Behavioral Health Consultant

Preferred Qualifications

• Two years of professional LCSW experience, preferably in an ambulatory care setting.

Essential Functions

• Closely coordinate care with the patient’s primary care provider (PCP) and, when appropriate, other mental health providers. The position is an extension of the PCP’s care and coordination of their patient’s health care needs.
• Support the mental and physical health care of assigned and referred patients.
• Screen and assess patients for common mental health and substance abuse disorders. Facilitate patient engagement and follow-up care.
• Provide patient education about common mental health and substance abuse disorders and the available treatment options.
• Provide brief behavioral interventions using evidence-based techniques such as behavioral activation, problem-solving treatment, motivational interviewing, or other treatments as appropriate.
• Participate in consultations with mental health consultants and communicate resulting treatment recommendations to the patient’s medical provider.
• Systematically track treatment response and monitor patients (in person or by telephone) for changes in clinical symptoms and treatment side effects or complications.
• Support mental health medication management as prescribed by medical providers, focusing on treatment adherence monitoring, side effects, and effectiveness of treatment.
• Facilitate outside referrals to evidence-based psychosocial treatments (e.g. problem-solving treatment or behavioral activation) as clinically indicated.
• Track patient follow up and clinical outcomes in the EHR. Document in-person and telephone encounters in the EHR.
• Document patient progress and treatment recommendations in EHR and other required systems so as to be shared with medical providers, mental health consultants, and other treating providers.
• Facilitate treatment plan changes for patients who are not improving as expected in consultation with the medical provider and mental health consultants and who may need more intensive or more specialized mental health care.
• 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).
• 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.
• Provides regular feedback and updates to the primary care team on treatment findings and progress through written and verbal communication.

Our mission at Salem Clinic is to improve the health of those we serve in a spirit of compassion and respect.

Full-time, M-F, 7: 30a-4:30p 40 hours/week