Director of Behavioral Health

Director of Behavioral Health:  Join our faculty!  UBMD Primary Care (aka UBMD Family Medicine) and the Department of Family Medicine are seeking a full-time Director of Behavioral Health (DBH) to develop, coordinate, direct, implement and evaluate the service delivery of behavioral health programs with health care services at the Primary Care resident sites.  The DBH will develop and oversee the behavioral health policies and procedures, meeting the organization’s strategic plan to optimize the patient interaction and delivery of care model.  The DBH works closely with the site’s primary care providers, the Residency Core faculty and the Behavioral Health Project team including the director, coordinator and others to ensure progress and outcomes of the project. In addition to providing education and training to residents, the DBH will work as a clinician with other members of the health care team to provide clinical care for patients with behavioral health or substance use disorders.  The DBH will also coordinate lectures on mental health, addiction medicine, motivational interviewing and research topics.  Responsibilities also include training and utilizing Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) according to billable guidelines.

This position will come with a Clinical Assistant Professor appointment at the University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences.

Candidates must be currently licensed as a clinical social worker, mental health counselor, psychologist or nurse practitioner - psychiatric/mental health.  Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in social work, mental health counseling, psychology or closely related clinical counseling field required.  Minimum of five (5) years of professional experience including providing integrated (co-existing) behavioral health and primary care services preferred.

Must have excellent clinical skills, as well as strong communication, multi-tasking and organizational skills.  Primary work location will be 850 Hopkins Road, Williamsville but must be able to travel to other UBMD locations as needed including Erie County Medical Center and downtown Buffalo.  Acceptable driver’s license per insurance standards required.  

Employment is contingent upon a successful background check and drug screen.  AA/EOE

Salary Ranges:

$65k-$75k - Licensed Mental Health Counselor

$80k-$90k - Licensed Clinical Social Worker

$95k - $115k - Psychologist

$116k - $126k - Nurse Practitioner - Mental Health/Psychiatric

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Summary:

The Director of Behavioral Health (DBH) is responsible for developing, coordinating, directing, implementing and evaluating the service delivery of behavioral health (BH) programs with primary health care services at the Primary Care resident sites in coordination with the Behavioral Health Coordinator (BHC).  The DBH will develop and oversee the BH policies and procedures, meeting the organization’s strategic planning to optimize the patient interaction and delivery of care model.  The DBH works closely with the site’s primary care providers, with the Residency Core faculty, and the Behavioral Health Project team including the director, coordinator and others to ensure progress and outcomes of the project. In addition to providing education and training to residents, the DBH will work as a clinician with other members of the health care team to provide clinical care for patients with behavioral health or substance use disorders.

Essential Functions:

• Coordinates behavioral health care with other members of the health care team.
• Provides behavioral health clinical services to patients at UBFM teaching sites as the schedule dictates.
• Maintains accurate and detailed patient information records; monitors progress and outcomes.
• Submits charges and billing in a prompt manner.
• Uses and teaches behavioral counseling and coordinates lectures on mental health, addiction medicine, motivational interviewing and research topics, as well as other relevant and/or requested topics.
• Responsible for training and utilizing Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) according to billable guidelines.
• Participates in interviewing residency applicants.
• Attends and participates in residency meetings.
• Attends and participated in assigned grant project, meetings and associated scholarly work in conjunction with staff from UBMD, Primary Care Research Institute (PCRI) and affiliated practices.
• Tracks ACGME behavioral health requirements and creates required reports, including resident productivity, resident patient encounter numbers and patient surveys of residents.
• Maintains clinical knowledge and skills to meet or exceed professional standards.
• Maintains state licensure, insurance credentialing and other relevant professional certifications.
• Directs, coordinates, and maximizes the integration and cooperation of behavioral health programs with primary health care services.
• Consults with patients and primary care providers about treatment options and preferences; coordinates initiation of treatment plan and monitors patients closely (in person and/or by phone) for changes in severity of symptoms and medication side effects.
• Participates in grant project coordination meetings, residency meetings including PEC, CCC, RPA, Rank List, Scholarly Day, and Thank-A-Resident Day.
• Provides evidence-based, brief structures for psychotherapy.
• Participates in regular caseload supervision with BHC focusing on high risk or treatment-resistant patients and reflective practice.
• Prepares difficult or low improvement cases for review by the consulting psychiatrist, focusing on those patients who are not responding or adhering to treatment and communicates recommendations for treatment adjustments (i.e. medication change) to the primary care provider.  Facilitates treatment referrals, as needed.
• Completes relapse prevention plan with patients who are in remission.
• Ensures availability to the health center staff during working hours in the event of a psychiatric emergency/crisis intervention.  Participates as a member of the health center staff in the event of any other kind of emergency.
• Reviews and addresses daily tasks as assigned.
• Complies with all OSHA regulations at clinic sites.
• Adheres to HIPAA and confidentiality policies and procedures.

 Other Functions:

• Reviews company email on at least a daily basis in order to receive and address notifications and/or other pertinent information in a timely manner.
• Any other duties as requested or assigned by the Program Director/Principal Investigator and/or other management and/or Behavioral Health Project Team representatives.  Duties, responsibilities and activities may change or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.
• Required to travel to other UBMDFM and associated hospital location(s).
• Work hours may fluctuate depending on company/clinic needs.

Qualifications:

Education:    Current New York State license as Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC),  Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) or Psychologist.  Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in social work, mental health counseling, psychology, or closely related clinical counseling field.

Experience: Minimum of five (5) years of professional experience including providing integrated (co-existing) behavioral health and primary care services, teaching, balint group processing and public speaking.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities: Excellent clinical and communication skills.  Previous supervisory and teaching experience preferred.  Experience in solution-focused interventions preferred.   Successful completion of Basic Life Support (BLS) course required. 

Working/Environment Conditions:

• Position is in a well-lit, fast-paced, clean office and/or clinic environment. 
• Office noise level will be mild to moderate most times.
• Moderate/average indoor temperatures.
• Travel to various sites via use of personal vehicle.
• May have exposure to occupational health hazards when in clinic settings.

 Physical Requirements:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disability to perform the essential functions.

• Prolonged periods of sitting or standing at a workstation in order to perform duties on a computer.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee will be regularly required to sit, talk, hear and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and/or telephone keyboard.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision requirements due to computer work.
• Light to moderate lifting (up to 15 pounds) may be required.
• Regular, predictable attendance is required.
• Must possess the physical and mental abilities to perform the tasks normally associated with the essential job functions such as stationary, mobility, operating machinery, convey and exchange information.

Equipment:

• Manual dexterity to operate standard office machines/equipment such as computers, printers, phone, photocopier, fax system, scanner and/or calculator.

UBMD Primary Care is an equal employment opportunity (EEO) employer.  We are committed to the principles of equality in employment and opportunity for all employees without regard to race, color, citizenship status, national origin, ancestry, gender or expression whether or not such gender identity or expression differs from the employee’s physical sex as assigned at birth (including transgender status), sexual orientation, age, weight, religion, creed, physical or mental disability, predisposing genetic characteristics and information, marital status, familial status, domestic violence victim status, veteran status, military status, political affiliation or any other factor and/or status protected by law.  We expect all employees to adhere to these principles of equality which apply to all aspects of the employment relationship including hiring, job selection, job assignment, compensation, corrective action, termination, access to benefits and training and other privileges of employment.

 UBMD Primary Care is a smoke-free and drug-free workplace in compliance with local, state and/or federal guidelines.