Navigator - Behavioral Health Integration

About the role

The Navigator is the bridge for Behavioral Health Integration (BHI) services. Under the direct supervision of the Clinical Services Supervisor, the primary role of the Navigator is to link patients into Behavioral Health (BH) services by supporting the clinics with increased access to quality and timely health care.

Responsibilities

• Assists the patient telephonically with the completion of appropriate forms with professionalism, diplomacy, and advocacy for patients’ cultural and diversity needs.
• Ensures the patient’s chart is in order and current with appropriate demographics and payer source information along with completed forms, consents, and portal access.
• Verifies insurance, payer status, physical address, and emergency contact at every visit.
• Identifies any gaps in care and any quality metrics that need to be met by reviewing the patient’s historical electronic medical record and using the appropriate disease management guidelines (e.g., American Diabetes Association, National Institute of Health).
• Maintain a continuous relationship with the patient and a collaborative, integrated relationship with the rest of the care team.
• Performs primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention strategies including wellness education, administers screening using applicable, validated clinical rating scales, and referral and linkage to appropriate BH providers and resources.
• Informs patients about all services and programs available throughout the CHC care network and makes appropriate referrals.
• Must be professional at all times, and provide quality “Customer Service” using AIDET Standards.
• Answers telephones with professional greeting and voice.
• Schedules patients per the protocol and refers triage, medical and medication management calls to qualified nursing staff or licensed independent practitioners (LIP).
• Participates in service coordination activities as directed to improve service continuity and effectiveness for clients within the CHC network.
• Provides clerical and care coordination support to BH providers (LCSWs, LMFTs, ASWs, Psychiatrists) and Primary Care Teams including but not limited to scheduling and rescheduling patient appointments, activation, and maintenance calls at regularly scheduled intervals.
• Aids patients in the navigation of the mental health system, and appropriate linkage to various county agencies, and other community resources based on patient need and availability.
• Documents all service contacts in the patient’s electronic health record on a timely basis to include any outside agency correspondence and maintains the care records in accordance with agency standards and requirements by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
• Assists clinic staff telephonically with de-escalating patient behavioral issues and concerns in the clinic.
• Mets regularly with the Clinical Services Supervisor and/or supervising BH clinician as a means of enhancing professional growth, reviewing and processing the provision of care coordination services, and dealing with appropriate administrative issues.
• Liaises with community and external agencies on behalf of CHC in matters pertaining to high-risk behavioral health patients.
• Attends training and staff meetings as required and performs related work as assigned.
• Ability to work with a high volume of patients, internal/external customers, and deal with frequent changes, delays, or unexpected events.
• Demonstrates adherence to and observes all safety policies and procedures, inclusive of infection control rules and regulations.
• Demonstrates the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age and behavioral health needs of the patients served (adults 18 years or older).
• Demonstrates knowledge of domestic violence, child and dependent abuse protocols.
• Demonstrates cultural sensitivity and competence with patients.
• Maintains and adheres to HIPAA, employee confidentiality, and privileged communications (patient, employee, and corporation).

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• Associate’s degree or currently enrolled in Human Services, Addiction Studies, Nursing program, or related field.
• Some experience in front and/or back office medical and/or behavioral health experience required.
• Will consider if graduated from an accredited school in Medical Assisting; and/or certified or registered medical assistant (CMA/RMA), and minimum of one (1) year of recent medical assisting experience in the medical field.

Skills

• Strong communication skills, medical terminology, problem management strategies, organized, detail-oriented, and knowledgeable of the scope of services available within the CHC system throughout San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.
• Bilingual – ability to read, speak, and write in English and another language is preferred, not required.
• Mathematical Skills: Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide into all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.
• Reasoning Abilities: Ability to apply sound judgment in understanding to carry out instructions in written or oral form.
• Computer Skills: Experience with word processing, spreadsheets, email, and keyboarding required. Microsoft Office and Google Suite skills required. Working knowledge of EHR preferred.

Benefits

Not specified.

Pay

$21.00 - $23.15 per hour

Schedule

Not specified.