Behavioral Health Navigator I

UPMC WESTERN MARYLAND HEALTH SERVICES, LLC • Cumberland, MD

418d • $69,555 - $114,442 • Onsite

About The Position

The Behavioral Health Navigator I position at UPMC Western Maryland is a full-time role focused on the assessment and navigation of patients and families in collaboration with psychiatrists and other staff. The role involves developing initial treatment plans, facilitating communication regarding patient care, and assisting with bed placement and disposition planning. The position requires working rotating shifts, including weekends, in both the Emergency Department and other medical units within the hospital.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Psychology, Counseling, or Social Work with one year of mental health direct care experience, or a master's degree in Psychology, Counseling, or Social Work.
• Ability to respond calmly and effectively using good clinical judgment in psychiatric and medical emergencies.
• Ability to identify problems, implement resolutions, and reassess situations/problems.
• Excellent interpersonal relations with the ability to interact in a direct, professional, tactful, and gracious manner with all contacts.
• Ability to work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team.
• Ability to work under stress with unpredictable patient flow in a sometimes-crowded work environment.
• A personal disposition that is warm, friendly, caring, kind, and hospitable towards patients and colleagues.
• Exhibit openness and willingness to learn.
• Flexible schedule with rotating shifts.
• History of delivering services consistently with a service excellence attitude.
• Ability and willingness to work in a managed care environment.
• Excellent direct, gracious, courteous, kind face-to-face, telephone, and nonverbal skills.

Responsibilities

• Meet standards for documentation and complete all required paperwork, including psychiatric evaluation and commitment paperwork.
• Demonstrate ability to utilize DSMV and develop provisional diagnosis.
• Demonstrate knowledge of mental health laws and review inpatient commitment for accuracy, competencies, and proper time frames.
• Knowledge of insurance programs and processes, able to obtain authorizations as needed.
• Participate in interdisciplinary activities such as staff meetings and other committees as assigned.
• Maintain competency requirements.
• Learn and utilize up-to-date technology in delivery of patient care for assessment and disposition/referral planning.
• Efficiently take a sizable volume of calls and disposition callers to meet their needs rapidly.
• Follow outpatient scheduling or referral documentation guidelines.
• Respond rapidly to appointment or inpatient admission requests through email, phone, or voicemail.
• Review and summarize patient information for admissions to a behavioral health unit and triage patients for appropriate placement.
• Ability to verbally present the case to physicians and others.
• Demonstrate triage and assessment skills for medical necessity or appropriate outpatient clinic.
• Provide accurate, timely information to coworkers, physicians, and outside agencies in a professional and courteous manner.
• Demonstrate expertise in accessing social systems by providing resource-specific information to patients and families, initiating contact with appropriate resources, and facilitating the patient/family's ability to accept referrals.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree