Behavioral Health Care Advocate

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.Come make an impact on the communities we serve as we help advance health equity on a global scale. Here, you will find talented peers, comprehensive benefits, a culture guided by diversity and inclusion, career growth opportunities and your life's best work.SM

As a Telephonic Behavioral Health Care Advocate(BHCA) you will be responsible for case management of Behavioral Health and substance abuse cases. You'll have a direct impact on the lives of our members as you recommend and manage the appropriate level of care throughout the entire treatment plan.  The goal of the Behavioral Health Care Advocaterole is to help individuals live their lives to the fullest by promoting recovery and resiliency via coordination and collaboration with multiple internal and external partners including consumers and their families/caregivers, medical, Behavioral Health and clinical network teams. Behavioral Health Care Advocates work with complex and high-risk needs with a goal of engaging the consumer in the treatment process, decreasing their reliance on higher levels of care, helping them to access appropriate community services, and assisting them in improving community tenure.

Schedule: Monday through Friday, any 8-hour shift between the hours of 8am to 5 pm.

You will enjoy the flexibility to telecommute* from anywhere within the U.S. as you take on some tough challenges. 

Primary Responsibilities:

• Make patient assessments and determining appropriate levels of care
• Obtain information from providers on outpatient requests for treatment
• Determine if additional clinical treatment sessions are needed
• Manage inpatient and outpatient mental health cases throughout the entire treatment plan
• Administer benefits and review treatment plans
• Coordinate benefits and transitions between various areas of care
• Identify ways to add value to treatment plans and consulting with facility staff or outpatient care providers on those ideas
• Utilize advanced clinical skills to engage and motivate Consumers via a recovery, health and wellness-oriented approach
• Assist consumers and their families/caregivers with connections to appropriate psychiatric, medical, and psychosocial referrals and services
• Identify and remove barriers to procurement, delivery, participation in and success of services
• Provide supportive follow-up, monitoring and education as indicated, in-person and telephonically
• Partner with designated external providers, programs, entities to address  the needs, gaps in care, and recovery goals of complex and high risk consumers
• Identify and address the needs of members who are consistently high utilizers of services through case conferences and informal communications
• Participate in standing meetings to review performance, identify areas of opportunity, and oversee course for improvements
• Partner with internal Optum Behavioral Health Services Teams to coordinate a seamless transition for consumers from an inpatient setting to community based services
• Meet all contractual requirements; collaborate early and frequently with other teams in the management of cases stratified as having intensive, complex, and high-risk needs
• Assist in the development of a relevant and consumer-specific aftercare plan
• Comply with all policies, procedures and documentation standards in appropriate systems, tracking mechanisms and databases
• Establish a cooperative relationship with Optum Behavioral Network Services and the Provider community in order to improve access to services and ensure that consumers are served within proper standards of care
• Performs other duties as assigned

What are the reasons to consider working for UnitedHealth Group?  Put it all together - competitive base pay, a full and comprehensive benefit program, performance rewards, and a management team who demonstrates their commitment to your success. Some of our offerings include:

• Paid Time Off which you start to accrue with your first pay period plus 8 Paid Holidays
• Medical Plan options along with participation in a Health Spending Account or a Health Saving account
• Dental, Vision, Life& AD&D Insurance along with Short-term disability and Long-Term Disability coverage
• 401(k) Savings Plan, Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Education Reimbursement
• Employee Discounts
• Employee Assistance Program
•  Employee Referral Bonus Program
• Voluntary Benefits (pet insurance, legal insurance, LTC Insurance, etc.)
• More information can be downloaded at: http://uhg.hr/uhgbenefits

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:

• Licensed Master's Degree in Psychology, Social Work, Counseling or Marriage or Family Counseling, OR Licensed Ph.D., OR RN license with 2 years of experience in Behavioral Health
• Active, independent, and unrestricted LCSW, LPC, or LMFT license in state of residence
• 2 years of post-master's experience in a related mental health environment
• Intermediate level of proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook)
• Access to high-speed internet from home / Broadband cable or DSL
• Access to a designated quiet workspace in your home (separated from non-workspace areas) with the ability to secure Protected Health Information (PHI)

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in an inpatient setting
• Dual diagnosis experience with mental health and substance abuse
• Experience in a community mental health setting
• Experience working in an environment that required coordination of benefits and utilization of multiple groups and resources for patients
• Previous experience in a managed care environment
• Experience with the Commercial population
• Bilingual (fluency in Spanish/English)

Soft Skills:

• Strong communication and customer service skills both in person and via phone 
• Ability to work independently and maintain good judgment and accountability 
• Demonstrated ability to work well with others
• Strong organizational and time management skills 
• Ability to multi-task and prioritize tasks to meet all deadlines 
• Ability to work well under pressure in a fast-paced environment 
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to speak clearly and concisely, conveying information in a manner that others can understand, as well as ability to understand and interpret information from others  

*All Telecommuters will be required to adhere to UnitedHealth Group's Telecommuter Policy.

California, Colorado, Nevada, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island or Washington Residents Only: The salary range for California, Colorado, Nevada, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, or Washington residents is $56,300 to $110,400 per year. Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, UnitedHealth Group offers 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 UnitedHealth Group, you'll find a far-reaching choice of benefits and incentives. 

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. 

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.

Diversity creates a healthier atmosphere: UnitedHealth Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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

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