Behavioral Health Specialist

Reports To: Director of Behavioral Health
Department: Behavioral Health
Classification: Non-Exempt

The Behavioral Health Specialist (BHS) provides a range of client-centered services that link clients with healthcare, psychosocial support, and other services. The BHS connects community members with resources such as health screening information, healthcare providers, assistance with publicly funded health insurance, financial assistance, mental health and substance abuse treatment, and transportation services.

This position enhances the Care Coordination team’s ability to provide proactive patient management, increased patient and provider satisfaction, and continuity of patient care.

• Provides outreach to individuals in a variety of settings, including but not limited to health fairs, clinic outreach, and patient lists for targeted outreach.
• Manages patient check-in processes, including insurance verification, copay collection, intake documentation, consents, and release-of-information compliance.
• Delivers culturally appropriate and accessible health education and information, often utilizing educational tools within the EHR. Arranges for bilingual providers or translators and assists with culturally appropriate education as needed.
• Helps clients access resources by scheduling appointments and assisting with program applications.
• Manages referrals and insurance, including scheduling appointments, verifying coverage, and completing prior authorizations.
• Assists the Behavioral Health team with coordination of care by tracking and supporting patients when they obtain services outside of the agency.
• Provides mental health psychoeducation regarding symptoms, treatments, and coping skills to reduce stigma; works with clients to build trust; follows up to ensure appointment compliance; and helps prevent social isolation.
• Builds relationships within the community to promote mental health wellness among community members and leaders.
• Assists patients as needed with managing appointments, schedules, and patient self-management goals utilizing motivational interviewing skills.
• Manages departmental calls, messages, scheduling, follow-up appointments, and communicates concerns to the team as needed.
• Serves as a liaison between the Behavioral Health Division and other departments within the agency and externally for patients to address social determinants of health as needed.
• Understands and follows policies and procedures and produces and submits reports and documentation in a timely manner.
• Collects historical information on clients and intake documentation, including releases, medication lists, treatment history, and collateral information, and documents the information in the EHR system.
• Maintains excellent communication within the Behavioral Health staff and documents actions in the patient’s medical record as appropriate.
• Serves as a patient advocate and acts as a liaison between the patient care team, behavioral healthcare facilities, and community agencies among all Franklin Primary Health Center clinics.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Must provide the very best customer satisfaction to patients, visitors, and coworkers at all times in a professional and courteous manner.

• Provides assistance in resolving customer problems.
• Coordinates efforts and interfaces with other departments to resolve problems.
• Actively protects customer confidentiality.
• Actively keeps the environment clean and safe with a professional and welcoming image.
• Always treats customers as welcome guests and provides a warm and sincere greeting.
• Consistently presents a professional appearance in dress and grooming by adhering to the dress code policy.
• Effectively and regularly demonstrates the values of the organization.
• Effectively involves customers in decisions that affect them.
• Follows through in a timely manner on commitments made to customers.
• Takes ownership of one’s attitude toward Service Excellence.

Performance will be evaluated by the Program Coordinator or designee annually, wherein a satisfactory overall rating is considered the minimum acceptable level of performance.

• Must adhere to safety policies and procedures.
• Must receive Safety and Hazardous Communication training annually.
• Must exercise universal precautions and comply with safety standards and procedures.
• Must be knowledgeable of OSHA and CLIA requirements to assure compliance.