Legacy Health

Integrated Behavioral Health Clinician - Primary Care

Equal Opportunity Employer/Vet/Disabled
US-WA-VANCOUVER

Job ID: 26-47423
Type: Regular Full-Time
Salmon Creek Medical Ctr campus

Overview

As a Behavioral Health Clinician - Psychologist (BHC), you will serve as an integral member of the primary care team, working in a consultative and collaborative role to improve the overall health and well-being of patients. You will help address a broad spectrum of behavioral health needs by providing early identification, assessment, triage, and evidence-based, problem-focused interventions for patients experiencing behavioral, emotional, psychological, and social concerns related to both physical and mental health conditions.

In this role, you will meet with patients individually to conduct comprehensive assessments, develop recommendations that enhance the patient's care plan, and collaborate closely with primary care providers to ensure coordinated, patient-centered care. When appropriate, you will provide follow-up treatment through skills training, coaching, and evidence-based interventions designed to improve patients' health, functioning, and overall wellness. You will also play a key role in supporting patients who require services beyond those available within the clinic by facilitating smooth transitions to community-based behavioral health resources.

If this sounds like you, we invite you to apply and become part of a collaborative team dedicated to improving the health and well-being of our patients and communities.

Responsibilities

• Works with the primary care provider in recognizing, treating and managing mental health and psychosocial issues.
• Conducts concise patient diagnostic intakes and assessments, including treatment planning and goals with recommendations for the primary care provider and care team.
• Assist with and/or provide:
  • Developmental screen and anticipatory guidance in Well Child Check and/or Annual Wellness visits where indicated.
  • Brief ADHD screening (adults and children) with preliminary diagnosis or rule-outs and brief treatment planning.
  • Brief psychological testing and cognitive function assessments, where indicated.
  • Utilizes mental health resources (Applications, handouts, resource connections and education).
  • Assessment of addiction to pain medicine or tranquilizers and support of the development of pain management contracts utilized by Primary Care Providers.
• Ability to address patient behavior management (including de-escalation, patterns of no show or over-utilization).
• Provides consultation and training to the primary care providers to enhance their skill and effectiveness in treating mental health and substance use disorders as well as challenging health behaviors.
• Provides brief, focused intervention for patients who are in need of mental health services (Anxiety, Depression Bipolar Spectrum, substance use, prescription drug misuse, trauma, parenting skills/behavior management, thought disorders, screenings, cognitive impairment).
• Provides timely feedback to the primary care team and providers about the patient’s care, treatment recommendations and progress via documentation in the patient’s record and verbal feedback.
• Advises the primary care provider about which patients are better served at the primary care setting, and which should be referred to specialty mental health facilities or elsewhere.
• Provides follow-up where indicated to determine if any changes in treatment approaches are indicated.
• Develops, where indicated, relapse prevention plans and helps patients maintain stable functioning.
• Provides crisis support/screening as needed.
• Assists in the detection of “at risk” patients and in the development of plans to prevent worsening of their condition.
• Monitors and coordinates the delivery of health services for patients as related to behavioral health care, including linkage with other treatment providers not only within the primary care setting but, with the patients’ permission, outside it as well.
• Documents the patients’ progress and diagnostic information in the treatment chart.
• Works, where indicated, to effect behavioral changes in patients with, or at risk for, physical disorders and helps them make healthier lifestyle choices (e.g. diabetes, asthma, hypertension, risky behavior, risky substance use, chronic pain, med seeking, weight management, headaches, insomnia, smoking cessation).
• Provides patients with self-management skills and educational information needed so they can be full participants in their own treatment and recovery, either individually or in a group format.
• Assists the patients in complying with any medical treatment initiated by the primary care provider, such as offering strategies to cope with medication side effects.

Qualifications

Education:

• Doctor of Psychology (PhD or PsyD) degree from a nationally accredited institution, fulfilling the requirements for licensure in the state of Oregon and/or Washington.

Experience:

• Minimum of two years of clinical experience or healthcare related field.

Skills:

• Ability to screen, diagnosis and treat for common mental health and substance use disorders.
• Able to utilize evidence based brief treatment skills including Cognitive-Behavioral, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and/or solution focused interventions.
• Provides treatment plan recommendations for patients regarding behavioral health strategies/interventions to the referring PCP.
• Promotes health behavior change through evaluation, brief intervention and education.
• Works with multidisciplinary team to help support the patient’s health.
• Coordinates with LMG providers and community partners when patient is in need of longitudinal mental health and/or substance use treatment.
• Demonstrated competencies in assessment and diagnosis of emotional, cognitive and behavioral disorders in child, adolescent, adult and/or geriatric patients (depending upon population served by specific position).
• Demonstrated competency in assessment cognitive and thinking distortions associated with, and/or exacerbating medical conditions.
• Experience using motivational interviewing, skills in conducting group and individual psycho/social education classes desirable.