Behavioral Health Care Manager

Tonawanda Pediatrics Behavioral Health Care Manager

Tonawanda Pediatrics is hiring a full-time Behavioral Health Care Manager. The Behavioral Health Care Manager is a core member of the collaborative care team, including the patient's medical provider and psychiatric consultant. The Behavioral Health Care Manager is responsible for supporting and coordinating the mental and physical health care of patients on an assigned patient caseload with the patient's medical provider and, when appropriate, other mental health providers.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Support the behavioral and physical health care of patients on an assigned caseload of 50-60 patients who are contacted twice monthly. Closely coordinate care with the patient's medical provider and, when appropriate, other mental health providers.
2. Screen and assess patients for common behavioral health disorders. Facilitate patient engagement and follow-up care.
3. Provide patient education about common mental health and substance abuse disorders and the available treatment options.
4. Systematically track treatment response and monitor patients (in person or by telephone) for changes in clinical symptoms and treatment side effects or complications.
5. Support psychotropic medication management as prescribed by medical providers, focusing on treatment adherence monitoring, side effects, and effectiveness of treatment.
6. Provide brief behavioral interventions using evidence-based techniques such as cognitive behavioral therapy, behavioral activation, problem-solving treatment, motivational interviewing, or other treatments as appropriate.
7. Provide or facilitate in-clinic or outside referrals to evidence-based psychosocial treatments (e.g. problem-solving treatment or behavioral activation) as clinically indicated.
8. Facilitate weekly caseload consultation with the psychiatric consultant and communicate resulting treatment recommendations to the patient's medical provider. Consultations will focus on patients new to the caseload and those who are not improving as expected under the current treatment plan.
9. Document contacts and clinical outcomes in the EHR which will be linked to a patient registry. Use registry reports to identify and review patients not improving and re-engage patients who have missed appointments.
10. Document patient progress and treatment recommendations in EHR and share information with medical providers, the psychiatric consultant, and other treating providers.
11. Facilitate treatment plan changes for patients who are not improving as expected in consultation with the medical provider and the psychiatric consultant and who may need more intensive or more specialized mental health care.
12. Facilitate referrals for clinically indicated services outside of the organization (e.g., social services such as housing assistance, vocational rehabilitation, mental health specialty care, substance abuse treatment).
13. Develop and complete relapse prevention self-management plan with patients who have achieved their treatment goals and are soon to be discharged from the caseload.
14. Complete specialized training including CoCM care manager training and training offered by the NY OMH for CoCM care managers on brief psychosocial interventions.

Licensure Requirements

• Licensed Mental Health Counselor/Professional Counselor
• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
• Licensed Social Worker
• Registered Nurse (BSN preferred)
• Masters-level licensure candidate/trainee (e.g. MSW, LMSW)

Skills and Experience

• Demonstrated ability to collaborate and communicate effectively in a team setting.
• Experience with screening for common mental health and/or substance abuse disorders.
• Working knowledge of assessment, differential diagnosis, and treatment planning for behavioral health disorders.
• Ability to effectively engage patients in a therapeutic relationship.
• Ability to work with patients by telephone, video and in person.
• Working knowledge of evidence-based psychosocial treatments and brief behavioral interventions.
• Basic knowledge of psychopharmacology for behavioral health disorders.

Salary Range: $50,000 - $55,000 per year (based on education, license, and experience)

Medical Health Associates of Western New York