John Bell Health Center

Behavioral Health Consultant

Job Description

Hours: Monday Friday 9:00 AM 5:00 PM; hours will vary as the clinic grows

Department: John Bell Health Center

Location: John Bell Health Center

Supervisor(s): Medical Director and Director of Behavioral Health

Full-Time, 40 hours per week; exempt

FIGHT Description: Philadelphia FIGHT, initially founded in 1990 as a comprehensive AIDS service organization, is now a Federally Qualified Health Center with 4 clinical sites, 1 dental site, and 2 satellite sites. Philadelphia FIGHT's mission is to reduce health disparities for vulnerable populations including, but not limited to, those living with HIV, those at high risk for HIV acquisition, homeless, transient youth, and members of the LGBT community, formerly incarcerated persons, and low income members of the community. Our program offers a team-centered, multi-disciplinary approach that, in addition to clinical care, prioritizes access to behavioral health and substance abuse services. This care is offered in accordance with Philadelphia FIGHT's mission to reduce health disparities for vulnerable populations including, but not limited to, those living with HIV and those at high risk, homeless and transient youth, members of the LGBT community, formerly incarcerated persons, and low income members of the community.

Department Descriptions: The John Bell Health Center is a comprehensive healthcare clinic that provides state-of-the-art primary medical care to adults age 18 and older, regardless of the individual's insurance status, ability to pay, or life circumstances. Our primary target populations include people returning to the community from incarceration, and individuals with Hepatitis C, HIV, and those with significant trauma histories.  Our team of compassionate providers focuses on addressing each patient's unique needs and challenges.

Job Description: We are seeking a passionate and motivated Behavioral Health Consultant (BHC) to provide clinical services at John bell Health Center The BHC will be fully embedded into the primary care setting that will follow the patients  through the medical and mental health treatment plan. The BSM BHC will be a full-time member of the primary care team. The BHC will provide consultation with the Primary Care Provider (PCP) to enhance the understanding of the patient, provide decision support for treatment planning, and assist in the ongoing care and monitoring of the patients mental health care. The BSM BHC will provide individual and personalized targeted, real-time assessments and interventions.

Job Responsibilities:

Qualifications and Skills

• Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a Master's degree in social work and a minimum of two years' experience as a mental health therapist with a current license to practice in Pennsylvania.
• Competency in providing cognitive and behavioral interventions to individuals, families, couples, and groups with behavioral health/substance abuse problems in a primary care setting.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively with primary care staff, patients and other behavioral health clinicians. Ability and desire to work with diverse populations.
• Ability and desire to work with the target population of adult men and women with a history of incarceration in prison and jail. Experience with incarcerated or formerly incarcerated individuals preferred.    

Primary Tasks and Responsibilities: 

• Consultation with Primary Care Providers (PCP) to enhance understanding of the patient and provide short term treatment planning to increase positive medical outcomes.
• Individual consultation with patients, including:
• Screening all patients for substance use and mental health disorders using an evidence based tool;
• Collaboration with PCP for patients with a positive screen to determine if referral to substance abuse and/or mental health treatment is needed;
• Motivational interviewing and psychoeducation for all patients and their support systems on mitigating risks for substance abuse and mental health disorders and prevention strategies;
• Brief problem solving cognitive intervention aimed at modifying negative thinking and promoting self-efficacy;
• Self-Care Plan development and skills training to facilitate disease self- management, improved coping, distress tolerance, stress reduction, and relaxation;
• Alert appropriate clinic staff and aid in crisis intervention as needed.Charting Complete all charting and documentation as needed and required by contracted funding sources: including assessments, progress notes, and administrative.Supervision Attend all behavioral health consultant team meetings, trainings, and clinical supervision. Reports to the BHC director and the site clinical director.
• Billing- Complete all billing documentation as needed and required by contracted funding sources: including billing codes and required documentation.
• Coordination of Care Provide consultation and coordinate care of patients with clinic staff. Identify, refer, and advocate for patients needing intensive behavioral health service, substance abuse treatment, and other services.

Qualifications:

Skills and Abilities

• Competency in providing empirically validated cognitive and behavioral interventions including Motivational Interviewing, ACT, Brief Problem Solving, DBT, CBT and Self- Regulatory Interventions in a primary care setting (e.g. disease management, motivational interviewing, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for depression, anxiety, insomnia, chronic pain, treatment adherence, and lifestyle change).
• Experience and desire to work with all segments, cultures, sexual orientations, etc. of the adult population is required including the chronically homeless and severely mentally ill.
• Related experience in a medical setting (i.e. primary care, hospital, community based clinic, etc.) and/or integrated behavioral health.
• Experience providing culturally appropriate direct counseling and therapy to clients in the form of; individual counseling, group therapy, addiction counseling and supportive care.
• Knowledge of psychopharmacology.

Work Environment

• The BHC will be based at the John Bell Health Center clinical environment.  Infrequently the BSM BHC will work in a clinical office environment.
• Occasional commuting to other FIGHT locations in Center City Philadelphia for coverage and support.

Note

Initial probationary period is three months (90 days). FIGHT is an EEO, Affirmative Action, LGBTQIA, and people living with HIV/AIDS and protected veterans institution.