Behavioral Health Specialist

Community Health Center of Snohomish County offers competitive wages and a comprehensive benefits package designed to address health, time off, retirement and career-advancement needs.

Benefits available include health insurance (medical/dental/vision), up to 160 hours of vacation time pro-rated by FTE every 12 months, paid sick leave, 10-paid holidays, 403(b) Safe Harbor retirement plan with employer match, disability and life insurance, and more! We also offer $0.75/hour for those who test proficiently in a second language.

This is a split position between Edmonds and Everett South Clinics.

Job Summary

The Social Worker/Behavioral Health Specialist (Certified) operates in a team with other clinic healthcare providers and support staff.

The Social Worker/Behavioral Health Specialist (Certified) provides support and assistance to Primary Care Providers (PCP) and their patients working closely with Behavioral Health Team and Medical Providers to ensure comprehensive care and without engaging in extended specialty mental health care.

Makes recommendations to PCP’s relative to psychological intervention strategies and conducts follow-up consultations to reinforce PCP-generated interventions.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• - Reads, speaks, understands and writes proficiently in English.
• Independent and self-directed.
• Works effectively in a team environment.
• Organizes, prioritizes, and coordinates multiple activities and tasks.
• Works with initiative, energy and effectiveness in a fast-paced environment.

• Remains calm and effective in high pressure and emergency situations.
• Problem-solves with creativity and ingenuity.
• Knowledge of medical terminology.
• Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office applications; Word, Excel and Outlook.

• Experience referring high risk populations to community resources.
• Strong psychosocial assessment, progress monitoring and documentation skills.

• Ability to navigate complex medical information via EHR.
• Knowledge of DSM-5 criteria for various mental health conditions.
• Knowledge of third party payer requirements.
• Knowledge/experience with comorbid mental/physical illness and the impact on patients and families.

• Experience working with patients in crisis.
• Experience working with culturally diverse, underserved populations.

Preferred

• Bilingual skills.

Education

• High school graduate or equivalent.
• Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling, Behavioral Science, Social Work or related field.

Experience

• Minimum of 2 years’ experience in related field.

Preferred

• Not less than a 0.5 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) of patient care within field of training within the past year.
• CPT-4 coding experience.
• ICD-10 coding experience.
• Healthcare information systems, such as electronic health record and practice management systems experience.
• Experience in a multiple provider medical practice.
• Working with low income, multi-ethnic populations.

Credentials

• Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) Certification.
• Independent Clinical Social Worker license (LICSW) with the State of Washington and board certification by the American Association of Social Work Board (ASWB).
• Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers (CPR/AED) certification
• Successful completion of CHC’s credentialing and privileging review upon hire and re-credentialing as appropriate.

Preferred

• Substance Use Disorder Professional Certification (SUDP) with the state of Washington.

Other

• Verified immunity to measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), and varicella (chickenpox). Immunity may be demonstrated through vaccination records or titer results. Medical or religious accommodation requests may be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Job Specific Functions/Performance: Social Worker

1. Provides support and assistance to Primary Care providers (PCP) and their patients. Assesses and coordinates patients’ needs with members of the healthcare team to ensure quality continuum of care.

2. Interviews patients, assesses priorities and documents case activity.

3. Assists clients/families with obtaining community assistance by referral to proper resources. Facilitates connection of patients with community resources and performs follow up to document use/success of referrals.

4. Develops and maintains working relationships with community health, welfare, and social agencies and seeks creative means to assist client with his/her needs.

5. Performs hospital discharge care coordination for medical and psychiatric patients to include assisting patients in overcoming barriers to follow up care.

6. Provides focused case management for complex care patients to include terminally ill patients, and clinic/emergency room high utilizer patients.

7. Adheres to attendance standards in order to perform the job functions for daily operations and/or continuity of patient care.

Job Specific Functions/Performance: Behavioral Health Specialist (Certified)

1. Provides support and assistance to Primary Care Providers (PCP) and their patients, related to behavioral health issues. Makes recommendations to PCPs relative to psychological intervention strategies and conducts follow up consultations to reinforce behavioral health interventions.

2. Performs assessment and triage of patients by conducting a brief screening visit, evaluating the level of functioning, determining the risk level, determining if referral to another agency is appropriate, and assisting with diagnosis through diagnostic interviewing and behavioral management.

3. Makes psychological intervention, psycho educational, care management, referral, and external consultation recommendations to Primary Care Provider.

4. Performs follow-up on Behavioral Health Patient Consultation by developing behavioral care plans approved with the PCP, assisting patient with compliance with planned interventions, maintaining patient stability/preventing relapses, assisting patient with difficult conditions, procedures or lifestyle changes, assisting in managing disability issues, and participating in conjoint consultation with PCP.

5. Conducts group classes to promote skill building or education, provides information on disease, proposed interventions, and coping with side effects, and addresses negative beliefs

About Interventions.

6. Serves as liaison to community specialty behavioral health providers by identifying beneficial community resources and making referrals, educating patients about external resources, and serving as liaison with those providers to assure effective communication.

7. Administers mental health rating scales to patients as indicated. In collaboration with the primary care provider, uses the rating scales to assess patient progress with treatment, and determine the need for psychiatric consultation.

8. Assesses prenatal and postpartum patients as part of the Maternity Support Services/First Steps program.

9. Provides support and assistance to Primary Care Providers (PCP) and their patients, related to chemical dependency issues. Makes recommendations to PCPs relative to chemical dependency strategies and conducts follow-up consultations to reinforce behavioral health interventions.

10. Work with other CHC providers and staff to identify and refer patients with chemical dependency or abuse problems to professional consultation, as appropriate.

11. Provides case management and tracking services for patients enrolled in medication assisted therapy.

12. Adheres to attendance standards in order to perform the job functions for daily operations and/or continuity of patient care.

CHC is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer (EEO/AA)/At-will employer.