Behavioral Health Consultant - Fox Chapel - Full Time

Highmark Health • Fox Chapel, PA

5d • Onsite

About The Position

A Behavioral Health Consultant (BHC) is a vital member of the core healthcare team, assisting care managers in overseeing the overall health of their enrolled population. The BHC's primary role is to enhance the recognition, treatment, and management of psychosocial/behavioral problems and medical conditions within the patient population. They provide clinical mental health consultation services, adhering to their state's professional licensure board regulations, to all patients referred by the care team. The BHC actively participates in managing the psychosocial aspects of both chronic and acute diseases, applying behavioral principles to address lifestyle and health risk issues, and offering consultation and co-management for mental disorders and psychosocial issues. As the team's expert, the BHC is responsible for mental health and substance abuse assessment, intervention, and facilitating connections to higher levels of care when necessary.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in a Mental Health Field
• 2 years of experience in the 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
• CPR – American Heart Association
• Act 34 Criminal Background Clearance Certificate
• Act 33 Child Abuse Clearance Certificate
• Act 73 FBI Fingerprinting Criminal Background Clearance Certificate

Responsibilities

• 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 behavioral health and substance abuse topics to multidisciplinary team members during patient treatment planning.
• Participates in daily huddles to identify behavioral health, substance abuse, and psychosocial needs.
• Provides population-based care to high-risk/high-need patients based on registry data.
• Serves all enrollees, not just those with diagnosable mental disorders.
• Participates in system-wide BHC learning collaboratives.
• Promotes ongoing change efforts within the practice and the AHN health system regarding mental health and substance abuse disorders.
• Documents in the shared medical record in a visible location for providers and team members.
• Engages patients via telephone and in person.
• Meets patients and providers promptly, often on the same day of clinic presentation, offering immediate support including assessment, intervention, and referrals to higher levels of care for mental health and addiction needs.
• Often sees patients immediately after other team members, encouraging patient participation in the overall treatment plan.
• Provides therapeutic counseling services appropriate for the ambulatory care environment, utilizing 15-30 minute interventions.
• Identifies functional outcomes and makes recommendations for occupational, social, familial functioning, home activities, and recreation.
• Treats patients with short-term interventions using a 'treat to target' approach with solution-focused methods, CBT, Motivational Interviewing, and other short-term counseling techniques.
• Coordinates with patient family members and support systems (with patient permission).
• Provides brief follow-up, including relapse prevention education.
• Promotes skill-building to enhance psychological and physical health, sometimes through groups.
• Assists patients in crisis to meet urgent mental health and substance abuse needs.
• Triage and refers patients to specialty mental health and substance abuse services when appropriate (e.g., Childhood trauma, IOP, inpatient hospitalization, PTSD, psychiatry).
• Advocates for patients who may be 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 patients to become active participants in their own care and treatment.
• Connects patients to community resources related to social determinants of health.

Benefits

• 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.
• Compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)
• Compliance with data security guidelines established within the Company’s Handbook of Privacy Policies and Practices and Information Security Policy.
• Compliance with the company’s Code of Business Conduct.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level