Behavioral Health Care Manager - Collaborative Care Management

At Memorial Hermann, we pursue a common goal of delivering high quality, efficient care while creating exceptional experiences for every member of our community. When we say every member of our community, that includes our employees. We know that when our employees feel cared for, heard and valued, they are inspired to create moments that exceed expectations, while prioritizing safety, compassion, personalization and efficiency. If you want to advance your career and contribute to our vision of creating healthier communities, now and for generations to come, we want you to be a part of our team.

Job Summary

Behavioral Health Services (BHS) is made up of a multidisciplinary team of Psychiatrists, Mental Health Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, Mental Health Professionals, Medical Assistants, and Administrative Staff. These professionals work together to provide a gold standard of care regarding effective treatment to support Memorial Hermann patients in an effort to connect the patient to the most appropriate level of care. Our goal is to increase access to behavioral health treatment services, promote better health outcomes for patients with chronic or urgent mental health treatment needs by utilizing empirically validated interventions, decrease unnecessary ER visits, and decrease incarcerations.

Job Description

The Behavioral Health Care Manager is a core member of the collaborative care team, including the patient’s medical provider and psychiatric consultant, as well as the larger primary care team or medical team. The Behavioral Health Care Manager is responsible for supporting and coordinating the mental and physical health care of patients on an assigned patient caseload with the patient’s medical provider and, when appropriate, other mental health providers.

If you have experience in team based models, utilizing team and case management skills in a Collaborative Care Model within a Primary Care setting, we'd love to talk with you! 

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Masters Degree in Social Work and licensure as a clinician or undergoing clinical supervision; or Master’s degree in counseling or related field.

Licenses/Certification: Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW), Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Professional Counselor - Supervisor (LPC-S), Licensed Marriage Family Therapist-Associate (LMFT-A), or Licensed Marriage Family Therapist (LMFT)

Experience / Knowledge / Skills:

• Five (5) years psychiatric/healthcare field experience preferred, Internships considered.
• Knowledge of best practices in working with various psychiatric populations. 
• The ability to work independently.
• Proven capability in conducting evaluations to determine the psychosocial and psychiatric needs of adults, children and families.
• Demonstrates the ability to complete thorough risk assessments for suicide and homicide. 
• Effective use of the role of the Diagnostic Statistical Manuel (DSM) in diagnosing mental illness.
• Demonstrates an ability to recommend the appropriate psychiatric levels of care.
• Applies crisis intervention techniques as well as evidenced based counseling techniques with both individuals and family members.
• Developed skill set of family systems and effective strategies for engaging the family in the patient’s treatment.
• Maintain clinician annual core competencies in: HIPAA/Privacy, Cultural Competence, Information Security Awareness, Domestic Violence, Levels of Care, Medications, Substance Use, DSM, Suicide/Homicide Assessments, and Psychiatric Emergencies.
• Theoretical knowledge of interviewing, assessment, organizational and problem solving skills. 
• Ability to apply theory into the practice of : 1) identifying appropriate community resources on assigned caseload and 2) working collaboratively with patients, families, multi-disciplinary team and community agencies to achieve desired patient outcomes 3) Seeking consultation/supervision from team clinical leaders on complex psychiatric and/or medical cases when clinically appropriate. 
• Possess knowledge of the importance of interpersonal communication and negotiation skills in interactions with patients, families, physicians and health care team colleagues. Good analytical and PC skills.  Understands the need to develop collaborative relationships with physicians, families, patients, interdisciplinary team and other community agencies.  Good communication skills and the theoretical knowledge of the importance of negotiation skills. 
• Openness to working with people of all social, economic, and cultural backgrounds; being open-minded and adaptable to change.  Demonstrate the ability to connect patients and families with necessary services, both inside and outside the MHHS network.  Some knowledge of services available in the local community, particularly services available to patients with limited or non-existent payment resources. Demonstrate patience and tact when dealing with clients and other staff.

Principal Accountabilities

• Support the mental and physical health care of patients on an assigned patient caseload. Closely coordinate care with the patient’s medical provider and, when appropriate, other mental health providers.

• Screen and assess patients for common mental health and substance abuse disorders. Facilitate patient engagement and follow-up care.

• Provide patient education about common mental health and substance abuse disorders and available treatment options.

• Systematically track treatment response and monitor patients for changes in clinical symptoms and treatment side effects or complications.

• Support psychotropic medication management as prescribed by medical providers, focusing on treatment adherence monitoring, side effects, and effectiveness of treatment.

• Provider brief behavioral interventions using evidence-based techniques such as behavioral activation, problem-solving treatment, motivational interviewing, or other treatments as appropriate.

• Provide or facilitate in-clinic or outside referrals to evidence-based psychosocial treatments (e.g. problem-solving treatment or behavioral activation) as clinically indicated.

• Participate in regularly scheduled (usually weekly) caseload consultation with the psychiatric consultant and communicate resulting treatment recommendations to the patient’s medical provider. Consultations will focus on patients new to the caseload and those who are not improving as expected under the current treatment plan. Case reviews may be conducted by telephone, video, or in person.

• Track patient follow up and clinical outcomes using registry. Document virtual and telephone encounters and use the system to identify and re-engage patients.

• Document patient progress and treatment recommendations in EHR and other required systems so as to be shared with medical providers, psychiatric consultant, and other treating providers.

• Facilitate treatment plan changes for patients who are not improving as expected in consultation and who may need more intensive or more specialized mental health care.

• Facilitate referrals for clinically indicated services outside of the organization (e.g. social services such as housing assistance, vocational rehabilitation, mental health specialty care, substance abuse treatment).

• Develop and complete relapse prevention self-management plan with patients who have achieved their treatment goals and are soon to be discharged from the caseload.

• Track patient follow up and clinical outcomes using a registry. Document in-person and telephone encounters in the registry and use the system to identify and re-engage patients.

• Provide brief behavioral interventions using evidence-based techniques such as behavioral activation, problem-solving treatment, motivational interviewing, or other treatments as appropriate.

• Assesses patient’s and family’s psychosocial risk factors through evaluation of prior functioning levels, appropriateness and adequacy of support systems, reaction to illness and ability to cope.

• Provides intervention in cases involving child abuse/neglect, domestic violence, guardianship (temporary/permanent), institutional abuse, foster care, adoption, mental health placement, advance directives, adult/elderly abuse, child protection and sexual assault.

• Ensures safe care to patients, staff and visitors; adheres to all Memorial Hermann policies, procedures, and standards within budgetary specifications including time management, supply management, productivity and quality of service.

• Promotes individual professional growth and development by meeting requirements for mandatory/continuing education and skills competency; supports department-based goals which contribute to the success of the organization; serves as preceptor, mentor and resource to less experienced staff.

• Other duties as assigned.