Position Summary: The Behavioral Health Therapist serves as a key member of the Primary Care Team ensuring that KCHC patients receive appropriate mental, behavioral and emotional support services during and following their primary care clinic visits. Behavioral Health Therapist may assist primary care providers in any of the following ways:

• Recognition and treatment of behavioral health disorders;
• Early detection of at risk clients, with the goal of preventing further psychological or physical deterioration;
• Prevention of relapses in chronic health conditions that tend to recur over time;
• Prevention and management of addictions;
• Obtaining quality clinical outcomes with high prevalence behavioral health disorders;
• Management of clients who use medical visits to obtain needed social support;
• Improving the quality of primary care interventions;
• Efficiently referring clients to appropriate behavioral health specialty care when appropriate.

Site of employment: The site of employment may be the main KCHC medical clinic, the KCHC Administrative building or at any other location where KCHC provides services or staff performs work. Staff may work remotely with the permission of their supervisor and the Executive Director.

Essential Job Functions: As an integral member of the KCHC Healthcare Team, acts as a member of the primary care team in the provision of health services to individuals, their families and/or their communities. Works collaboratively with patients and their caregivers to the extent preferred by each patient to accomplish shared goals within and across settings to achieve coordinated, high-quality care. Provides ongoing guidance, support, and education to other members of the KCHC Healthcare Team as it pertains to ensuring effective, quality behavioral health care for KCHC patients and their families.

Assists primary care providers in recognizing, treating and managing behavioral health and Psychosocial issues and acts as a vital member of the primary care team.

Conducts client intakes, focusing on diagnostic and functional evaluations, and makes recommendations to the primary care provider concerning the clients' treatment goals and plan.

Provides consultation and training to the primary care providers to enhance their skills and effectiveness in treating behavioral health problems.

Provides brief, focused intervention for clients who are in need of behavioral health services.

Provides ongoing, chronic counseling to clients who have long-term behavioral health needs.

Advises the primary care providers about which clients are best served within the primary care