Behavioral Health Professional - Flagstaff - BH Services Therapist

JOB PURPOSE: The Behavioral Health Professional (BHP)(Elk Ridge) provides a range of services inclusive of primary care behavioral health, crisis management, mental health assessment, counseling services, and coordination of care to patients as part of the integrated health team at an Elk Ridge Community Health location assigned by management. In this role the BHP coordinates behavioral health care with the primary care medical and behavioral health teams and promotes ongoing collaboration and cohesiveness between those teams to ensure delivery of whole health care to patients. BHPs facilitate seamless, unduplicated services with various departments within clinic settings related to primary care and behavioral health specialty care services. BHPs deliver a range of interventions consistent and appropriate to the clinic setting, model of care, and role assigned. Interventions may include brief health behavior focused primary care population-based consultations to psychotherapeutic approaches supportive of behavioral health specialty care.  Depending upon the skills and qualifications of the BHP and the needs of the organization, additional services may include the clinical supervision of non-independently licensed providers toward independent licensure.

The primary goal of the Elk Ridge Community Health Behavioral Health Professional (BHP)(Elk Ridge) is to support Elk Ridge’s Mission of providing comprehensive, quality health care that is affordable and accessible to all who may have healthcare needs, by successfully performing the primary essential functions. 

The following functions and responsibilities will contribute to Elk Ridge Community Health to achieve its KEY RESULTS:

1. World Class Experience for staff and patients

2. Healthier patients and employees

3. Positive Financial Result

Job Functions:

• Provides focused quality clinical services as appropriate to model of care, clinic setting, and patient’s presenting health and behavioral concerns.  Range of services may include consultation, health behavior assessment and intervention, psychotherapy, and coordination of care related to life stressors, acute and/or chronic medical health conditions, acute and/or severe mental health conditions, substance use problems, motivational barriers to healthy lifestyle, and/or other identifiable behavioral health concerns, while making appropriate recommendations to medical providers, patients, and other members of the multidisciplinary team.

• Utilizes a variety of intervention and psychotherapeutic approaches with active development of behavioral change planning that can improve psychosocial functioning and impact patient’s bio-medical health outcomes. Interventions may include but are not limited to Motivational Interviewing, Solution focused therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness, and acceptance strategies, psycho-education, Art therapy, Trauma informed, and other therapeutic approaches applied within the primary care behavioral health and specialty care settings. 

• Assesses patient’s mental/behavioral health related conditions utilizing DSM, PHQ-9, and other relevant screening tools and diagnostics for the purposes of consultation and treatment planning where and when appropriate to the model of care.

• Cultivates education and self-management skills to targeted populations with comorbid medical and mental health conditions, chronic medical disease, behavioral health concerns, and other health related conditions that impact biopsychosocial health and functioning.

• Promotes smooth interface between medicine and behavioral health care throughout the organization through collaborative relationship building, efficiency with patient flow and “warm hand-offs“, accessibility to medical providers, brief consultations with providers and staff, and adherence to scope of practice limitations given the population-based approach while providing expeditious feedback to referring medical providers.

• Provides on-site crisis assessment, triage and intervention while coordinating with community based behavioral health organizations, local hospitals, and public safety officials.  Facilitate referrals to specialized behavioral health providers and psychiatric services as needed within Elk Ridge and/or the community as appropriate to patient needs.

• Responsible for maintaining accurate electronic patient records while remaining in compliance with all HIPAA and Confidentiality policies and procedures. Maintain patient charts and records according to established Electronic Health Records guidelines for documentation, billing, coding, and procedures for the range of services delivered within Primary Care Behavioral Health and Behavioral Health Specialty Care models of care.  

• Protects and maintains the confidentiality of patient records and information, proprietary information and personnel information. Completing all clinical documentation clearly, thoroughly, accurately and within timeframes specified by Elk Ridge Community Health policies and procedures and regulatory authority.

• Develops patient treatment plans appropriate for services, clinic setting, model of care, and interventions delivered identifying reasonable, attainable goals and objectives. Present treatment options and working with the patient to determine applicable goals, objectives, and timelines. Provide guidance to the patient to ensure treatment modes and duration of treatment is appropriate for success.

• Attends all applicable behavioral health and medical provider meetings and participate in on-going training activities as needed. 

• Participates in in-service/education regarding Quality Improvement.

• Contributes to team effort; and complies with all facility policies and procedures including but not limited to those addressing HIPAA and Compliance and performs other duties as assigned.

• Establishes and builds collaborative relationships with medical/behavioral health teams through shadowing provider visits, familiarization with provider patient panels, provider-directed psychosocial screenings, integrated care medical/behavioral visits, eConsult/eVisit-Psychiatry and other best practice methods helpful to promoting fully integrated Health Care.  

• Provides education to the primary care and behavioral health teams regarding the latest information and knowledge pertaining to behavioral health assessment and intervention, related behavioral health conditions, safety and risk assessment, in order to improve patient care and assist with enhancing utilization of Behavioral Health services throughout the organization.

Joint Commission Responsibilities: 

• Maintains a clean, safe, and hygienic work environment in compliance with all Policies and Procedures including but not limited to work areas, workstations, examination rooms, hand washing, infection prevention and control etc. for this position.

• Demonstrates an understanding of and proficiency with the application of all compliance and reporting requirements respective to Joint Commission Certification (JCC) standards.

Other Duties and Responsibilities: 

• In support of the Mission and Vision of Elk Ridge Community Health, will at all times represent themselves as a professional role model of Elk Ridge Community Health serving as a positive informational source for members of the community. 

• Supports Elk Ridge Community Health by participating in community events which promote good health, and which contribute to a broader awareness and understanding of Elk Ridge Community Health and the many services provided to the community.

• Participates in all appropriate health care activities related to Elk Ridge Community Health on a local, state, and national level to maintain and enhance Elk Ridge’s image with health agencies, professional associations, and the general public.

• Ensures and supports the cost-effective use of materials, supplies, and equipment by limiting waste of all organizational supplies and resources. 

• In accordance with policies and procedures ensures that documentation of hours worked is completed accurately, as well as signed-off/approved in a timely manner. 

• Employees must maintain their skills proficiency with Elk Ridge Community Health operating systems and/or software programs by adapting to changing requirements and successfully learning and demonstrating new skills in response to software, system, and program improvements or upgrades.

• Implements specialized and/or behavioral health operational policies and procedures across departments through staff training regarding patient referrals, warm handoffs, EMR referral documentation, patient screenings, and community referrals to specialized mental health providers.

• Develops staff educational materials to increase awareness of integrated behavioral services, scope of care, and how each department coordinates their respective role and function in supporting the integrated model. 

• Provides on-site, day to day guidance and role clarification with various departments as needed to improve coordination of integrated services. 

• Maintains exceptional level of customer service; address and resolve complaints; serve as an example by providing excellent service to internal and external customers, employees and patients. 

• Assists as needed, in orienting new BHP staff to the care model specific to the clinic setting and assigned role appropriate to primary care BH consultation and/or specialty care BH models and services. Introduce new medical staff to both models as part of their employee orientation at Elk Ridge and as directed.

• Provides clinical supervision as an approved Arizona Qualified Clinical Supervisor to assist Licensed Masters Social Workers and/or Licensed Associate Counselors to fulfill clinical supervision toward Independent Licensure (i.e., LCSW, LPC), reviewing documentation and clinical work in compliance with state of Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners and all necessary regulatory standards related to billing and coding under the supervisors independent BH license;  

• Complies with all facility policies and procedures including but not limited to those addressing HIPPA and compliance;

• Ensures and supports the cost-effective use of materials, supplies, and equipment by limiting waste of all organizational supplies and resources.

• Introduces new medical staff to both models and Special Populations as part of their employee orientation at our Centers and as directed;

• Employees must maintain their skills proficiency with Elk Ridge operating systems and/or software programs by adapting to changing requirements and successfully learning and demonstrating new skills in response to software, system, and program improvements or upgrades

• Promotes smooth interface between medicine and behavioral health care throughout the organization through collaborative relationship building, efficiency with patient flow and “warm hand-offs“, accessibility to medical providers, brief consultations with providers and staff, and adherence to scope of practice limitations given the population-based approach

• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

Transportation:

• Employees in this position are required to have reliable transportation that can meet any operational reassignments of the organization during the workday. If an employee is driving during work hours, the employee is required to possess a valid driver’s license and must comply with Arizona vehicle insurance requirements.

Core Competencies: 

• Clinical Knowledge

• Implement Evidence-Based Therapies

• Compassionate Communication

• Cultural Competence

• Honor Patient Privacy

• Service Recovery

Supervisory Duties: 

• None

Skills and Abilities:

• Effective customer-facing and presentation skills.

• Interact diplomatically and positively with patients and the public in a continuous public contact setting.

• Ability to respond effectively in writing and verbally to internal and external customers.

• Write grammatically correct routing business correspondence such as brief transmittal memoranda

• Proficient with MS Office, including Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook, and the internet.

• Ability to apply concepts such as fractions. Percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.

• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.

• Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

• Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills; effectively identifying problems and situations where limited standardization exists; developing solutions and alternatives for timely and effective implementation and resolution of the issue or problem.

• Must be available to work flexible hours.

• Must have excellent verbal and written communication skills.

• Extensive knowledge of Regional Behavioral Health Authority and local providers

• Knowledge of culturally relevant resources available including services for monolingual, non-English speaking clients 

• Ability to multi-task and maintain a professional composure in stressful situations. 

• Excellent organizational and time-management skills.

• Ability to interact with persons of various social, cultural, and economic and educational backgrounds for the purpose of providing exceptional guidance and customer service.

• Ability to effectively identify problems and situations where limited standardization exists, identifying and developing resolutions within the assigned scope of responsibility and authority.

• Ability to identify and take appropriate action in situations which need to be communicated with a provider for direction and successful resolution.

Workforce Environment/Physical Demands: