Job Summary

Reporting to the Director of IBH and/or their designee, the Licensed Clinical Social Worker-Clinical (LCSW-C), or a Licensed Psychologist (Ph.D serving as a Behavioral Health Consultant (BHC), work in a primary care setting for the PCMH model. This BHC position requires an experienced, skilled clinician with experience in psychiatric diagnostic triage, trauma treatment, emotional disturbance, and chronic, severe psychopathology. Experience working with adults and children is preferred.

Contacts and interactions vary and may involve multiple constituencies such as direct interaction with THC’s executive management, community organizers, the general public, THC’s patients, physicians, colleagues, assigned staff, vendors, contractors and consultants for the purpose of providing and exchanging information.

Example of Essential Job Functions

• Perform brief bio-psycho-social diagnostic assessments and mental status exams.
• Provide mental health education and counsel patients to enhance psychological and physical health of the patients while promoting behavioral change.
• Make referrals to the clinic specialty mental health or other community mental health or substance abuse agencies as needed
• Apply evidence-based interventions and treatment to patients with general behavioral problems (e.g. depression and anxiety) and co-occurring medical concerns (e.g. chronic pain, obesity, and chronic illnesses such as high blood pressure, asthma, and diabetes).
• Acquire a small caseload of ongoing patients in the specialty mental health setting, as a result of patients seen in the triage function that prefer to continue to work with the BHC or that are referred to the BHC via the generic referral process that reflect the clinical specialty of the BHC.
• To provide quality intakes/ diagnostic assessments, including the availability to somatic providers to provide brief (20-30 minute) targeted, short term (2-3 sessions), behavioral health assessments and brief interventions for patients. The BHC triage assessments include scheduled appointments and “warm handoffs” from the primary care provider to the BHC and subsequently from the BHC to the specialty therapists in clinic if warranted. Visits are generally a minimum of 20-30 minutes in length for the triage assessments, and 45-60 minutes for the standard intakes and diagnostic assessments.
• Demonstrated understanding of diagnostic evaluation methods, mental status exams, and use of the current DSM.
• Provide evidenced based treatment in the various modalities of services including individual, group, family, and couples therapy, and brief targeted interventions in the triage environment.
• Develop treatment plans with patients that are individualized to each patient’s needs.
• Respond to the patients’ clinical needs using differential diagnosis and treatment approaches.
• Provide crisis intervention services when required.
• Maintain communication with Primary Care Provider through duration of treatment through the PCMH and the Electronic Medical Record (EMR).
• Provide referrals to community agencies as needed and maintain communication for treatment planning purposes. In the BHC triage assessment capacity, if the issue presented by the patient cannot be addressed in the primary care setting, the BHC would determine and recommend appropriate referrals. The BHC would follow up with patients in subsequent medical visits until transition of care has been completed or the patient has withdrawn from or rejected services.
• Participate in the interdisciplinary treatment team.
• Maintain clinical documentation in EMR as required by Total Health Care.
• Complete all required documentation for insurance and established clinic policies and procedures.
• To participate in regularly scheduled clinical supervision. The BHC/LMHP is supervised weekly by the CESH Clinical Director for both functions of the job position. The LGSW or LGCP is supervised, according to their discipline regulations, by an LCSW-C or a LCPC/LCMFT.
• To maintain clinical records in accordance with insurance regulations and established clinic policies and procedures.
• To comply with clinical productivity standards as established by Program Director and the Clinical Director.
• Serves as a liaison between the somatic care sites and the mental health specialty clinic providing the link between psychiatrists, mental health providers, and primary care providers if urgent consultation is required for patients seen in the triage process.
• Participate in group medical visits for somatic topics such as smoking cessation, obesity, chronic pain management as well as behavioral health topics such as anxiety and depression.
• Help develop and participate in needed health promotion programs.
• Participate in departmental or agency meetings as required by supervisor.
• Maintain statistical and tracking database of patients seen and the outcome of service delivery
• To participate in THC and CESH staff meetings.
• To perform other duties as assigned.
• Ability to work collaboratively with other community agencies on behalf of clients and/or the agency.
• Demonstrated understanding of sound ethical practice in conjunction with the established and defined ethics of one’s training and discipline.
• Ability to effectively organize time and responsibilities.
• Provide coordination of any outside agency referrals for community involvement.
• Develops and maintains working relationships with community resources which may be utilized to maintain, support and enhance the functioning of clinic patients.
• Include all outside community resources into the treatment planning
• Initiate discharge plans as needed and coordinate the transfer of patient care to appropriate provider, if required.
• Participate in psychiatric/psychological consultation with Primary Care Providers, as requested by supervisor.
• Maintain confidentiality at all times.
• Provide immediate crisis intervention and resolution, as necessary and appropriate.
• Obtain and maintain appropriate training and continuing education as mandated by Total Health Care and discipline licensing agency.
• Perform other job related duties as assigned.

Minimum Education, Training and Experience Required The LMHP is a Licensed Mental Health Provider who is licensed as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker-Clinical (LCSW-C), Licensed Psychologist (Ph.D), a Master in Psychology degree with a license as a Licensed Certified Professional Counselor or Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist (LCPC or LCMFT) who provides specialty mental health psychotherapy services in the CESH clinics, and not the imbedded, triage and clinical functions described for the BHC/LMHP position. A LGSW degree and license or LGPC degree and license will be accepted for the LMHP position if the candidate had internships in a community mental health clinic or has had 1year post graduate experience providing therapy to an underserved population in a community mental health clinic. Minimum of 5 years providing therapy services to inner city patients with trauma histories, including diagnostic assessment experience, triage interview experience, and experience working with dually diagnosed population.