UPMC Western Behavioral Health is hiring a Behavioral Health Navigator Lead!

This role will be based at UPMC McKeesport but will also support UPMC East. The shifts will rotate, to include days. evenings, nights, and weekends. This Behavioral Health Navigator Lead will work closely with their supervisor to help structure and refine local workflows, aligning day-to-day operations with larger system goals and performance benchmarks. The incumbent will be integral in promoting team cohesion, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration with the emergency department (ED) staff, and helping bridge any operational or communication gaps between units.

Responsibilities:

Complete patient/family assessments referred to emergency services for presentation to the attending/resident psychiatrist or within Psych Care Plus, review patient material for possible IP admission or conduct evaluation for outpatient psychiatric service. Meet standards for documentation and completes all required paperwork, including psychiatric assessment, commitment paperwork. Demonstrate ability to utilize DSMV and to develop provisional diagnosis. Demonstrate knowledge of mental health laws and reviews inpatient commitment for accuracy, competencies and proper time frames. Obtain appropriate consents or commitment authorizations as needed. Ability to work efficiently and independently in emergency setting and medical setting Knowledge of insurance programs, processes and able to obtain authorizations as needed. Manage crisis situations effectively using positive approaches. Assist in maintaining safe environment. Complete assigned projects, reports and statistics in a timely manner. Participate in interdisciplinary activities such as staff meetings and other committees as assigned. Maintain competency requirements. Serve as mentor to students and new employees. Learn and utilize up-to-date technology in delivery of patient care for assessment and disposition/referral planning. Provides BH and patient management education and treatment planning. Efficiently take a sizable volume of calls and disposition callers to meet their needs rapidly Follow outpatient scheduling or referral documentation guidelines Responds rapidly to appointment or inpatient admission requests through email, phone, or voicemail Review and summarizes the patient information for admissions to a behavioral health unit and triaging patient for appropriate placement Ability to verbally present the case to physicians and others Demonstrate triage and assessment skills for medical necessity or appropriate outpatient clinic Provides accurate, timely information to coworkers, physicians, outside agencies, with a professional and courteous manner Active participation and ongoing maintenance of quality management activities and the development of standards from problem identification Demonstrate the ability to identify, assess, counsel and effectively intervene with medically and psychosocially complex patients with the ability to understand complex dynamics related to the clinical situation. Successfully utilize therapeutic counseling methods such as crisis intervention, psychosocial support, brief goal-directed therapy, CISM and/or other appropriate therapeutic methods that may be appropriate to the clinical situation. Collaborate effectively with the healthcare team, patients and families and relevant community resources to develop and implement and individualized plan of care. Demonstrates expertise in accessing social systems by providing resource-specific information to patients and families, initiating contact with appropriate resources and facilitating the patient/family’s ability to accept referrals. Provides Lead responsibilities for the shift by providing support, direction and problem solving. Provides change of shift hand off and assures all documentation is complete. Provides one-time on -the-spot coaching interventions for other team members. Provides timely feedback to manager concerning performance of peers 1,2 3.Identifies and reports any clinical, utilization, provider or outcomes issues to supervisor and offers recommendations for improvement. Utilizes independent problem-solving and demonstrates ability to propose and implement creative solutions to problems to achieve a high level of satisfaction with services. Provides mentorship to other navigators and assists with special projects as assigned.