Behavioral Health Consultant

Job Title

Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) Model Behavioral Health Consultant

Job Description Summary

The Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) model is a well-developed and researched model for integrating behavioral health services into primary care. The Behavioral Health Consultant (BHC) provides direct behavioral health care in collaboration with Spira Care medical providers for the purpose of integrating the physical and behavioral healthcare needs of Spira Care patients. The BHC is expected to have a team-based approach to the treatment of the whole-person, including the treatment of common physical health, developmental, mental health, and substance misuse concerns prevalent in the population, and aims to promote health, functioning/quality of life, and patient self-management. The BHC is a fully integrated member of the Spira Care primary care practice and functions as a consultant to patients as well as to practice team members. The whole team is better equipped to support patient efforts to develop new strategies and skills and to help the patient sustain gains or improvements. In addition to improved clinical outcomes and cost savings, research on this model suggests that patients and providers are more satisfied with this approach. Integrating behavioral health services into primary care reduces both patient resistances to use of behavioral health services as well as stigmatization that patients with mental health and substance use problems often feel, in addition to preventing duplication of services and avoiding adverse events like hospitalizations and emergency room visits. Spira Care BHC's are expected to deliver brief, evidence-based services in a consultative model. BHCs are generalists and they address the needs of patients from birth to death. The role of the BHCs is helping to improve the delivery system by working with their Care Center colleagues and improve the primary care model.

Job Description

• Demonstrates advanced knowledge of the biological, cognitive, affective, and psychosocial/sociocultural components of health and illness, including mental health, substance abuse, and common co-morbid or underlying medical conditions.
• Demonstrate an ability to make meaningful connections with a socially/culturally diverse range of patients.
• Assist in the identification of at-risk patients, preventing relapse or morbidity in conditions that tend to recur over time.
• Demonstrate flexibility and accessibility to facilitate patient and provider access.
• Provide brief behavioral and cognitive, evidence-based interventions to treat and manage patients with a multitude of emotional, psychosocial, and physical health concerns; provide brief, limited follow-up visits for selected patients.
• Promote the BHC role and its services to medical patients.
• Work with the medical team in the development of a common treatment plan and coordination of care, including referral of cases to specialists as appropriate.
• Help other health care providers understand the bi-directional relationship between disease and illness and patients' mental and emotional health.
• Address health promotion, disease prevention, and management of acute and chronic disease across the lifespan.
• Educate patients about their diagnosis/es to help them adjust appropriately to their lifestyle, health behaviors, and/or social environment.
• Responds to crisis situations, assessing urgency of patient's needs, and applies appropriate interventions.
• Provide guidance, consultation, and peer-to-peer mentoring as needed.
• Maintain documentation standards per organizational policies and procedures, relevant ethics, and other governing laws.
• Participate in provider team meetings, daily huddles and other relevant meetings and trainings as needed. Some meetings may require attendance over lunch or outside of typical hours of duty. Light travel may also be required.
• Prioritizes and plans work activities, uses time efficiently, looks for ways to improve and promote quality, demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness, applies feedback to improve performance, monitors own work to ensure quality.
• Performs other duties as needed/indicated when requested by management.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master's degree in social work, family and marriage therapy or professional counseling
• Respective licensure including LSCSW/LCSW, LCMFT (KS)/LMFT (MO), or LCPC(KS)/LPC(MO) in both Kansas and Missouri.
• 5 years' experience working as a Behavioral Health Consultant or as an independently licensed clinician working in variety of direct clinical settings across lifespan is required.
• General knowledge of most common conditions treated in primary care (skills in: disease management of problems such as diabetes, asthma, pain, COPD, hypertension, and coronary heart disease; addressing treatment adherence and lifestyle change for problems such as obesity, insomnia and smoking
• Proficient in Microsoft software (Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.) and EMR system
• Occasional local travel as required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bi-lingual (Spanish)
• Familiarity with AthenaNet (Electronic Medical Records System)
• Experience in PCBH Model

Spira Care is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, among other things, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, status as a protected veteran, or disability.