Behavioral Health Substance Use Disorder Specialist

Description

Under the general supervision of the Manager of Integrated Behavioral Health Services, the Behavioral Health Specialist with specialty in evaluating and treating substance use disorder (SUD) provides and coordinates support, harm-reduction strategies, counseling, advocacy and referrals to community resource services to patients of Fenway Health diagnosed with substance use disorder. This position collaborates across departments to provide staffing support for both the Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Program and clinical services at the Fenway Health syringe exchange program at the Cambridge location. This position is central in helping achieve compliance accountable Care organization (ACO) quality goals and measures.

Representative Duties:

Provides substance use disorder (SUD) services in open access clinic, integrated primary care and outpatient behavioral health settings

• Provide specialty integrated behavioral health clinical care with a focus on evaluating and treating SUD
• Provide teaching and consultation to medical and BH colleagues on effective interventions for treating SUD
• Embrace harm reduction and the spectrum of modalities to effectively address SUD
• Support primary care providers in managing SUD in their patient panels
• Support patients with initiating and engaging in SUD services
• Support Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) prescribers and function as a members of that team
• Upon referral of patients, reviews medical and psychosocial history, assesses problems and refers patients as appropriate in a timely, courteous manner
• Provide group facilitation within the MAT program

Provides direct behavioral health services to those seeking Fenway services that have SUD concerns

• Provides psychosocial assessments and behavioral health and substance abuse diagnostic evaluations for medical patients
• Provides direct behavioral health treatment to medical patients with an emphasis on short-term, evidence-based psychotherapeutic treatment within the primary care setting
• Identifies high-risk psychosocial factors that impact health status; engages patients by phone and in person to monitor progress, builds therapeutic alliance, provides education, encourages treatment adherence, mitigates risk factors, reviews goals and expectations of treatment in order to stabilize functioning
• Develops and provides group therapeutic interventions
• Assumes essential role in coordination of care
• Participates in the Patient Centered Medical Home model of care
• Adheres to NASW Code of Ethics
• Provides crisis mitigation and verbal de-escalation support as necessary in partnership with clinical team
• Provides walk-in services

Ensures access to care:

• Effectively manages caseload, including bringing new clients into BH care and ending episodes of care as appropriate
• Maintains required caseload and meets productivity expectations, according to department standards

Provides coverage for assigned open access paging days:

• Covers open access pager shifts in the morning, afternoon, and evening
• Responds to requests from medical staff for routine and crisis interventions and warm handoffs
• Handles periods of multiple, simultaneous requests for patient care
• Actively interacts with and solicits referrals from medical providers

Collaborates with other agencies and services:

• Develops and maintains resource listings appropriate for Fenway Health patients
• Works with Medicaid, Medicare, Welfare, Social Security, housing, educational, day care and other institutions to assist patients
• Consults with a variety of health center and community staff (Nutritionists, Home Health Aides, P.H. Nurse, and Medical staff) about specific clients and general approaches to patient treatment

Performs and Completes Administrative Tasks in a timely and efficient manner

• Writes case notes for each client interaction
• Completes treatment plans, treatment plan updates, session notes, assessments, and discharge summaries according to department standards and in accordance with Fenway policy
• Participates in staff and team meetings and conferences
• Participates in regularly scheduled supervision

Meets Agency Participatory Expectation

• Suggests and participates in continuing quality improvement efforts
• Adheres to all agency and departmental policies and procedures
• Participates in quality assessment and improvement activities as requested
• Adheres to the highest principles of patient and client confidentiality
• Adheres to established sa