Behavioral Health Clinician
Role
A Behavioral Health Clinician is the name for the roles played in primary care by psychologists, social workers, mental health counselors, and marriage and family therapists. They work in conjunction with medical professionals providing a variety of highly skilled services to patients for early intervention purposes. Behavioral Health Clinician (BHC) provides services to patients within the primary care setting in conjunction with PCP's, physician residents and consulting psychiatrists to address mental health diagnoses. The BHC functions as an integral member of the team involved in delivering a variety of highly skilled services to patients referred by a primary care provider. They also engage in population-based education, prevention and early intervention with patients, participate in their chronic disease management, including psychosocial assessments to identify emotional, social, and environmental strengths and problems related to patients’ illnesses, treatment, and or life situation. These positions will help facilitate group visits and liaison with community-based organizations.
Training and Salary
There are many ways to become a behavioral health clinician. Requirements are workplace specific. Behavioral health clinicians can be Masters, or Doctoral level clinicians with training in mental health, substance abuse, and behavioral medicine. Specific training for working in primary care is usually needed, either through experiential placement in primary care in their graduate program, or a substantial post degree program.
$50,000 - $100,000
Becoming a behavioral health clinical typically requires an MA, MS, Ph.D. or Psy.D., in the field of mental health services.
Programs in New Hampshire that would provide this training include:
Antioch University New England Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
PSYD in Clinical Psychology
UNH School of Social Work (look for an integrated care page) - Will L
Southern New Hampshire University Masters in Mental Health Counseling