Behavioral Health Care Manager

SUMMARY OF POSITION

The Behavioral Health Care Manager is an integral member of the clinical team at SCHC and is responsible for ensuring effective care and treatment for patients with behavioral health disorders. The Care Manager works directly alongside medical and behavioral health providers within the context of a primary care medical home to promote timely access to comprehensive and collaborative care. Key roles include identification and evaluation of patient needs, providing brief behavioral interventions, and tracking patient progress on an assigned caseload, while working with patients before, during, and between visits within the clinic. The Care Manager will support patients in developing their ability to self-manage both behavioral health and medical needs and work to reduce barriers to care.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Integrated Behavioral Health Care

• Screens and evaluates patients for mental health disorders, substance use disorders, and developmental delays using evidence-based screening tools and biopsychosocial interviews
• Provides triage for patients in crisis and ensures that the patient is connected to an appropriate and timely level of care
• Manages a waitlist for services when demand exceeds available providers
• Participates in Providing group therapy to clients based on clinic/community need and interest
• Provides case management and psychoeducation as needed to clients to meet their needs
• Can provide monitoring, resiliency skills, resources, and maintenance phase services as needed.
• Identifies patients that will benefit from enrollment in a specialty care or care management panel, based on level of risk, treatment goals, or level of engagement
• Utilizes and documents in electronic health records (EHR) to ensure a high level of integration with other members of the patient’s care team
• Provides developmental screenings to children during Well Child exams
• Provides care management and compliance tracking for patients empaneled in the addiction recovery program.

Coordination of Care

• Coordinates formally and informally with all members of the care team, including medical, behavioral health, psychiatric providers and any other SCHC team members
• Makes appropriate referrals, including those to internal and external specialty behavioral health care, and to community resources to ensure basic needs are met and reduce barriers to treatment goals
• Triages new patient referrals and presents necessary information to the Behavioral Health team to allow for effective scheduling. Provides ongoing monitoring of patients that are not able to receive services in a timely manner

Community Collaboration

• Participates in community meetings and initiatives to enhance relationships with partner agencies and identify both community needs and services for patients
• Builds collaborative relationships with referral sources to improve coordination of care

Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement

• Participates in regular case consultation to ensure appropriate provision and documentation of services
• Contributes to continuous quality improvement and risk management activities
• Participates in required and self-directed training to develop enhance skills
• Complies with SCHC’s policies and procedures
• Provide charting documentation for services rendered on the appropriate electronic forms, and to do so per State of Alaska regulations, which must occur within 72 hours of providing service

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

• Two or more years of experience serving individuals with behavioral health needs preferred
• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Social Work, Human Services, or related field preferred
• Experience collaborating with medical providers preferred
• Valid driver’s license required
• Current BLS/CPR required