BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CONSULTANT - PSYCHOLOGIST

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CONSULTANT - PSYCHOLOGIST

Job Description

GENERAL SUMMARY

The Behavioral Health Consultant (BHC) –Psychologist is an embedded full-time member of the primary care team and provides clinical behavioral health services within a primary care setting, including cognitive and behavioral interventions to individuals with mental health or substance use disorders. Collaborates with primary care providers to enhance understanding of patients, coordinate care, plan and implement treatments, and monitor progress. The primary role of a BHC is to provide consultation and support to the Primary Care Provider (PCP) before, during and after patient visit. Interdisciplinary decision making about medical treatment plan often occurs as the primary care provider looks to the BHC to understand the influence of psychiatric conditions on health conditions. The BHC-Psychologist also conducts brief (primary care appropriate) cognitive assessments. The BHC-Psychologist also acts as a consultant to the behavioral health treatment team and helps clinically inform the care of the patient. The BHC-Psychologist assists and helps the Director provide clinical supervision and training to students, interns, and residents who are completing their training in the Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) Model of integration.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Essential functions are the basic job duties that an employee must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation. The list of essential functions, as outlined herein, is intended to be representative of the tasks performed within this classification. The omission of a function does not preclude management from assigning essential duties not listed herein if such duties relate to the position. The Behavioral Health Consultant (BHC) maintains an open access schedule and is proactive in providing behavioral health consultations to new and returning primary care patients. Is actively involved in treatment plan changes, discussion of medication regimens, and provision of evidence-based interventions (e.g., motivational interviewing, cognitive-behavioral interventions) for patients who are not improving as expected. Provides brief, targeted, real-time assessment/interventions to address a wide range of co-morbid health, mental health, and substance abuse problems that uniquely arise in a behavioral health clinical population during primary care visits. Collaborates with case managers, nurse care coordinator, and integrated care coordinator to address the psychosocial aspects of chronic and acute diseases. Connects patients with peer supports, community resources, and crisis assessment and/or intervention as necessary. Promotes the importance of social supports and good lifestyle choices. Identify and interpret population health outcome data for timely recommendations to the primary care team for individual patient care using tools such as patient registry. Actively participates in formal (i.e., team huddles, medical provider meetings) and informal (i.e., unscheduled consultations) communications with the primary care team and with behavioral health team members. Is actively involved in the training program for Behavioral Health Consultants at the Center, provides clinical supervision and precepting to trainees (doctoral practicum students and pre-doctoral psychology residents) who are learning the Primary Care Behavioral Health model. Lead the BHC team in creating clinical pathways for integrated care and treatment of common chronic conditions and their sequelae. Assist the Director of Psychology and training in quality improvement and program development as it relates to clinical practices in various clinics. Performs other related duties as required.

MINIMUM ENTRANCE QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience Doctoral degree (PhD or PsyD) in clinical, counseling, or health psychology from an APA-accredited program. Completion of an APA-accredited internship/residency. 1-2 years of experience in a Primary Care setting. The education required to become a licensed psychologist is about 8-10 years of education/training/experience. Licenses or Certifications Licensed Psychologist in Texas, licensed by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists, now known as the Texas Behavioral Health Council. Licensed Psychologist in good standing in state of Texas required.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

Must maintain a valid driver’s license and automobile insurance coverage, be able to travel as needed, and be able to meet on a consistent basis the driving record requirements of the Company’s auto insurance carrier if you drive your vehicle during company business. Must maintain required credentials and mandatory training requirements to ensure compliance with all State regulations and CHCS policies. Must have working knowledge of State and Federal laws and professional standards related to psychological and treatment of behavioral health. Must have working knowledge of the principles of the development, implementation, and documentation of individualized care and treatment. Must be willing to complete requirements for becoming an associate professor/adjunct faculty from sponsoring institution for training programs. Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite: Outlook, Word, Excel, Power point, etc. Ability to efficiently document in electronic health record. Must be able to meet the physical requirements to complete Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (NCI) and CPR training including lifting up to 12 lbs. and supporting up to 55 lbs.; bending, stooping and getting on and off the floor without assistance. Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (NCI) is a proven safe and harm‑free method of behavior modification. All consumer‑facing employees of CHCS must take NCI courses facilitated by the CHCS Training team within the first 45 days of employment. NCI is intended to support human service professionals in giving aggressive, disruptive, or out‑of‑control people the best care and welfare possible, even in the most violent situation. NCI training provides staff with the skills to safely recognize and respond to everyday crisis situations that may involve more challenging behaviors. It focuses on prevention and offers proven strategies for safely defusing anxious, hostile or violent behavior at the earliest possible stage.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Specialized training working in primary care and/or integrated settings; not required, but training or education in health psychology also helpful. Demonstrated intermediate to advanced competency in deploying evidence‑based practices commonly used in PC settings, i.e., Motivational Interviewing (MI), CBT, Problem Solving Therapy (PST), Behavioral Activation (BA), Relapse Prevention, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), biofeedback, etc. Demonstrated ability and skills to understand psychopharmacology and its impact on medical and psychiatric conditions. Experience with psychological assessment and treatment of children and adolescents. Completion of an APA-accredited post‑doctoral fellowship under the supervision of a Licensed Psychologist, or the completion of post‑doctoral hours under the supervision of a Licensed Psychologist Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred. Language Proficiency Pay (LPP) payments are subject to successful testing, certification by CHCS Payroll, and availability of funding. Funding may be renewed in subsequent fiscal years but is not guaranteed.

SUPERVISION

Job has no responsibility for the direction or supervision of others. COMPETENCIES FOR SUCCESSFUL PERFORMANCE OF JOB DUTIES Knowledge of: Integrated Care practices, specifically the Primary Care Behavioral Health Model Psychological theories related to behavior change Crisis management; safety and risk assessments Health and safety code and ethical guidelines Applicable software applications Modern office procedures, methods and computer equipment Skill in: Critical thinking The delivery of evidenced‑based interventions. Literature review and research Informatics, managing an electronic health record and the use of digital technology for organization and practice management. Effective practice management Organization and time management Performing a variety of duties, often changing from one task to another of a different nature Performing basic mathematical functions such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, percentages, and ratios Ability to: Respond to emergencies and crisis situations. Conduct brief screenings and clinical assessments. Provide evidence-based brief interventions in primary care. Effectively communicate, both verbally and in writing. Establish and maintain effective working relationships on an interdisciplinary team. Maintain accurate and complete records. Meet schedules and deadlines of the work. Understand and carry out oral and written directions. Accurately organize and maintain paper documents and electronic files. Maintain the confidentiality of information and professional boundaries. Ability to conduct sessions face‑to‑face, over the phone, or by telemedicine / video conference call.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Must be able to meet the physical requirements to complete SAMA and CPR training including lifting up to 12 lbs. and supporting up to 55 lbs.; bending, stooping and getting on and off the floor without assistance. Must have adequate mobility that requires frequent walking, standing, bending, stooping, kneeling, reaching (vertical and horizontal), using fingers, hands, feet, legs and torso in various care. Monday-Friday 8:00am-5:00pm 1954 E Houston #J-18808-Ljbffr Center for Health Care Services