Qualified Mental Health Associate (QMHA)

Qualified Mental Health Associate (QMHA)

Evergreen Family Medicine is committed to providing excellent care for your family with clinics in Roseburg, Sutherlin and Myrtle Creek Oregon. Evergreen Family Medicine serves outpatient needs, including Urgent Care, Family Practice, Women’s Health, and Occupational Health.

Evergreen Family Medicine is a Drug Free Workplace. All candidates that are offered employment will be required to pass a pre-employment drug screen and background check.

Position Summary

Qualified Mental Health Associates are responsible for communicating with patients receiving mental health services, assisting in gathering information for mental health evaluations, and supporting and assisting patients in reaching goals on their mental health treatment plan. Additionally, the QMHA position is responsible for orienting patients to mental health services, implementing interventions and monitoring patient progress towards their treatment goals as part of an interdisciplinary mental health team, under the supervision of a licensed mental health professional (Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners, QMHPs, LPCs, LCSWs, LMFTs, psychiatrists, clinical psychologists).

Other duties of the QMHA position include maintaining updated screenings, providing social support in collaboration with behavioral health and primary care team, performing brief interventional counseling in the form of warm handoffs, skills training, mental health case management, performing intake appointments, and arranging for referrals for in house or outside care when longer term follow up is appropriate.

The QMHA position supports behavioral health and psychiatry through a strengths based, integrated approach, smoothly bridging care to assure a high standard of care to the patients, help to keep patients engaged in services, and assist them in overcoming barriers to participation.

Responsibilities and Duties

• Responsible for establishing trusting relationships with patients and their families/support systems while providing general support and encouragement.
• Provide brief mental health interventions (warm handoffs, skills training).
• Cofacilitation of groups (support, psychoeducational, skills training and relapse prevention) in collaboration with a licensed mental health professional.
• Provide mental health case management as requested by EFM provider.
• Support patients in transition of care from the BHU and other structured treatment settings.
• Maintain updated versions of all screenings; research and add screenings and assessments to available materials as directed by EFM providers.
• Request medical records as needed to establish mental health care history for continuity of care
• Exhibit excellent working relations with patients, providers and staff.
• Work closely with providers to help ensure that patients have comprehensive and coordinated care plans.
• Work collaboratively with other clinical personnel assigned to the same patient.
• Maintain knowledge about community resources appropriate to needs of patients/families.
• Record patient encounter information in the EMR and other software no later than 72 hours after patient contact.
• Attend regular staff meetings, trainings, supervision and other meetings, as requested.
• Maintain HIPAA, QMHA ORS/OARS, MHACBO standards and EFM policies at all times.

Qualifications and Skills

• Must already have registration and certification through MHACBO (Mental Health & Addiction Certification Board of Oregon), or
• Be able to complete certification within 30 days,
• Bachelor’s degree in a social science specified by MHACBO, or three years of relevant occupational experience in behavioral health, or a combination of the two.

Competencies

• Good organizational skills to handle multiple priorities while remaining professional and calm.
• Ability to work with many diverse people, including children and teenagers.
• Effective telephone skills.
• Strong level of confidentiality due to the sensitivity of materials and information handled.
• Ability to make suggestions on workflow or system efficiency and effectiveness.
• Ability to work independently and be self-directed and flexible.
• Ability to prioritize.
• Ability to perform functions with minimal supervision.
• Ability to work at a high-volume level of accuracy.

General Expectations

• Be committed to the mission of the EFM.
• Behave in a professional manner and consistently demonstrate and promote the values of respect, honesty, and dignity for the patient, families, and all members of the healthcare team.
• Committed to the constant pursuit of excellence and teamwork in improving the care of the patient and families of EFM.
• Be punctual for scheduled work and use time appropriately.
• Perform duties in a conscientious, cooperative manner.
• Perform required amount of work in a timely fashion with a minimum of errors.
• Be neat and maintain a professional appearance.
• Maintain confidentiality and protect the Practice by abiding by laws and principles related to confidentiality; keep information concerning Practice Operations, patients and employees confidential.
• Maintain compliance with EFM’s compliance standards, including its Standards of Conduct, Compliance Program, and policies and procedures. Such compliance will be an element considered as part of the Administrative Assistant's regular performance evaluation.

Physical requirements

• Must attend provider meetings and other collaborative meetings, such as QAPI and PCPCH.
• Must be able to work flexible hours.
• Physical requirements for this position include hearing, seeing, speaking, feeling, talking, stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, grasping, and repetitive motions.
• This position requires sitting for long periods of time and walking and/or standing is only required occasionally.
• This position requires exerting up to 20 pounds of force and/or 10 pounds frequently in order to move objects.
• May experience potentially assaultive clients and family members.

Our culture and values are every employee’s responsibility: The needs of our patient come first S.P.I.R.I.T

• Stewardship
• Patient & Population Focused Health Care
• Integrity
• Respect
• Innovation
• Teamwork

Benefits

• Health, Dental, Vision benefits
• Life Insurance
• 401k with a company match up to 6%
• Paid Time Off