POSITION SUMMARY:

The BHC is a key member of the primary care delivery team at Christ Community Health Services. The BHC serves an essential function of the Primary Care Medical Home (PCMH), and practices using the Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) model. Embedded and fully integrated as part of routine care, BHCs function as generalists and consultants and will provide direct care, as well as scaffold the patient’s care team for prevention and intervention services across the lifespan.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Provide high quality, culturally-sensitive health services that are in line with organizational productivity expectations.

2. Provide brief behavioral health assessment and intervention services for patients across the lifespan (children, adolescents, and adults) who present with a broad range of psychopathology, substance misuse, and health compromising behaviors contributing to chronic medical conditions.

3. Provide services in a manner consistent with the Primary Care Behavioral Health Consultant Model of integration, including same day access, team-based care, and a flexible, population-based approach to care.

4. Work with the primary care team to refer patients to community providers and services when appropriate, and support patients during transition

5. Function as a generalist (mirroring PCPs), meaning the BHC will need to be able to intervene with patients across the life span, and will need to be able to see patients with mental health and substance use presentations, as well as patients with chronic health conditions with a biopsychosocial influence.

6. Facilitate group-based cognitive-behavioral and psychoeducational interventions, including possible involvement in curriculum development.

7. Provide timely patient care and prompt feedback to referring primary care providers, spiritual health advisors, and other allied health personnel (such as dentists and nutritionists) in order to facilitate holistic and comprehensive healthcare within an integrated primary care setting.

8. Provide education to physicians and other medical staff regarding behavioral health standards of care for mental health conditions and the management of psychosocial aspects of chronic.

medical conditions, ethical practice, and psychopharmacology where appropriate.

9. Actively participate in meetings and trainings that support CCHS’s integrated health care model to provide comprehensive care for clients.

10. Help monitor the clinic’s behavioral health program, identifying problems related to patient services and making recommendations for improvement.

11. Provide clinical supervision to graduate practicum students, interns, and/or postdoctoral fellows.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

Education: Master’s degree in Social Work, psychology, counseling, or relevant equivalent degree toward licensure

Experience: 1) Two (2) years of post-graduate experience preferably in a hospital or other primary healthcare setting, working closely with physicians and other medical professionals to provide team-based patient care, 2) experience providing empirically supported psychological interventions for both mental health and medical conditions, 3) experience utilizing electronic medical records for documentation and communication within an interdisciplinary medical team

Licenses or Certifications: Licensed in the State of Tennessee as Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Licensed Professional Counselor – MHSP, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist – MHSP, or eligible for licensure in Tennessee.

Working Conditions

Involves exposure to patients of all ages or family members who may have mental illness, infectious disease, or contagious illness