Behavioral Intake Counselor / Screening and Linkage Liaison - National Remote

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This position will serve in the capacity of being a point of contact for Medi-Cal beneficiaries being referred to the Access and Crisis Line for services either within the San Diego County Behavioral Health System or Managed Care Plan to ensure a streamlined and successful linkage process. This role will also serve in the capacity of assisting with follow-up outreach for beneficiaries that have been identified as needing additional follow-up to get connected to appropriate resources within the county system of care.

As the clinical work is done strictly on the telephone and computer (chat), this position requires a very unique set of clinical skills more astute than those required for face-to- face interactions as there are no visual cues from which to draw upon in order to help paint a comprehensive clinical picture. Clinicians need to rely on their graduate education in psychology/sociology or related field, formal clinical training, and experience to exercise discretion and clinical judgment when providing access to appropriate behavior health services and crisis work. Clinicians need to quickly triage calls/chats in the queue to ensure safety and meet contractual performance standards. Must be able to work both independently and collaboratively with the high precision and intensity similar to that of an emergency department- everyone has a crucial, time sensitive task to complete which is integral to the success of the entire operations. This is a fast paced, clinically heavy position not for the faint of heart but it's equally rewarding as one can play a pivotal role in someone's journey to recovery and literally save lives.

Behavioral Health Access - Mental Health & Substance Use Disorder Treatment Services within the system of care. ACL clinician needs to quickly establish an emotional connection with the individual seeking help, identify their need(s), conduct a behavioral health screening which includes an adapted ASAM screening, recognize and properly follow up on any risk factors, and help provide linkage to the most appropriate type and level of care based on the collective screenings and preferences of the caller/chatter.

Crisis Work - Mental or Emotional Distress; Intimate Partner Abuse; Child/Elder Abuse; Suicide prevention, intervention and postvention etc. This service meets National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (NSPL) standards for risk assessment and engagement of individuals at imminent risk of suicide. ACL clinician needs to quickly establish a therapeutic alliance, seek to help de-escalate the individual using brief solution focused therapy, motivational interviewing skills and Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) to ensure safety using the least invasive intervention up to and including initializing active rescue services. Once de-escalated, clinician will collaboratively work with the individual to explore next steps and treatment options.

You'll enjoy the flexibility to work remotely * from anywhere within the U.S. as you take on some tough challenges.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Uphold and model Our Cultural Values
• Adhere to all applicable laws and ethics (HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), Exceptions to confidentiality, Reporting Abuse, Duty to Warn etc.)
• Provide backup support to the crisis line by answering calls/chats within standard service levels
• Apply sound clinical judgement and consult with fellow clinical professionals when indicated and provide customized, behavioral health referrals
• Conducting CalAIM Screenings for individuals calling the Access and Crisis Line, who are not currently connected to services, but are requesting mental health services
• Conduct appropriate behavioral health screenings, including suicide, homicide (when indicated) and adapted ASAM
• Document all interaction in a succinct, clinical manner in the designated database; documentation must adhere to Dept. of Health Clinical Service (DHCS) requirements
• Forward completed CalAIM referrals to the designated Managed Care Plan (MCP) when appropriate
• Track the referrals sent to the MCP in the system and ensure follow occurs to ensure linkage
• When referrals are sent from the MCP, the clinician will outreach to the beneficiary to provide appropriate referrals to the Mental Health Services. Staff will offer a warm transfer to the consumer to the appropriate service to assist with linkage
• Tracking of incoming referrals and disposition in the designated system will occur
• Provide monthly reporting back to the MCP on the status of the referrals
• Serve as a liaison between ACL and MCPs when needed for follow-up of referrals
• Monitor connection rates for referrals and identify opportunities to improve connection
• Answering incoming Provider Contact Calls
• Monthly tracking log completion and submission for referrals
• Managing the Complaint Packaging System
• Providing follow up for high-risk calls
• Communicating each day with the Clinical Administrative Coordinators and line staff to make sure the daily tasks are coordinated and aiding clinicians when needed
• Being a back up to placing calls to Crisis Residential and Hospitals x2 a day or as needed
• Manage waitlist and process referrals, provide support with the Designated Assigned Clinician (DAC) rotation to help move admissions requests
• Adapt to changes and maintain flexibility as processes and policies are implemented to ensure compliance and quality standards
• Access and enter accurate relevant clinical information into Medi-Cal beneficiary electronic health record (EHR)
• Meet individualized performance goals
• Participate in the monthly self and peer monitoring process
• Complete mandatory ongoing continuing education and cultural trainings

You'll be rewarded and recognized for your performance in an environment that will challenge you and give you clear direction on what it takes to succeed in your role as well as provide development for other roles you may be interested in.

Required Qualifications:

• Master's Degree or Doctorate within human services such as psychology, sociology or equivalent
• 2+ years post graduate degree providing direct clinical services: psychosocial assessments, individual therapy, substance use disorder drug/alcohol treatment, case consultation with multidisciplinary team; case management; develop treatment plans with short/long-term goals; maintain confidential files; in-service trainings and discharge planning
• Experience working with diverse multi-ethnic/socioeconomic populations and a myriad of psychological disorders and addictions
• Ability to access and enter accurate relevant clinical information into Medi-Cal beneficiary electronic health record (EHR)
• Bilingual: Spanish/English

Preferred Qualifications:

• Specialty services/certifications (Intimate Partner Abuse, Gambling Addiction etc.)
• Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)
• Community mental health experience
• Substance use disorder experience
• Call center experience
• Managed Health Care Plan experience
• Knowledge of managed care principles or managed care experience

*All employees working remotely will be required to adhere to UnitedHealth Group's Telecommuter Policy

The hourly range for this role is $23.70 to $46.35 per hour based on full-time employment. Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to local labor markets, education, work experience, certifications, etc. UnitedHealth Group complies with all minimum wage laws as applicable. In addition to your salary, UnitedHealth Group offers benefits such as, a comprehensive benefits package, incentive and recognition programs, equity stock purchase and 401k contribution (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements). No matter where or when you begin a career with UnitedHealth Group, you'll find a far-reaching choice of benefits and incentives.

Application Deadline: This will be posted for a minimum of 2 business days or until a sufficient candidate pool has been collected. Job posting may come down early due to volume of applicants.

At UnitedHealth Group, our mission is to help people live healthier lives and make the health system work better for everyone. We believe everyone-of every race, gender, sexuality, age, location and income-deserves the opportunity to live their healthiest life. Today, however, there are still far too many barriers to good health which are disproportionately experienced by people of color, historically marginalized groups and those with lower incomes. We are committed to mitigating our impact on the environment and enabling and delivering equitable care that addresses health disparities and improves health outcomes - an enterprise priority reflected in our mission.

Diversity creates a healthier atmosphere: OptumCare is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employers and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

OptumCare is a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment

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