Behavioral Health Specialist

Behavioral Health Specialist

Behavioral Health Specialist is held by an LICSW or master's prepared professional with licensure for mental health counseling. Provides assessment, diagnosis, and therapeutic intervention for participants of the PACE program. Reports to the Social Work & Behavioral Health Manager.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Evaluate participant referred by the Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) via record review, interviews with IDT members, observation, and interview with participant and possibly family or other caregivers. Use of assessment tools as needed.
• Assess participant, develop a working diagnosis and/or problem list and recommend a treatment plan.
• Counsel participants, individually and/or in group sessions as part of the treatment plan.
• Guide participants in the development of skills and strategies for dealing with their problems.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of counseling programs and participants' progress in resolving identified problems and moving towards defined objectives.
• Act as a behavioral health resource to the social work team and IDT.
• Participate in organizational behavioral health projects and meetings as requested.
• Provide recommendations for integration of care goals and maintenance care into the participant care plan at end of treatment.
• Ensure shared goals of care are communicated and documented for integration of care, problem solving and improved outcomes.
• Provide staff education and support as requested.
• Gather information about community mental health needs and resources that could be used in conjunction with therapy.
• Identify need for caregiver support and notify Social Worker as appropriate. Identify additional resources for caregiver support and facilitates as needed.
• Provide crisis intervention as needed.
• Attend professional development conferences and maintain current licensure in the State of RI. Stay informed of developing trends in geriatric behavioral health practice.
• Maintain confidentiality of records relating to participants' treatment.
• Document in the EHR and maintain all required treatment records and reports.
• Required to work at all PACE-RI sites as necessary as well as in the community as needed.
• Adhere to all policies and procedures.
• Demonstrates an understanding of the importance of clear, thorough documentation as crucial to good participant care; completes and enters accurate, thorough participant documentation in the electronic health record; enters documentation for assessments, orders, and notes within required timeframes.
• Performs other related duties as required and assigned.

Required Skills & Abilities:

• Ability to maintain confidentiality
• Ability to exercise independent judgement
• Ability to read write and comprehend English
• Must be able to maintain sound judgement under stress and the ability to communicate effectively with members of a variety of professional disciplines in complex circumstances
• Proficiency with MS Office Suite or related software

Education Requirements

• Master of Social Work Degree, Required

Physical Requirements

• Must be able to tolerate prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift up to 10 pounds and at times up to 20 pounds.
• Must be able to navigate various departments of the organization's physical premises as well as related community care settings.
• Must be able to tolerate conditions typically associated within a medical office and/or home care setting including potential exposure to bloodborne pathogens and infectious diseases.

Experience

• 5 Years of Direct Service Work, Required
• 1 to 2 Years of Experience in a Medical or Geriatric Setting, Required
• 1 to 3 years of EMR Experience (Cognify), Preferred

License & Certification Requirements

• Rhode Island Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker

Position Requirements

• Master of Social Work Degree
• Driver's License & access to reliable transportation: community-based travel required.