Description:  The Behavioral Health Clinician on our Psychiatric Consult Liaison Service for the inpatient medical floors at Newton Medical Center. The Clinician position works in collaboration with our CL psychiatric providers completing initial and follow-up evaluations, therapeutic interventions and after-care behavioral health planning. The Clinician acts as a liaison between medicine, nursing, social and psychiatry taking part in the interdisciplinary delivery of care for medically admitted patients. 

Job Functions:

Job Function: 01. Complete initial and follow up evaluations for inpatient medical patients presenting with comorbid psychiatric needs, including assessing for psychiatric symptoms/features, completing detailed psychiatric histories related to symptom onset, duration and severity, past treatment involvement and family presentations. 

Job Function: 02. Provide clinically appropriate and validated brief focused therapeutic interventions in coordination the psychiatric provider for consult liaison targeting identified treatment needs in the medical setting including managing new onset medical symptoms, stressors associated with medical needs, substance misuse, behavioral management and psychiatric features.

Job Function: 03. Assess for patients at risk of suicide and self-harming actions, aggression/violence, substance misuse and withdrawal in collaboration with the CL psychiatric providers. Complete safety and mitigation plans for patients at risk in coordination with the CL psychiatric providers, nursing, medicine and social work when needed.

Job Function: 04. Provide support, direct assistance and guidance for patients’ behavioral management needs, including patients presenting with agitation, confusion and treatment interrupting behaviors in coordination with the CL psychiatric providers. Participate in patient huddles, rounding, behavior plans, interventions and debriefings as part of an interdisciplinary team. 

Job Function: 05. Communicate assessment findings and recommendations to the medical, nursing and social work teams in coordination with the CL psychiatric provider. Participate in case conferences, huddles and interdisciplinary treatment teams in coordination with the CL psychiatric provider, Service Line Manager and Director of Hospital Based Behavioral Health Services.

Job Function: 06. Coordinate after-care behavioral health treatment plans/needs in coordination with the CL psychiatric provider, Service Line Manager and Director of Hospital Based Behavioral Health Services. Complete linkages to post-discharge treatment including, outpatient behavioral health, outpatient and inpatient substance use and recommended case management and community services. Review recommendations with patients and family as well as social work, nursing and medicine acting as the liaison between the patient and medical teams regarding the psychiatric post-discharge care needs as recommendation by the CL psychiatric provider.    

Job Function: 07. Facilitate and coordinate inpatient behavioral heath transfers for voluntary and involuntary admissions with the inpatient behavioral health unit, outside psychiatric facilities and psychiatric emergency services. Facilitate and coordinate transfer to inpatient and associated levels of care for substance use treatment as recommended by the CL psychiatric provider in collaboration with social work, case management, medicine and nursing. Complete insurance authorizations and care coordination as needed.

Job Function: 08. Complete all required documentation with clarity, accuracy and in the timeframes required within the department in coordination with bylaws, guidelines and the Service Line Manager and Director of Hospital Based Behavioral Health Services. Documentation includes initial biopsychosocials, initial notes, follow-up notes, phone contacts, family/collateral contacts and associated safety assessments. All documentation must meet the standards set by compliance, the hospital, regulatory requirements and guideline established by Service Line Manager and Director of Hospital Based Behavioral Health Services. 

Job Function: 09. Participate in performance improvement, clinical projects and program develop including attending and presenting in PI and associated departmental meetings, developing and maintaining KPIs and data points for the department in coordination with the CL psychiatric provider and Service Line Manager and Director of Hospital Based Behavioral Health Services.  

Job Function: 10. Provide education and training in deescalation, supportive and therapeutic interventions and after-care planning in coordination with the CL psychiatric provider and Service Line Manager and Director of Hospital Based Behavioral Health Services for the medical, nursing and social work teams.

Job Function: 11. Complete requested telepsychiatry evaluations as needed, assisting with device setup, evaluation, treatment and after-care recommendations as directed by the CL psychiatric provider. Assist the CL telepsychiatry provider and patient with conducting the assessment as directed. 

Job Function: 12. Attended and participate in system PI and improvement projects for CL and other services in coordination with the Service Line Manager and Director of Hospital Based Behavioral Health Services and System Medical Director for Psychiatry. 

Other Tasks Which May be Required: As assigned by the department