JOB PURPOSE: Primary Care Behavioral Health Consultant (BHC) provides a range of services inclusive of assessment and intervention related to health behaviors that affect the patient’s management of chronic medical illnesses. In this role the Primary Care BHC’s and behavioral health teams work collaboratively to ensure ongoing communication and coordination, promoting cohesive, whole health care to patients.
Essential Job Functions:
· Provides focused quality clinical services as appropriate to the patient’s presenting health and behavioral concerns. Range of services may include consultation, health behavior assessment and intervention 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.
· Provides interruptible and accessible services to support referral and warm hand-off requests.
· 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.
· Collaborates with the primary care providers, and interdisciplinary medical team members in providing health behavior support to patients while addressing physical health conditions/comorbidities that contribute to the patient’s overall health.
· Reaches out to Specialty Behavioral Health to staff cases, promotes continuity care, enhances smooth transition to services, and supports primary care teams’ capacity to manage mild behavioral health conditions.
· 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.
· 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 El Rio Health policies and procedures and regulatory authority.
· 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.
· Attends all applicable behavioral health and medical provider meetings and participate in on-going training activities as needed.
· Collaborates with primary care providers and interdisciplinary medical team to offer support to patients in need of health counseling and to develop integrated treatment plans.
· Provides patients with efficient and well-coordinated navigation to crisis services and engages mobile crisis teams when needed, ensuring a safe transition to higher levels of behavioral health care.
· Participates in the Behavioral Emergency Response Team (BERT) in providing rapid, expert intervention techniques such as verbal de-escalation and therapeutic communication to ensure the safety and well-being of both patients and staff.
· 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…