Behavioral Health Navigator, Behavioral Health Patient Access

Behavioral Health Navigator

Heywood Healthcare values our employees! We offer competitive wages, great benefits, and generous earned time off. Come work where you will matter!

Hours: Per Diem, Days

$31.92 - $42.12

We are committed to equitable and transparent compensation practices. The salary range for this position reflects our good-faith estimate of base pay at the time of posting. Final compensation will be determined based on a variety of factors, including relevant experience, skills, qualifications, and internal equity. We regularly review our compensation structures to ensure fairness and consistency across our organization.

Job Summary: The Behavioral Health Navigator is responsible for conducting behavioral health crisis evaluations in the Emergency Department and on the inpatient Medical Units (as needed). This role ensures timely assessments, appropriate level-of-care determinations, and safe, effective discharge planning. The Behavioral Health Navigator serves as a supportive and collaborative member of the Behavioral Health Division, ensuring high-quality care for patients and a positive, responsive environment for staff.

Responsibilities

Essential Functions

• Conduct behavioral health crisis evaluations in the Emergency Department and on inpatient medical units, as requested, to assess presenting concerns, psychiatric symptoms, safety risks, psychosocial needs, and appropriate level of care.
• Complete crisis evaluations in a timely manner and present clinical findings, risk assessments, and disposition recommendations to an appropriately licensed Behavioral Health Navigator for clinical review and approval.
• Coordinate with the Behavioral Health Admissions Coordinator when inpatient psychiatric admission is indicated, providing required clinical information and supporting the referral and psychiatric bed search process.
• Coordinate with the Behavioral Health Case Manager for patients returning to the community to ensure identified discharge planning needs are addressed, including outpatient follow-up, community services, supports, referrals, and other identified resources.
• Develop and document individualized safety plans with patients when clinically indicated, including identification of warning signs, coping strategies, support systems, crisis resources, and steps to reduce identified safety risks.
• Facilitate appropriate collateral contacts with family members, outpatient providers, community agencies, and other identified supports to obtain relevant information and assist with safe and appropriate disposition planning.
• Collaborate with Emergency Department providers, inpatient medical staff, Behavioral Health Patient Access staff, social work/case management, psychiatric providers, community agencies, and other relevant stakeholders to support coordinated assessment, treatment planning, and continuity of care.
• Maintain timely and accurate documentation of crisis evaluations, clinical findings, collateral contacts, safety plans, disposition recommendations, and other required activities in the electronic medical record.
• Demonstrate effective communication and professional collaboration while working with patients, families, providers, hospital departments, and community partners.
• Maintain knowledge of behavioral health resources, levels of care, community services, and hospital processes necessary to support appropriate patient assessment and disposition.
• Participate in quality improvement and process enhancement activities related to crisis evaluation, patient access, disposition planning, continuity of care, and behavioral health workflow as assigned.
• Monitor workflow and support efficient patient throughput.
• Promote a culture of teamwork, accountability, respect, and patient-centered care, recognizing the importance of timely behavioral health intervention and safe transitions between levels of care.
• Other duties as assigned.

Statement of Other Duties

This document describes the major duties and responsibilities for this job, and is not intended to be a complete list of all tasks and functions. It should be understood, therefore, that employees may be asked to perform job-related duties beyond those explicitly described.

Functional Demands

Exerts up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. Frequently reaches (extending hands and arms in any direction), and handles (seizing, holding, grasping, turning, or working with hands).

Qualifications

Job Requirements

• Master's degree in Counseling, Psychology, or Social Work and license-eligible.

Minimum Work Experience

• 3-5 years of behavioral health crisis experience, preferably in an emergency department or acute psychiatric care setting.
• Knowledge of psychiatric assessment, levels of care, & crisis intervention
• Knowledge of Safety Plans.
• Experience with insurance authorization processes preferred.
• Familiarity with navigating Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system & Point Click Care platform preferred.

Required Skills

• Strong clinical judgment and decision-making.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to lead and support staff in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent organizational and problem-solving abilities.