Integrated Behavioral Health Specialist

About the role

The Integrated Behavioral Health Specialist provides multifaceted care to patients and families of all ages and backgrounds, collaborating with a multi-disciplinary team to identify and treat socioeconomic and behavioral health concerns that impede quality of life. The role delivers an integrated clinical and psychosocial approach, offering short-term counseling, crisis intervention, and community resource coordination in the clinical care setting. Working directly with patients' providers and clinic care managers, the specialist ensures timely, appropriate referrals and addresses patient needs through excellent organizational skills, independent work, and strong communication.

Job Requisition ID: R-57844

Responsibilities

• Accepts responsibility and accountability for optimal patient outcomes within scope of practice
• Adheres to University of Kansas Health System policies, procedures, standards, and Corporate Compliance program
• Assumes responsibility for risk and safety issues associated with the position
• Accepts calls as required by position and department expectations
• Performs job-specific responsibilities and demonstrates accountability for own actions and decisions
• Acquires and maintains knowledge and competence related to position expectations and practices within scope
• Brings ideas and concerns to supervisor and participates in department decision making
• Completes psychosocial assessments of patient/family situations including social, psychological, emotional, financial, and other socioeconomic factors
• Identifies and utilizes all relevant information related to patient’s current condition(s) (medical/nursing needs, social work knowledge base, disease process, community resources) to assess psychosocial situation accurately and thoroughly
• Responsible for crisis intervention, problem solving, brief solution-focused interventions, cognitive behavioral therapy, and self-management support for referred patients
• Participates in team huddles and meetings among the care team and clinic(s)
• Works collaboratively, cooperatively, and independently as a member of the clinical care team
• Provides strategic and goal-oriented sessions with patients focusing on brief solution-focused interventions
• Assists patients and/or their families in obtaining community behavioral health referrals
• Follows up on patient referrals to ensure the patient has received needed services
• Responsible for telephone call follow-up for high-risk patients on caseload, especially depressed patients
• Recognizes the importance of cultural diversity, age/developmental level, and respects individual preferences
• Responsible for development of exemplary working relationships with patients, their families, and representatives
• Facilitates patient and family education and promotes continuity of care to achieve optimal patient outcomes
• Advocates for patient’s rights to self-determination unless a patient’s action or goals pose a serious, foreseeable, and imminent risk to themselves or others
• Monitors cognitive functioning of patients
• Reviews the patient plan of care with the multi-disciplinary team
• Documents in the medical record (EMR) and verbally communicates with the care team to coordinate interventions and facilitate continuity of care
• Demonstrates knowledge of community-based social services and resources in the metropolitan and other key areas of the patient population
• Identifies key social and environmental factors in patient’s lives including resource needs, stressors, and interpersonal problems
• Responsible for follow-up on Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) for patient’s needs such as (but not limited to): transportation, social isolation, prescription assistance, health care costs, housing cost
• Maintains a safe, comfortable, and therapeutic environment for patients and families in accordance with The University of Kansas Health System standards
• Maintains clinical Social Work licensure and CEUs
• Must be able to perform the professional, clinical and/or technical competencies of the assigned unit or department

Requirements

• Master's Degree
• Experience in a health care setting, integrated primary care environment, behavioral health or social service agency
• Licensed Specialist Clinical Social Worker (LSCSW) — State Board of Behavioral Sciences Kansas or Missouri

Preferred qualifications

• 1 or more years of experience

Schedule

Full time