The posting
Job Summary
The Behavioral Health Consultant (BHC) in Columbus is a core member of the interdisciplinary care team responsible for delivering evidence-based behavioral health interventions to members with behavioral health conditions that negatively impact overall health, functioning, engagement, and quality of life.
This role serves as the behavioral health subject matter expert within AbsoluteCare’s integrated care model, partnering with primary care, psychiatry, nursing, care management, pharmacy, community health workers, and social determinants of health coordinators (SDOHC) to support whole-person care.
The BHC utilizes trauma-informed care, motivational interviewing, harm-reduction principles, de-escalation techniques, and disease-relevant clinical interventions to increase member engagement, support behavioral change, improve adherence to treatment plans, and reduce avoidable acute utilization.
The BHC is accountable for delivering care through an integrated care model and supporting Clinical Care Pathway performance through timely assessment and diagnosis, intervention, follow-up, clinical documentation, and care coordination aligned with pathway goals. This includes engagement and retention, completion of assessments and treatment plans, post-hospital follow-up, reduced emergency department utilization, reduced inpatient admissions/readmissions, and treatment-plan goal attainment.
The BHC conducts biopsychosocial assessments, develops person-centered treatment plans with SMART goals, provides individual and group therapy, supports crisis response and de-escalation, and facilitates referrals to higher levels of behavioral health care when clinically indicated.
Duties and Responsibilities
Clinical Care Delivery & Clinical Care Pathway Interventions
- Provide short-term interventions, individual and group therapy using evidence-based modalities aligned with member needs.
- Conduct comprehensive biopsychosocial assessments and diagnostic impressions, as permitted by licensure and scope of practice.
- Develop person-centered treatment plans with SMART goals and update plans based on progress, risk, and clinical need.
- Deliver relevant clinical interventions, including motivational interviewing, trauma-informed interventions, harm-reduction strategies, de-escalation, behavioral activation, solution-focused interventions, psychoeducation, relapse-prevention planning, coping-skills development, safety planning, and engagement strategies.
- Provide post-discharge behavioral health follow-up within required timeframes, including follow-up within 7 days of inpatient mental health or substance use discharge when applicable.
- Trac member progress against treatment goals and Clinical Care Pathway goals, escalating barriers to engagement, access, or clinical stability when needed.
Crisis Intervention & High-Risk Member Management
- Provide crisis intervention, risk assessment, and de-escalation for members presenting with acute behavioral health needs, including suicidality, safety concerns, disruptive behavior, or acute emotional distress.
- Determine clinically appropriate disposition, including safety planning, urgent psychiatry consultation, emergency evaluation, inpatient referral, or higher level of care.
- Support rapid stabilization and follow-up for high-risk members in coordination with the interdisciplinary care team.
Integrated Care Team Collaboration
- Serve as the behavioral health subject matter expert within the interdisciplinary care team.
- Collaborate with PCPs, psychiatric providers, nurses, medical/social work care managers, pharmacy, community health workers, and SDOHCs to align behavioral health interventions with whole-person care plans.
- Participate in huddles, case conferences, shared visits, and care planning discussions to support Clinical Care Pathway goals and proactive management of high-risk members.
- Provide clinical recommendations, referrals, and follow-up plans related to behavioral health needs, social needs, treatment adherence, and acute utilization risk.
Care Coordination & Transitions of Care
- Facilitate referrals to appropriate behavioral health levels of care not provided internally, including ACT, IOP, PHP, residential treatment, inpatient services, and community-based supports as clinically indicated.
- Support care transitions after hospitalization, emergency department utilization, or crisis episodes, with emphasis on timely engagement and continuity of care.
- Ensure closed-loop communication with internal team members, external providers, hospitals, health plans, and community agencies as appropriate and permitted.
Documentation, Compliance & Productivity
- Complete timely, accurate, and clinically appropriate documentation, including assessments, treatment plans, progress notes, crisis notes, referrals, and follow-up documentation.
- Maintain compliance with organizational policies, clinical standards, payer requirements, regulatory expectations, and licensure requirements.
- Meet productivity, access, documentation timeliness, and SMI Pathway workflow expectations as established by leadership.
Quality, Outcomes & Performance Improvement
- Use data and outcome metrics to inform care decisions, monitor progress, and support quality improvement initiatives.
- Contribute to performance improvement related to treatment engagement, retention, post-discharge follow-up, treatment-plan goal attainment, acute utilization reduction, and member experience.
- Participate in training, peer consultation, and clinical quality activities to strengthen SMI Pathway execution and integrated behavioral health practice.
Minimum Qualifications
Education & Licensure
- Master’s degree in social work, counseling, psychology, marriage and family therapy, or a related behavioral health field.
- Active, unrestricted independent clinical license in the state of practice, such as LCSW, LPC, LMFT, LPCC, LMHC, LISW, or other equivalent independent and state-recognized behavioral health license.
- Must maintain all licensure, supervision, continuing education, and credentialing requirements applicable to the state of practice and role scope.
Experience
- Minimum of 2–3 years of clinical behavioral health experience in outpatient behavioral health, community mental health, FQHC, integrated care, inpatient psychiatric, intensive outpatient, substance use treatment, or comparable setting.
- Experience working with individuals with serious mental illness, substance use disorders, complex trauma, chronic medical conditions, or complex psychosocial needs.
- Experience with Medicaid and/or Medicare populations preferred.
Skills & Competencies
- Strong clinical assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, crisis intervention, and risk-management skills.
- Demonstrated proficiency with trauma-informed care, motivational interviewing, harm reduction, recovery-oriented care, and evidence-based brief interventions.
- Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, multidisciplinary, integrated care environment.
- Strong communication, documentation, care coordination, and collaboration skills.
- Proficiency with electronic health records and ability to use clinical data to support care planning and KPI performance.
- Knowledge of HEDIS-related follow-up expectations and integrated care workflows preferred.
- Mission-driven commitment to serving underserved and vulnerable populations with a strong focus on customer service, respect, and relationship-building.
- Problem-solving ability, adaptability, and creativity in developing member-centered solutions in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
Additional Requirements / Preferred Qualifications
- Group therapy facilitation experience preferred.
- Experience in Collaborative Care or integrated primary care models preferred.
- BLS/CPR certification if required by credentialing, payer, or organizational policy.
- Ability to travel between care settings, community or market locations when required by operations; active driver’s license and proof of insurance may be required based on role assignment.
Working conditions
This job delivers care within an integrated primary care and behavioral health setting and routinely uses general office equipment and electronic medical record systems. Remote or telehealth work may be considered based on business need, clinical appropriateness, licensure, credentialing, payer requirements, market operations, and company health protocols.
- May provide care in a professional office, clinical exam room, telehealth setting, hospital follow-up workflow, or other approved care setting.
- May wear professional attire, scrubs, protective equipment, gloves, masks, or other safety attire when clinically indicated or required by policy.
- May be exposed to communicable diseases, infections, behavioral health crises, emotionally distressed members, or safety-related clinical situations.
- May share workspace with other clinicians, technicians, providers, and interdisciplinary staff.
Physical requirements
- Ability to communicate clearly and exchange accurate information constantly.
- Ability to remain stationary for long periods of time.
- Constantly operates computer, keyboard, copy and fax machine, phone, and other general office equipment.
- Ability to occasionally move objects up to 20 lbs.
Direct reports
None.
All Employees are expected to maintain the security and privacy of all information that is owned by AbsoluteCare or maintained on behalf of the company’s patients, employees, and business partners. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. This description reflects management’s assignment of essential functions, it does not proscribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned. This job description is subject to change at any time.
