Behavioral Health Associate

This is a Behavioral Health and Social Work position in a hospital setting.  The person in this position will conduct evidence-based screening for substance use (alcohol, nicotine, and other substances) in hospitalized  patients at bedside, provide brief, motivational interviewing based interventions to patients screening positive for risky use or a use disorder, make referrals to substance use disorder treatment services for patients needing and wanting treatment, and communicate to the healthcare team the screening results and any interventions and/or referrals provided.

The position will coordinate SBIRT service delivery with the two other Behavioral Health Associate at this clinical location to ensure appropriate patients receive SBIRT services.  They will document services provided in the electron health record and in a tracking log for the location.   They will participate in staff training and meetings.

Job Duties

• Utilizes the Electronic Health Record to identify patients for substance use screening and use evidence-based screening tools to screen identified patients for risky substance use (alcohol, nicotine, and other substances) at bedside.
• Provides screening results to all patients.
• For patients screening negative for substance misuse will deliver a reinforcing prevention message.
• For patients screening positive for risky use, the specialist will engage those patients in a 15 to 30 minute motivational interviewing conversation around their use, helping the patient connect their use to current health challenges when applicable and contextualize their use in terms of their current and future life goals.
• For patients screening positive for a substance use disorder, will engage the patients in a motivational interviewing conversation around their readiness for treatment, making a treatment referral for patients needing and wanting those services.
• Shares screening results and any interventions and referrals made with the rest of the patient’s healthcare team via documentation in the EHR at a minimum.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s degree.
• Two years of relevant experience.
• Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), LCSW-S, or  LPC-S.

Baylor College of Medicine is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Equal Access Employer.

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