Licensed Behavioral Health Therapist
Location: Newburyport, MA
Schedule: Flexible - Full-Time or Part-Time
Salary per annum: $30,000 - $200,000 (commensurate with schedule)
Position Summary
At MedElite, we bring care to the bedside. Our physicians, advanced practice providers, and specialists deliver primary care and specialty services directly to residents of skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), long-term care facilities (LTCs), and assisted living facilities (ALFs). We are committed to compassionate, high-quality care that respects the dignity of every resident, family, and facility partner we serve.
The Licensed Behavioral Health Therapist provides individual psychotherapy and psychiatric diagnostic evaluations to residents at their bedside across MedElite's partner facilities. Using referral information, chart review, interviews, and collaboration with facility staff, the Therapist assesses each resident's mental health needs, selects appropriate therapeutic approaches, and develops and carries out treatment plans that relieve symptoms, support adjustment to long-term care, and improve quality of life for residents and their families.
Employment type: Full-Time or Part-Time
Schedule: Flexible scheduling options available. Candidates interested in either full-time or part-time opportunities are encouraged to apply.
Travel: Travels to contracted SNF, LTC, and ALF facilities in Newburyport, MA
Essential Job Functions and Responsibilities
Assessment
Completes a psychiatric diagnostic evaluation on each referred resident promptly after referral, per MedElite policy.
Reviews the facility medical record, MDS data, medication list, and referral reason before each initial evaluation.
Assesses and documents each resident's cognitive status and capacity to participate in and benefit from psychotherapy, using standardized tools (e.g., BIMS, PHQ-9, GDS, GAD-7) where appropriate.
Engages family members or responsible parties in assessment when clinically appropriate and with the resident's consent.
Reassesses residents at regular intervals and when their condition changes.
Treatment Planning
Develops an individualized treatment plan for each resident with diagnosis, measurable goals, therapeutic approach, and session frequency.
Reviews and revises the treatment plan as the resident's status changes, and documents the reasons for each revision.
Coordinates the treatment plan with the facility's care plan and interdisciplinary team (IDT).
Determines when goals are met or when therapy is no longer effective, and discharges residents from services with appropriate recommendations.
Direct Care
Provides individual psychotherapy at the bedside using evidence-based approaches suited to older adults and long-term care residents, such as supportive therapy, CBT, problem-solving therapy, reminiscence therapy, and behavioral interventions.
Addresses common needs in this population, including depression, anxiety, grief, adjustment to placement, chronic illness and pain, end-of-life concerns, and behavioral symptoms of dementia.
Evaluates the effect of each intervention and adjusts the approach as needed.
Recognizes and responds to behavioral health crises, including suicidal or homicidal ideation, following MedElite's crisis protocol and promptly notifying the attending provider and facility staff.
Builds a therapeutic and supportive relationship with residents and families in line with professional standards.
Collaboration and Coordination
Communicates findings and recommendations to the attending physician or APP, MedElite psychiatric prescribers, and facility nursing and social services staff.
Shares urgent or crisis information immediately and non-urgent updates within 24 hours.
Participates in facility care plan meetings, behavioral health huddles, and QAPI activities when requested.
Recommends non-pharmacological interventions that support the facility's behavioral health care and psychotropic gradual dose reduction efforts.
Educates facility…