Behavioral Health Provider

Howard Brown Health is a nationally recognized leader in LGBTQ+ health and wellness. Our commitment to inclusive and affirming care has made us a cornerstone of the Chicago community. At Howard Brown, we believe in providing holistic, patient-centered care that empowers individuals and enriches lives.

Why Join Us?

• Be part of a mission-driven organization dedicated to health equity and social justice.
• Work in a supportive, inclusive, and culturally competent environment.
• Access to continuous learning opportunities and professional development.
• Comprehensive benefits package.
• Contribute to groundbreaking health initiatives and research.

Benefits

• Employer-sponsored health, dental, and vision insurance with two PPO plans and an HMO plan.
• BCBS HMO, PPO, and PPO Select Plans
• BCBS Dental
• BCBS Vision

Paid Time Off

• 3-weeks paid vacation and 1-week of personal time
• 12 accrued sick days per year
• 10 paid holidays, including Juneteenth
• PTO Exchange allows employees to turn unused PTO into liquid assets

• 401k program with up to 5% employer match after 90 days
• Employer-paid basic life insurance valued at one times the annual salary
• Voluntary Life and AD&D, and Short-term and Long-term disability
• Pre-tax commuter and parking benefit account
• Flexible Spending Accounts for healthcare and dependent care
• Tuition Reimbursement and Student Loan Forgiveness Programs; NHSC & PSLF
• Employee Assistance Program with 5 employer-paid counseling sessions
• 50% off at Brown Elephant Resale Shops and discounts at local businesses

Pay: $35.22/hour - $43.17/hour based on years of experience

Position Summary

The Behavioral Health Provider provide targeted assessment, short-term intervention, and brief follow-up for youth and adult primary care medical patients.

The BHP is an active primary care team member whose goal is to improve patient functioning, assist with the implementation of treatment plans, and support patients in achieving improved mental and physical health care of patients.

The primary purpose of the position is to provide behavioral health care services as a direct service provider to all patients in primary care that meet the program criteria. This is over 90% of the time should be spent in direct patient interactions and care activities.

This includes, but is not limited to, assessment of needs and barriers to health, treatment planning, adherence counseling, lifestyle modification, referral to internal and external resources, patient psychoeducation, treatment plan follow-up, relapse prevention planning, discharge planning, and crisis services Management services provided will follow professional standards and ethical guidelines.

Howard Brown is an approved NHSC loan repayment site. Leverages industry knowledge and best practices to promote the mission and vision of Howard Brown Health as well as supports culture enhancement and management efforts.

Principle Duties and Accountabilities

• Screens and assesses patients for common mental health and substance use disorders.
• Facilitates patient engagement and follow-up care. Support the mental and physical health care of patients on an assigned patient caseload.
• Closely coordinates care with the patient’s medical provider and, when appropriate, other behavioral/social services team members.
• Assists PCPs to understand, develop and implement short-term mental health interventions to improve patient treatment adherence and achievement of health goals.
• Meets weekly productivity standards including, but not limited to, number of patient contacts per week.
• Will follow role assignments that are in alignment with the Patient Centered Medical Home Standards, Collaborative Care Model and participate in all Patient Centered Medical Home/ Collaborative Care Model efforts.
• Systematically tracks treatment response and monitor patients (in person or by telephone) for changes in clinical symptoms and treatment side effects or complications.

• Supports psychotropic medication management as prescribed by medical providers, focusing on treatment adherence monitoring, side effects, and effectiveness of treatment.

• Provides brief behavioral interventions using evidence-based techniques such as behavioral activation, problem-solving treatment, motivational interviewing, or other treatments as appropriate.
• Collaborates with crisis services team to assist with crisis hospitalization plans for primary care patients or other individuals presenting in crisis and follow up with patients as necessary after hospitalizations.
• Provides or facilitates in-clinic or outside referrals to evidence-based psychosocial treatments (e. g. problem-solving treatment or behavioral activation) as clinically indicated.
• Participates in regularly scheduled (usually weekly) caseload consultation with the psychiatric consultant and communicate resulting treatment recommendations to the patient’s medical provider. Consultations will focus on patients new to the caseload and those who are not improving as expected under the current treatment plan. Case reviews may be conducted by telephone, video, or in person.

• Tracks patients follow up and clinical outcomes using a registry. Document in-person and telephone encounters in the registry and use the system to identify and re-engage patients. Registry functions can be accomplished through an EHR build, on a spreadsheet used in conjunction with an EHR, or can be built into a stand-alone clinical management tracking system that may or may not be linked to an EHR.
• Document patient progress and treatment recommendations in EHR and other required systems so as to be shared with medical providers, psychiatric consultant, and other treating providers.
• Facilitates treatment plan changes for patients who are not improving as expected in consultation with the medical provider and the psychiatric consultant and who may need more intensive or more specialized mental health care.

• Develops and completes relapse prevention self-management plan with patients who have achieved their treatment goals and are soon to be discharged from the caseload
• Coordinates and participates in interdisciplinary case conferences and staffings.
• Ensures the highest quality of care by working with an interdisciplinary team to: (1) develop and maintain program policies and procedures; (2) identify and eliminate barriers to care; and (3) participate in quality assurance activities, including chart reviews, program evaluation, staff development trainings, and outcome analysis.
• Proposes and implements services that improve the health of the patient population.
• Supervises volunteers and interns working within the clinic setting.
• Attends and participates in all required meetings, including multi-disciplinary case conferences, departmental meetings, on-going trainings, group consultation and individual supervision.
• Maintains the highest level of patient confidentiality.
• Performs other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s Social Work, Counseling or related discipline, required.
• Minimum of two (2) years experience working within the medical/clinical setting.
• Current, Active and Unincumbered Illinois Licensure, required.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities (K/S/A)

• Ability to maintain confidentiality regarding organizational operations, financial information, and strategic initiatives.
• Functional and proficient knowledge and practice of various models of integrated care.
• Ability to demonstrate an understanding and acceptance of equity, inclusion, and diversity concepts, and that they are broader than just race, ethnicity, and gender.
• Knowledge of health disparities, substance use and domestic violence issues, especially within LGBTQ community.
• Demonstrated self-awareness, in terms of understanding their own culture, identity, biases, prejudices, power, privilege and stereotypes.
• Ability to document effectively in an electronic health record environment.
• Ability to work affirmatively with gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) and HIV positive patients.

ADA Specifications

• Requires ability to speak audibly and listen actively.
• Requires ability to use computers, telephone, and other office equipment.
• Requires ability to sit for an extended period of time.
• Requires ability to lift, push, and pull up to 25 lbs.
• Requires ability to periodically travel across sites.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Decisions and criteria governing the employment relationship with all employees at Howard Brown are made in a non-discriminatory manner, without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, pregnancy, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, age, FMLA status, or any other factor determined to be unlawful by federal, state or local statutes.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the individual(s) assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required.

Management reserves the right to modify, add, or remove duties and to assign other duties as necessary. In addition, reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.