Job Title: Behavioral Health Consultant (BHC)

Location: Waverly Women's HealthCare Center

Company Overview:
Cooperative Health has been serving the Midlands area since 1981. We are South Carolina’s largest and most cost-effective community health center system and we are hiring! We are looking for people who are passionate about providing accessible, high quality, compassionate healthcare in the Spirit of the Good Samaritan.

Position Summary:
Under supervision of the behavioral health division manager, the behavioral health consultant (BHC) attends to patient care along with clinical responsibilities. The BHC is part of the primary care team and directly serves in the areas of assessment, triage, and management of patients who have uncontrolled medical conditions and/or behavioral health needs in the primary care setting. The BHC will also provide psycho-education to patients, providers, and staff, and directly work with patients on treatment plans geared toward symptom remediation. Administrative time may be added based on needs as determined by the behavioral health division director.

Essential Functions:

• Behavioral health consulting.
• Care management and data management.
• Work as a member of the care team rather than as an individual provider, meaning working in the same chart as medical providers and other members of the care team.
• Maintain a population health focus in the consulting role in keeping with primary care behavioral health model.
• Maintain concept of primary care provider as principal client of the behavioral health consultant’s services.
• Evaluate the behavioral/mental health condition of patients referred by primary care providers through brief behavioral health consultations (initial and follow-up).
• Provide curbside consults to primary care providers.
• Collaborate with the care team in evidence-based treatment planning
• Assist in the care management of patients with chronic medical and mental health conditions in an efficient manner, including relapse-prevention planning.
• Assist with referrals to traditional mental health providers as needed.
• Collaborate in identifying patients who are at risk of seriously worsening physically, mentally, or emotionally, and work on preventive solutions as part of the team.
• Collaboratively evaluate care plans within the care team.
• Train patients, families, and clinical staff via psycho-education on prevention and augmentation of remedial efforts.
• Team with patients, families, and care team members to generate solutions for behavioral change in order address current behavioral health conditions and improve overall health.
• Complete documentation and other administrative duties efficiently.
• Collaborate with patient care coordinators in order to assist patients and families facing social determinants as potential barriers to care.
• Assist with coordinating care with external organizations.
• Maintain active efforts toward quality improvement.
• Work as team member in efforts toward quality improvement and Patient-Centered Medical Home initiatives.
• Abide by HIPAA as well as patient, organizational, and practice standards for confidentiality.
• Attend staff meetings, other work-related meetings, training, and perform other related job duties as required or requested.

Additional Duties:

• Float between sites as needed.
• Recommend behavioral health program initiatives which would help with outcomes for the patient population.
• Generate data-based decisions for care management follow-up as needed.
• Direct calls to patients and families in need of care management follow-up.
• Grow the behavioral health division by helping with an area of need during administrative time (e.g., external referral contacts, consulting psychiatry, specialty populations, provider education).
• Assist with Cooperative Health’s education efforts of the broader healthcare community.
• Serve on committees as requested, pending availability.
• Participate in the peer review process.

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in counseling, social work, psychology or related degree required.
• Fully licensed in South Carolina in Counseling, Marriage & Family Therapy, Psychology, Social Work or other related field required.
• Minimum of two (2) years’ experience working as counselor.
• Understanding of diagnosis using DSM 5 and relevant evidence based treatment options.
• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal.
• Understanding of the health care system and its various components.
• Ability to embody the mission of Cooperative Health- Provide accessible, high-quality, compassionate health care in the spirit of the Good Samaritan.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior experience working with a widely varied patient population
• Bilingual proficiency (English/Spanish)
• Annual bilingual (English/Spanish) medical terminology test may be required.

Supervisory Responsibility:

• Supervise behavioral health students/interns, including shadowing, reverse-shadowing, live feedback, and written evaluations.
• If provider is LISW: Supervise LMSWs

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement Statement

Cooperative Health falls under Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) guidelines related to COVID-19 Vaccinations which will require employees to be fully vaccinated

The above information is intended to describe the most important aspects of the job. It is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required in order to perform the work.

Cooperative Health provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Cooperative Health complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.