Behavioral Health Consultant (LCSW) Onsite bei Seward Community Health Center

Seward Community Health Center is seeking a full-time Behavioral Health Consultant - Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) onsite for our small community health center located in beautiful Seward, Alaska.  

The salary range for this position is $80,000 - $90,000 annually depending on qualifications and experience.

This position is also eligible for a $5000 bonus (ask HR for details).

Temporary shared housing may be available (ask HR for details.)

Seward, Alaska is a majestic, quaint town located 120 miles south of Anchorage and is surrounded by beautiful snow-capped mountains in the center of Kenai Fjords National Park. Seward offers year-round opportunities for outdoor activities including skiing, kayaking, fishing, hiking, biking, boating, wildlife viewing, and so much more. If you enjoy adventuring up mountains, between glaciers and in waters, or sightseeing, going on wildlife tours or bird watching, Seward is the place for you!

Seward Community Health Center (SCHC) is a federally-qualified health center. We welcome anyone in need of quality, affordable healthcare by providing integrated, patient-centered primary care for a variety of illnesses and conditions for the entire family. SCHC is the leading provider of healthcare services in the Eastern Kenai Peninsula, with passionate, dedicated staff who work daily to help increase access to services for our community members.  We are seeking to hire additional staff who will add to our ability to make our community and SCHC a better place to live and work. 

Check out the following link for more information about Seward: https://www.seward.com/

 Benefits designed to encourage self-care and give staff the ability to explore this beautiful state:

• NO ON-CALL HOURS, work schedule is set during Clinic business hours 8am-6pm, Monday-Saturday for 40 hours per week
• Health insurance with medical, dental, and vision benefits for both staff and dependents
• Short- and long-term disability insurance paid by employer
• Term life insurance paid by employer
• 3% employer contribution to a 401(k) retirement plan
• 100 hours of paid holidays annually
• Paid leave accrued biweekly, at a rate of 9.6 hours per pay period (over six weeks per year!)
• Annual CEU benefits of 80 hours and $3,000 per year

Job Purpose

Under the direction of the Clinic Manager (LCSW), the Behavioral Health Consultant provides onsite behavioral health and substance use assessment & consultation to children, adolescents, adults, and families to improve psychosocial functioning. Serves as a point of contact for referring providers, patients, and caregivers to provide resources and assistance with accessing clinical and supportive care services as part of the care teams at Seward Community Health Center (SCHC) and in the Seward area community. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive assessment and diagnosis of behavioral health & substance use clients.
• Provide effective treatment planning and assisting clients in successfully achieving goals.
• Evaluate crisis situations and apply appropriate interventions.
• Provide assessment, consultation, and brief interventions for substance use problems or psychological/psychiatric problems and/or disorders.
• Assist in the detection of “at risk” patients and development of plans to prevent further psychological or physical deterioration.
• Take ownership of processes required for successful integration of behavioral health with primary care in the clinic, including tracking and improvement of clinical measures associated with integration.
• Work with care teams in developing care management processes such as the use of guidelines, disease management techniques, case management, and patient education to improve self-management of chronic disease.
• Monitor the site’s behavioral health program, identifying problems related to patient services and making recommendations for improvement.
• Help coordinate care with other mental health care providers on a regular basis; monitor patient stability and independent living.
• Visit schools to determine patient and family needs, develop plan to meet needs. Home visits may be provided on rare occasions for elderly or disabled patients.
• Assist patients in setting up referral appointments and encourage the patients to keep appointments.
• Advocate for the patients with disabilities, chronic illnesses, and those that need additional support. 
• Help patients obtain necessary resources through collaboration and referrals.
• Assist community members and health field personnel to assess, plan for, and provide needed behavioral health and related services.
• Participate in community outreach events that help to promote behavioral health wellness and reduce stigma.
• Refer patients with social, substance use, and/or behavioral health concerns to other community agencies for assistance, as needed.
• Document patient cases, including assessment, treatment, and patient's consent to obtain assistance.
• Maintain safe, secure, and healthy work environment by following, and enforcing standards and procedures, complying with legal regulations.
• Prepare reports as required by various federal, state, and local programs.
• Document patient notes, referrals, and related information in EHR in a timely fashion.
• Document findings to track trends and changes in the behavioral health of the community.
• Participate in quality improvement (QI), and quality assurance (QA) activities as appropriate. 
• Maintain patient confidence and protect operations by keeping patient care information, medical records, and other individually identifiable health information confidential. 
• Update professional knowledge by participating in educational opportunities.
• Enhance health care practice reputation by accepting ownership for accomplishing new and different requests; exploring opportunities to add value to job accomplishments.
• Promote SCHC philanthropic efforts by being knowledgeable about SCHC services and fostering positive relationships with SCHC supporters.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications 

Education

• Master’s Degree in Social Work or PhD in Clinical Psychology.  
• Minimum of two years of previous experience in linking clients with various community resources preferred

License: Licensed in the State of Alaska as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) or a Licensed Psychologist

Other: Pre-employment drug screening, TB test, required vaccinations per policy, current BLS certification, background check, and reference check required.

Skills & Performance Goals/Expectations:

• Excellent Communicator and Team Player: Ability to interact positively (both verbally and in writing) and personably with patients, family members and SCHC staff members.
• Customer Service & Patient Outcome-focused & Professional: Must have excellent customer service, interpersonal and organizational skills and possess a positive attitude and demeanor both in person and over the phone with all patients, staff, and visitors. Must be able to remain calm, confident, compassionate, non-judgmental and problem-solve effectively when dealing with difficult interactions. Willingness to work with a wide range of patients of varied socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds as well as alternative lifestyles. Focused on always staying professional and dedicated to providing excellent care while adhering to strict confidentiality standards in accordance with HIPAA laws and agency policy.
• Computer and Tech Savvy: Possesses computer skills with accuracy and proficiency in data entry, Microsoft Suite, EHR systems, and keyboarding skills. Ability to troubleshoot and work independently with a computer, especially SCHC’s EHR Epic. 
• Flexible & Collaborative: Confidently able to handle multiple tasks while remaining flexible enough to switch directions as needed and ensuring completion with minimal supervision. Comfortable with the pace of primary care and working with an interdisciplinary team. Ability to collaborate with providers to design and implement clinical pathways and protocols for treatment of selected chronic conditions. 

• Exceptional Clinical Skills: Must have exceptional attention to detail, a strong sense of prioritization, and excellent working knowledge of behavioral medicine and evidence-based treatments for medical and mental health conditions. Confidently able to work through brief patient contacts as well as make quick and accurate clinical assessments of mental health and behavioral conditions. Remains empathetic and an active listener with patients to foster strong therapeutic rapport. 

• Quality Improvement/Mission Focused: Aligned with SCHC’s values to be collaborative, equitable, trustworthy, patient-centered, and adaptable. Demonstrates knowledge of the organization’s policies and procedures, strategic plan, and stays current on offered programs and services to best serve patients and community. Committed to quality improvement in all aspects of work performance. 

SCHC is an equal opportunity employer.