Behavioral Health Specialist

Job Summary and Responsibilities Franciscan Medical Group, part of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, is currently seeking a full-time Behavioral Health Specialist for the Franciscan Psychiatric and Behavorial Health Clinic in Silverdale, WA. Being embedded within our Family and Internal Med clinics, you work collaboratively with providers and patients to deliver mental health care. Job Summary: This job is responsible for coordinating and supporting mental health care with the assigned clinic(s) and for coordinating referrals to clinically-indicated services outside the clinic. An incumbent functions as a core member of a Collaborative Care team that is made up of the patient's primary care provider, a psychiatric consultant and, when available, other providers in the primary care clinic. An incumbent may provide evidence-based treatments or consult with other mental health providers when such treatment is indicated. Essential Duties: Performs patient assessment/data collection, interprets findings and formulates treatment plans.

• Reviews medical record/documentation prior to initial evaluation to familiarize self with patient's history and obtains necessary information to perform a thorough, quality assessment.
• Screens and assesses patients for common mental health and substance abuse disorders.
• Selects and administers assessment tools according to standards as established by profession and department.
• Assesses the clinical status of patients referred by primary care providers through brief consultative contacts.
• Works with primary care provider to refer cases to mental health specialists and psychiatrist as appropriate.
• Assists in the detection of "at risk" patients and development of plans to prevent further psychological or physical deterioration. Implements and updates psychosocial plan of care and treatment based on patient needs throughout patient's course of care.
• Works with primary care team and psychiatrist to treat and provide limited management of patients with chronic emotional and/or health problems efficiently and effectively.
• Assists in preventing relapse or comorbidity in conditions that tend to recur over time.
• Implements treatment through brief consultative and therapeutic contacts.
• Regularly assesses clinical signs and symptoms to determine effectiveness of treatment, progress of patient towards goals, the need for modifying goals and treatment.
• Conducts treatment according to established protocols or accepted clinical standards of practice.
• Adheres to most recent treatment plan and documented frequency per evaluation/certification or reassessment/recertification.
• Facilitates treatment plan changes (e.g. changes in medication, psychosocial treatments and/or appropriate referrals for services, etc.) for patients who are not improving as expected in consultation with the PCP and the psychiatric consultant. Works with treatment team to provide and manage treatment.
• Supports and closely coordinates mental health care with the patient's primary care provider and, when appropriate, other treating mental health providers.
• Participates in regularly scheduled (usually weekly) caseload consultation with the psychiatric consultant and communicates resulting treatment recommendations to the patient's PCP; focuses consultations focus on patients new to treatment or who are not improving as expected.
• Supports psychotropic medication management prescribed by PCPs, focusing on treatment adherence, side effects and other complications, and effectiveness of treatment.
• Provides or facilitates in-clinic or outside referrals to evidence-based psychosocial treatments (e.g, CBT, IPT) as clinically indicated.
• Monitors patients (in person or by telephone) for changes in clinical symptoms and treatment side effects or complications. Provides effective psychotherapy and brief interventions within scope of practice.
• Provides brief interventions using evidence-based techniques such as Behavioral Activation, Problem-Solving Treatment, Motivational Interviewing, or other treatments appropriate for primary care settings.
• Completes relapse prevention plan with patients who are in remission.
• Facilitates patient engagement and follow-up in care. Identifies and implements strategies to meet the educational needs of the patient/family/significant others as relates to psychological health and/or substance use.
• Teaches patients, families, and staff care, prevention, and treatment enhancement techniques for psychosocial/behavioral health issues.
• Provide patient education about common mental health and substance abuse disorders and available treatment options. Designs effective curricula for education to address psychosocial/behavioral health issues in primary care and leads effective classes for staff/medical practitioners and other behavioral health providers.
• Trains and teaches effective behavioral health interventions and the primary behavioral health model to medical practitio

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