POSITION DESCRIPTION:

The Behavioral Health Specialist I (BHS-I) is an integral member of the Behavioral Health Collaborative Care (BHCC) team that involves the patient’s primary care provider, a psychiatric consultant and other mental health providers. Essential responsibilities for this role include mental health assessment, delivering evidence-based behavioral interventions and assisting with medication management. The Behavioral Health Specialist I provides consultation for mental health conditions within the scope of their license. In addition, the BHS-I may coordinate referrals to clinically-indicated services outside the office, depending upon office-specific need.

The Behavioral Health Specialist offers diagnostic assessment and symptom monitoring, collaborative care management, detailed consultation with a psychiatrist and brief interventions surrounding behavioral health. This role provides BHCC service delivery involving use of psychoeducation and monitoring, provision of patient education tools, brief tele-health and face-to-face interventions in primary care office and collaboration with primary care clinicians to ensure appropriate support and management of mental health symptoms. The position does not include providing long-term therapy.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

1. Supports and closely coordinates mental health care with the patient’s primary care provider and, when appropriate, other treating mental health providers.
2. Screens and assesses patients for common mental health and substance abuse disorders.
3. Provides patient education about common mental health and substance abuse disorders and available treatment options.
4. Monitors patients (in person or by telephone) for changes in clinical symptoms and treatment side effects or complications.
5. Supports psychotropic medication management prescribed by PCPs, focusing on treatment adherence, side effects and other complications, and effectiveness of treatment.
6. Provides brief interventions using evidence-based techniques such as Behavioral Activation.
7. Provides or facilitates in-clinic or outside referrals to evidence-based psychosocial treatments (e.g., CBT, IPT) as clinically indicated.
8. Participates in regularly scheduled (usually weekly) caseload consultation with the psychiatric consultant and communicates resulting treatment recommendations to the patient’s PCP. Consultations will focus on patients new to treatment or who are not improving as expected.
9. Facilitates patient engagement and follow-up in care.
10. Tracks patient follow-up and clinical outcomes using a registry. Documents in-person and telephone encounters in the registry and uses the system to identify and re-engage patients.
11. Documents patient progress and treatment recommendations in the registry so they can be easily shared with PCPs, the psychiatric consultant and other treating providers.
12. Facilitates treatment plan changes for patients who are not improving as expected in consultation with the PCP and the psychiatric consultant. These may include changes in medications or psychosocial treatments or appropriate referrals for additional services.
13. Facilitates referrals for clinically indicated services outside the primary care clinic (e.g., social services such as housing assistance, vocational rehabilitation, mental health specialty care, substance abuse treatment).
14. Completes relapse prevention plan with patients who are in remission.
15. Assumes additional responsibilities and performs work within position licensure, as required.

ORGANIZATIONAL EXPECTATIONS:

1. Creates a positive, professional, service-oriented work environment for staff, patients and family members by supporting the mission and values of both IHA and Trinity Health.
2. Must be able to work effectively as a member of the Behavioral Health Care team.
3. Successfully completes IHA’s “The Customer” training and adheres to IHA’s standard of promptly providing a high level of service and respect to internal or external customers.
4. Maintains knowledge of and complies with IHA standards, policies and procedures.
5. Maintains complete knowledge of office services and in the use of all relevant office equipment, computer and manual systems.
6. Maintains strict patient and employee confidentiality in compliance with IHA and HIPAA guidelines.
7. Serves as a role model by demonstrating exceptional ability and willingness to take on new and additional responsibilities. Embraces new ideas and respects cultural differences.
8. Uses resources efficiently.
9. Responsible for ongoing professional development – maintains appropriate licensure/certification and continuing education credentials, participates in available learning opportunities.

MEASURED BY:

Performance that meets or exceeds IHA CARES Values expectation as outlined in IHA Performance Review document, relative to position.

ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS:

EDUCATION: Master’s degree or higher in social work, counseling or related field from an accredited university.

CREDENTIALS/LICENSURE: Valid Master’s-level license to practice clinical social work in the State of Michigan or similar relevant licensure.

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE:

• Prior experience with screening for common mental health and/or substance use disorders.
• Experience with assessment and treatment planning for common mental health and/or substance use disorders, when appropriate.
• Experience working with patients who have co-occurring mental health, substance abuse and physical health problems.
• Experience with evidence-based counseling techniques (e.g., CBT or PST).

POSITION REQUIREMENTS (ABILITIES & SKILLS):

1. Knowledge of patient care procedures and organizational policies related to position responsibilities.
2. Familiarity with brief, structured intervention techniques.
3. Basic knowledge of psychopharmacology for common mental health disorders.
4. Ability to effectively engage patients in a therapeutic relationship.
5. Knowledgeable in relevant medical terminology.
6. Ability to perform mathematical calculations needed during the course of performing basic job duties.
7. Proficient in operating a standard desktop and Windows-based computer system, including but not limited to, electronic medical records and other care management and/or clinical IS systems, email, e-learning, intranet, Microsoft Word and Excel, and computer navigation needed to complete the tasks of clinical care and performance reporting. Ability to use other software as required while performing the essential functions of the job.
8. Excellent communication skills in both written and verbal forms, including proper phone etiquette. Ability to speak before groups of people (either in-person or virtual).
9. Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in a team-oriented environment; displays courteous and friendly demeanor.
10. Ability to work effectively with various levels of organizational members and diverse populations including IHA staff, executive and management staff, providers, patients, family members, insurance carriers, vendors, external customers and community groups.
11. Ability to cross-train in other areas of practice in order to achieve smooth flow of all operations.
12. Good organizational and time management skills to effectively juggle multiple priorities and time constraints.
13. Ability to exercise sound judgement and problem-solving skills.
14. Ability to handle patient and organizational information in a confidential manner.
15. Knowledge of the compliance and quality aspects of clinical care and patient privacy and best practices in medical office operations.
16. Ability to drive to other office/practice sites and meeting and training locations.
17. Ability to complete additional Healthstream requirements as assigned.
18. Successful completion of IHA competency-based program within introductory and training period.

MINIMUM PHYSICAL EXPECTATIONS:

1. Physical activity that often requires keyboarding, phone work and charting.
2. Physical activity that often requires extensive time working on a computer.
3. Physical activity that often requires walking, standing, bending, stooping, reaching, climbing, kneeling and/or twisting.
4. Physical activity that often requires lifting, pushing and/or pulling up to 20 pounds.
5. Specific vision abilities required include close vision, depth perception, peripheral vision and the ability to adjust and focus.
6. Manual dexterity sufficient to operate a keyboard, photocopier, telephone, calculator and other office equipment.
7. Must hear and speak well enough to conduct business over the telephone or face to face for long periods of time in English.

MINIMUM ENVIRONMENTAL EXPECTATIONS:

This job operates in a medical facility and requires regular walking to various locations around the hospital/clinic. Employees will be working where there is patient care equipment. Hazardous materials, including bloodborne pathogens and bodily fluids are also present. Exposure to sharps, x-rays, patients' conditions and some unpleasant sights, smells and contagious diseases is possible. This position requires significant interaction with people (many of whom are scared, hurt and/or ill) which can be stressful and result in competing priorities.

EMPLOYEE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

I acknowledge that I have reviewed this job description and I understand and can perform the essential functions and other requirements of the position, with or without accommodation. Any request for an accommodation must be made to Human Resources within 182 days of knowledge (or reasonably should have known) of the need for an accommodation. I agree that if there is anything in the job description that I do not understand, I will seek clarification from my supervisor or the Human Resources Department. I understand that IHA has the right to revise this job description at any time.