Behavioral Care Advocate - Latham, NY

You're looking for something bigger for your career. How about inventing the future of health care? UnitedHealthcare is offering an innovative new standard for care management. We're going beyond counseling services and verified referrals to behavioral health programs integrated across the entire continuum of care. Our growth is fueling the need for highly qualified professionals to join our elite team. Bring your skills and talents to a role where you'll have the opportunity to make an impact on a huge scale.  Join us. Take this opportunity to start doing your life's best work.(sm)

As a Telephonic Behavioral Care Advocate you will be responsible for case management and utilization review 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. 

***This position will work on the New York HARP program. This is a telephonic Behavioral Care Advocate / Utilization Management role based onsite in our Latham, NY facility.  This is a Monday - Friday, daytime hours position. The anticipated start date for this position will be May 18, 2015. The first 4 weeks will be training and daily attendance is required***

What makes your clinical career greater with UnitedHealth Group?  You can improve the health of others and help heal the health care system.  You will work within an incredible team culture; a clinical and business collaboration that is learning and evolving every day.  And, when you contribute, you'll open doors for yourself that simply do not exist in any other organization, anywhere.  

To get better insight to this role and determine if it is the right fit for you, click here to view the Realistic Job Preview:

Primary Responsibilities:

• Focus on initial inpatient admission for psychiatric and chemical dependency patients


• Making patient assessments and determining appropriate levels of care


• Obtaining information from providers on outpatient requests for treatment


• Determining if additional clinical treatment sessions are needed


• Managing inpatient and outpatient mental health cases throughout the entire treatment plan


• Administering benefits and reviewing treatment plans


• Coordinating benefits and transitions between various areas of care


• Identifying ways to add value to treatment plans and consulting with facility staff or outpatient care providers on those ideas

Required Qualifications:

• Applicant must be a U.S. Behavioral Health Professional (BHP) who holds an unrestricted license to practice independently or be a registered nurse. (RN, LCSW, LMHC, LMFT, LPC, LCPC)


• Master's degree in Psychology, Social Work, Counseling or Marriage or Family Therapy, or Licensed Ph.D., or an RN with 2 or more years of experience in behavioral health


• Licenses must be active and unrestricted in the State of applicants residence


• Experience working with adults with behavioral health needs


• Must live within a commutable distance (45 - 60 minutes) of Latham, NY


• Ability to work onsite in our Latham office M - F during daytime business hours


• Ability to be on call as needed


• 2 years of experience in a related mental health environment


• Basic Microsoft Word skills


• Ability to attend training the first 4 weeks of employment without needing time off. Training is onsite in our Latham office. Start date is targeted for May 18, 2015

Preferred Qualifications:

• Inpatient experience


• Certified Alcohol and Substance Abuse


• Dual diagnosis experience with mental health and substance abuse


• Experience working in an environment that required coordination of benefits and utilization of multiple groups and resources for patients


• Experience with transition age youth with behavioral health needs


• Experience with older adults with a MH condition or a SUD


• Experience with high risk groups such as individuals with SMI, co-occurring major mental disorders and SUDs and those involved in multiple services systems (education, justice, medical, welfare, and child welfare)


• Experience with Individuals with I/DD in need of BH services


• Experience with Individuals with a MH condition or a SUD and co-occurring chronic physical health conditions


• Experience with individuals with a SUD in need of medication-assisted treatment, including methadone and buprenorphine for opioid dependence

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Diversity creates a healthier atmosphere: 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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