Psychotherapist

JOB SUMMARY:

The Behavior Health Specialist as part of the integrated health model will provide integrated behavioral health services to patients currently receiving primary care services at Health West, Inc. The Behavior Health Specialist position is the primary interface for patients to access services such as coworkers/family counseling and support, screening, assessment, brief treatment, consultative services, education and engagement, linkages, outreach and advocacy. As a licensed clinician, the Behavior Health Specialist will utilize the Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) Model for brief treatment and provide linkage and make referrals to other community and higher-level care providers for patients. The Behavior Health Specialist will provide psychotherapy, psycho-education, and patient education strategies and will consult with primary care providers to develop specific behavioral change plans for patients and behavioral health protocols for target populations. Working from an interdisciplinary approach and in collaboration with the medical providers the Behavior Health Specialist also provides orientation, consultation, and ongoing training to pertinent primary care staff as needed in order to strengthen the relationship between primary care and behavioral health services at Health West. The Behavior Health Specialist will work closely with the care manager, and the primary care provider to help patients work through psychotherapy using structured instruments to revise the treatment plan when patients are not improving, and offers a brief course of counseling to aid in creating new treatment plans as necessary.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Establishes a compassionate setting by providing emotional, psychological, and spiritual support to patients, friends, and families.
• Work with primary care providers to recognize, treat and manage mental disorders, psychosocial problems, and chronic emotional and/or health problems efficiently and effectively.
• Comply with established departmental policies and procedures, objectives, quality assurance program, safety, and customer service standards.
• Participate in ongoing training in adult behavioral health issues and provide training to primary care clinic staff in mental health topics including counseling skills and confidentiality, medication use and misuse, substance abuse, wellness, rehabilitation, recovery and self-sufficiency.
• Participate in weekly multidisciplinary case conferences with Medical Providers as needed
• Provide clinical assessments of behavioral health conditions.
• Assist in the detection of “at risk” patients and development of plans to prevent further psychological or physical deterioration.
• Assist in preventing relapse or morbidity in conditions that tend to recur over time;
• Maintain timely, accurate and appropriate records.
• Teach care, prevention, and treatment enhancement technique to patients, families, and staff.
• Design and implement clinical pathways through developing procedures and protocols for treatment of selected mental and behavioral conditions.
• Remain current with standards of mental and behavioral health care practice.
• Attend and participate in meetings and Quality Improvement activities as required.
• Represent Health West, Inc. in the community and maintain effective working relationships among co-workers, public, private, and professional groups.
• Serve as a member of site committees as requested.
• Participate in evaluation of co-workers and support staff.
• Some travel may be required.

SAFETY:

• Health West enforces a safety setting whereby all employees have the responsibility for continuously developing and maintaining a safe working setting.
• Each employee is responsible for completing all training requirements, participating in emergency response tasks as requested, and serving on safety committees and teams as requested.
• In addition, employees must accept the responsibility for maintaining the safety of themselves and others by adhering to all written and verbal instructions, promptly reporting and/or correcting all hazards or unsafe conditions, and providing feedback to supervisors and management on all safety issues.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW);
• Ability to make accurate clinical assessments of mental and behavioral conditions;
• Ability to provide evidence-based psychotherapy and brief therapeutic interventions;
• Ability to work effectively as a team, interfacing with patients, primary care providers, consulting psychiatrist and mental health specialists, as well as with administrative and support staff;
• Will complete SBIRT training within 3 months of hire.
• Will complete GAIN certification within 6 months of hire.

DESIRED:

• Licensed in the State of Idaho as a Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
• Experience in delivering services to medically underserved populations; and experience with depression and depression treatment plan, working with medically ill and/or older adults.
• Bi-lingual: Spanish/English.

Licensed health care providers may receive funds toward student loans in exchange for a two-year commitment at an NHSC-approved site through the NHSC Loan Repayment Program (NHSC LRP).