Behavioral Health Consultant - Greentree/Crafton - Full Time

Allegheny Health Network is seeking a Behavioral Health Consultant (BHC) to join the core healthcare team, assisting care managers in improving the overall health of their enrolled population. The BHC focuses on enhancing the recognition, treatment, and management of psychosocial, behavioral, and medical conditions.

Responsibilities

• Member of Care Team & Population Health Efforts
  • Act as a core care team member to develop clinical pathways or best practice programs for targeted patient groups.
  • Participate in practice staff meetings and trainings.
  • Provide education and support on behavioral health and substance abuse topics to multidisciplinary team members during treatment planning.
  • Participate in daily huddles to identify behavioral health, substance abuse, and psychosocial needs.
  • Provide population-based care using registries for high-risk/high-need patients.
  • Serve all enrollees, not just those with diagnosable mental disorders.
  • Participate in system-wide BHC learning collaboratives.
• Effective Communicator and Change Agent
  • Promote ongoing change efforts within the practice and AHN health system regarding mental health and substance abuse disorders.
  • Document in the shared medical record in a location easily visible to providers and team members.
  • Engage patients via telephone and in-person interactions.
• Clinical Interventions
  • Provide same-day support, including assessment, intervention, and referrals to higher levels of care for mental health and addiction needs.
  • See patients immediately after other team members, often in exam or consult rooms, encouraging participation in the treatment plan.
  • Deliver therapeutic counseling services in 15-30 minute interventions tailored to the ambulatory care environment.
  • Identify functional outcomes and make recommendations targeting occupational, social, familial functioning, home activities, and recreation.
  • Use short-term interventions based on a "treat to target" approach, including solution-focused therapy, CBT, and Motivational Interviewing.
  • Coordinate with patient family members and support systems (with patient permission).
  • Provide brief follow-up, including relapse prevention education.
  • Promote skill-building to enhance psychological and physical health, sometimes through group sessions.
  • Assist patients in crisis to meet urgent mental health and substance abuse needs.
  • Triage and refer patients to specialty mental health and substance abuse services (e.g., childhood trauma, IOP, inpatient hospitalization, PTSD, psychiatry).
• Advocacy, Outreach, Community Linkages, and Coaching
  • Advocate for patients perceived as difficult or "non-compliant."
  • Reach out to disengaged patients (typically via phone) to re-engage them in care.
  • Encourage patients to become active participants in their own care and treatment.
  • Connect patients to community resources addressing social determinants of health.

Requirements

• Minimum Master’s degree in a Mental Health Field.
• 2 years of experience using evidence-based counseling techniques, including screening, diagnosis, and treatment of common mental health and substance abuse disorders.
• Knowledge of the relationship between medical and psychological aspects of health and disease.
• Licensed as a Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), or Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). Out-of-state license transfers must be completed within 60 days of hire.

Additional Employment Requirements

• CPR certification (American Heart Association).
• Act 34 Criminal Background Clearance Certificate.
• Act 33 Child Abuse Clearance Certificate.
• Act 73 FBI Fingerprinting Criminal Background Clearance Certificate.