Remember when you said you wanted to make a difference? Here is your chance.

Grow your career at Cedars-Sinai!

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center has been named to the Honor Roll in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hospitals 2024-25” rankings. When you join our team, you’ll gain access to our groundbreaking biomedical research facilities and sophisticated medical education programs. We offer learning programs, tuition reimbursement and performance-improvement projects so you can achieve certifications and degrees while gaining the knowledge and experience needed to advance your career.

We take pride in hiring the best, most hard-working employees. Our dedicated doctors, nurses and staff reflect the culturally and ethnically diverse community we serve. They are proof of our dedication to creating a dynamic, inclusive environment that fuels innovation and the gold standard of patient care we strive for.

What will you be doing:

The Behavioral Health Specialist (BHS) is a mental health specialist (LCSW) is a core member of the collaborative care team, including the patient’s medical provider and psychiatric consultant, as well as the larger primary care team or medical team. The BHS is responsible for supporting and coordinating the mental and physical health care of patients on an assigned patient caseload with the patient’s medical provider and, when appropriate, other mental health providers. The BHS is responsible for developing patient care goals and treatment plans as agreed upon by the patient’s primary care team and psychiatric consultant.

• Support the mental and physical health care of patients on an assigned patient caseload. Closely coordinate care with the patient’s medical provider and, when appropriate, other mental health providers.
• Provide short-term, goal-oriented, evidence-based psychotherapy such as behavioral activation, problem-solving therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing for patients presenting with, but not limited to, symptoms of depression and anxiety
• Screen and assess patients for common mental health and substance abuse disorders. Facilitate patient engagement and follow-up care.
• Provide patient education about common mental health and substance abuse disorders and the treatment options.
• Systematically supervise treatment response and monitor patients (in person, by video or by telephone) for changes in symptoms and treatment side effects or complications.
• Support psychotropic medication management as prescribed by medical providers, focusing on treatment adherence monitoring, side effects, and effectiveness of treatment.
• Provide or facilitate in-clinic or outside referrals to evidence-based psychosocial treatments (e.g. problem-solving treatment or behavioral activation) as clinically indicated.
• Participate in regularly scheduled (usually weekly) caseload consultation with the psychiatric consultant and clinical psychologist and communicate resulting treatment recommendations to the patient’s medical provider. Consultations will focus on patients new to the caseload and those who are not improving as expected under the current treatment plan. Case reviews may be conducted by telephone, video, or in person.
• Track patient follow-up and clinical outcomes using a registry. Document in-person, video, and telephone encounters in the registry and use the system to identify and re-engage patients.
• Document patient progress and treatment recommendations in EHR and other required systems so as to be shared with medical providers, psychiatric consultant, and other treating providers.
• Facilitate treatment plan changes for patients who are not improving as expected in consultation with the medical provider and the psychiatric consultant and who may need more intensive or more specialized mental health care.
• Facilitate referrals for clinically indicated services outside of the organization (e.g. vocational rehabilitation, mental health specialty care, substance abuse treatment).
• Develop and complete relapse prevention self-management plan with patients who have achieved their treatment goals and are soon to be discharged from the caseload.
• Provides mentorship, preceptorship, and training to SW colleagues, students and staff as assigned and appropriate. 

Experience Requirements:

Two (2) plus years of clinical social work experience, preferably in Ambulatory and Behavioral Health. 

Experience with screening for common mental health and/or substance abuse disorders.

Working knowledge of differential diagnosis of common mental health and/or substance abuse disorders, when appropriate.

Ability to effectively engage patients in a therapeutic relationship, when appropriate.

Ability to work with patients by telephone, video, as well as in person.

Experience with assessment and treatment planning for common mental health and/or substance use disorders.

Working knowledge of evidence-based psychosocial treatments and brief behavioral interventions for common mental health disorders, when appropriate (e.g., motivational interviewing, problem-solving treatment, behavioral activation).

Basic knowledge of psychopharmacology for common mental health disorders that is within appropriate scope of practice for type of provider filling role.

Educational/License Requirements:

Master degree in Social Work (MSW).

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW).

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