Behavioral Care Advocate – Remote

Optum is a global organization that delivers care, aided by technology to help millions of people live healthier lives. The work you do with our team will directly improve health outcomes by connecting people with the care, pharmacy benefits, data and resources they need to feel their best. Here, you will find a culture guided by inclusion, talented peers, comprehensive benefits and career development opportunities. Come make an impact on the communities we serve as you help us advance health optimization on a global scale. Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together.  

Master’s level cleared behavioral health, California License: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMF), Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Registered Nurse (RN), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) or Licensed Psychologist for position for the County of San Diego’s 24/7 Access and Crisis Line (ACL). The ACL provides free, confidential access to behavioral health services and crisis intervention for the 3.3 million San Diegans.

The ACL also provides afterhours pre-authorization for behavioral health inpatient, crisis residential and residential substance use disorder treatment. As the clinical work is done strictly by telephone, text, and chat; this position requires an incredibly unique set of clinical skills more astute than those required for face-to- face interactions as there are no visual cues from which to draw upon to help paint a comprehensive clinical picture. Clinicians need to rely on their graduate education in psychology/sociology or related field, formal clinical training, and experience to exercise discretion and clinical judgment when providing access to appropriate behavior health services and crisis work. Clinicians need to quickly triage calls/chats/texts in the queue to ensure safety and meet contractual performance standards. Must be able to work both independently and collaboratively with high precision and intensity like that of an emergency department- everyone has a crucial, time sensitive task to complete which is integral to the success of the entire operation. This is a fast-paced, clinically heavy position not for the faint of heart but equally rewarding as one can play a pivotal role in someone’s journey to recovery and save lives.

Behavioral Health Access -Mental Health & Substance Use Disorder Treatment Services within San Diego’s system of care. ACL clinician needs to quickly establish an emotional connection with the individual, identify their need(s), conduct a behavioral health screening which includes an adapted ASAM (American Substance Abuse Medicine) screening. The clinician will also conduct clinically relevant screenings such as CalAIM (California Advancing & Innovating Medi-Cal) to determine the appropriate level of care; suicide, homicide, and Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT). The clinician needs to recognize, properly intervene, and follow up on any risk factors. The clinician will also help provide linkage to the most appropriate type and level of care based on the collective screenings and preferences of the caller/chatter/texter.

Crisis Work – Mental or Emotional Distress; Intimate Partner Abuse; Child/Elder Abuse; Suicide prevention, intervention and postvention etc. ACL clinician needs to quickly establish a therapeutic alliance, screen for risk factors, seek to help de-escalate the individual using brief solution focused therapy, motivational interviewing skills and Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST). Clinicians help ensure safety by using the least invasive intervention on a continuum to the most invasive which may include initializing active rescue services as a last resort. Once de-escalated, clinician will collaboratively work with the individual to explore next steps and treatment options. This service meets 988 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (NSPL) standards for risk assessment and engagement of individuals at imminent risk of suicide. ACL accepts calls from 988 to support individuals in crisis.

Utilization Management Afterhours – Review behavioral health pre-authorization documentation for inpatient, crisis residential and residential substance use disorder treatment requests for Medi-Cal beneficiaries. These reviews are completed via an online review process. The documentation is completed in the County’s Electronic Health Record (EHR); you must be able to access the County’s EHR. A successful clinician must quickly switch between answering access and crisis calls, texts, and chats and processing pre-authorizations.

Hours of Operation: Saturday & Sunday 5am-3:330pm PST and Tuesday & Wednesday 5pm-3:30am PST (4 Ten hour shifts, eligible for shift pay differential)

You’ll enjoy the flexibility to work remotely * from anywhere within the U.S. as you take on some tough challenges.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Uphold and model Our Cultural Values
• Adhere to all applicable laws and ethics (HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), Exceptions to confidentiality, Reporting Abuse, Duty to Warn etc.)
• Answer calls/texts/chats within standard service levels
• Apply sound clinical judgement and consult with fellow clinical professionals when indicated
• Triage calls/chats/texts based on presenting mental health and/or substance use disorder symptoms
• Conduct appropriate behavioral health screenings, including ASAM, CalAIM, MCRT, suicide, and homicide (when indicated)
• Provide customized, behavioral health referrals using a client centered approach
• Conduct crisis work and ensure safety at all costs
• Document all interaction in a succinct, clinical manner in the designated database; documentation must adhere to Dept. of Health Clinical Service (DHCS) requirements
• Utilize our Central Contact Tracking Database and place Medi-Cal clients on the wait list per contractual guidelines
• Ability to access and enter accurate relevant clinical information into Medi-Cal beneficiary electronic health record (EHR)
• Meet individualized performance goals
• Complete mandatory ongoing continuing education and cultural trainings
• Problem solves technical issues
• Elevate operational issues to the manager
• Adapt to changes and maintain flexibility as processes and policies are implemented to ensure compliance and quality standards

You’ll be rewarded and recognized for your performance in an environment that will challenge you and give you clear direction on what it takes to succeed in your role as well as provide development for other roles you may be interested in.

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree or Doctorate within human services such as psychology, sociology or equivalent
• Active and clear California License: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), Registered Nurse (RN), Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Psychologist and/or LPC. A licensed professional cannot be on probation and/or no pending corrective actions
• 2+ years post graduate degree providing direct clinical services: psychosocial assessments, individual therapy, substance use disorder drug/alcohol treatment, case consultation with multidisciplinary team; case management; develop treatment plans with short/long-term goals; maintain confidential files; in-service trainings and discharge planning
• Experience working with diverse multi-ethnic/socioeconomic populations; myriads of psychological disorders and addictions
• Personal Computer (PC) proficiency and self-reports the ability to type with minimum proficiency of 45 words per minute
• Bilingual: Spanish/English

Preferred Qualifications:

• Community mental health experience
• Substance Use Disorder treatment experience
• Knowledge of managed care principles or managed care experience
• Trilingual: Vietnamese, Tagalog, Arabic, Farsi

*All employees working remotely will be required to adhere to UnitedHealth Group’s Telecommuter Policy

Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to local labor markets, education, work experience, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, we offer benefits such as, a comprehensive benefits package, incentive and recognition programs, equity stock purchase and 401k contribution (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements). No matter where or when you begin a career with us, you’ll find a far-reaching choice of benefits and incentives. The salary for this role will range from $58,800 to $105,000 annually based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.

Application Deadline: This will be posted for a minimum of 2 business days or until a sufficient candidate pool has been collected. Job posting may come down early due to volume of applicants.

At UnitedHealth Group, our mission is to help people live healthier lives and make the health system work better for everyone. We believe everyone–of every race, gender, sexuality, age, location and income–deserves the opportunity to live their healthiest life. Today, however, there are still far too many barriers to good health which are disproportionately experienced by people of color, historically marginalized groups and those with lower incomes. We are committed to mitigating our impact on the environment and enabling and delivering equitable care that addresses health disparities and improves health outcomes – an enterprise priority reflected in our mission.

UnitedHealth Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer under applicable law and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations. 

UnitedHealth Group is a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.