social work, marriage and family therapy, or professional counseling.
Licensure in both Kansas and Missouri: LSCSW/LCSW, LCMFT (Kansas)/LMFT (Missouri), or LCPC (Kansas)/LPC (Missouri).
Five years of experience as a Behavioral Health Consultant or as an independently licensed clinician in a variety of direct clinical settings across the lifespan.
General knowledge of common conditions treated in primary care, including disease management for diabetes, asthma, pain, COPD, hypertension, and coronary heart disease, and skills addressing treatment adherence and lifestyle change for obesity, insomnia, and smoking.
Proficiency with Microsoft software, including Word, Excel, and Outlook, and with an EMR system.
Ability to make meaningful connections with socially and culturally diverse patients.
Flexibility and accessibility to facilitate patient and provider access.

Nice To Haves

Bilingual Spanish ability.
Familiarity with AthenaNet electronic medical records system.
Experience with the Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) model.

Responsibilities

Provide brief, evidence-based behavioral and cognitive interventions for patients with emotional, psychosocial, and physical health concerns, including limited follow-up visits for selected patients.
Collaborate with the medical team to develop common treatment plans and coordinate care, including referring patients to specialists when appropriate.
Identify at-risk patients and help prevent relapse or morbidity in conditions that tend to recur.
Promote the BHC role and services to medical patients.
Help health care providers understand the bidirectional relationship between disease and illness and patients’ mental and emotional health.
Address health promotion, disease prevention, and acute and chronic disease management across the lifespan.
Educate patients about diagnoses and help them adjust their lifestyle, health behaviors, and/or social environment appropriately.
Respond to crisis situations by assessing the urgency of patients’ needs and applying appropriate interventions.
Provide guidance, consultation, and peer-to-peer mentoring as needed.
Maintain documentation in accordance with organizational policies and procedures, relevant ethics, and governing laws.
Participate in provider team meetings, daily huddles, and other relevant meetings and trainings as needed.
Plan and prioritize work, use time efficiently, pursue quality improvements, demonstrate accuracy and thoroughness, apply feedback, and monitor work quality.
Perform other duties as requested by management.