Patient Navigator, Behavioral Health Non-Clinical
About the job
Description
The Behavioral Patient Navigator serves as a non-clinical member of the interdisciplinary care team supporting psychiatric and behavioral health patients throughout their healthcare journey. The role provides behavioral triage support, therapeutic communication, motivational interviewing, patient engagement, care coordination, behavioral and psychiatric resource navigation, and linkage to appropriate services. The Patient Navigator assists patients with overcoming barriers related to treatment adherence, appointments, medication routines, behavioral health follow-up, and engagement with their established plan of care while promoting individualized, patient-centered care and recovery.
The Behavioral Patient Navigator works closely with licensed behavioral health providers, psychiatrists, social workers, case managers, community partners, Nursing, and Utilization Management to facilitate timely access to care, support care transitions, and promote continuity of care. This is a non-clinical role and does not provide clinical assessments, diagnoses, therapy, or medical advice.
Key Responsibilities
- Conduct outreach and maintain regular contact with behavioral health and psychiatric patients.
- Provide non-clinical behavioral health triage and escalate urgent or high-risk concerns to licensed clinicians.
- Use therapeutic communication and motivational interviewing techniques to support patient engagement, treatment adherence, and behavioral goals.
- Assist patients with navigating appointments, referrals, behavioral health services, and community resources.
- Coordinate with internal care teams, behavioral health and primary care providers, and community organizations.
- Track referrals, follow up on missed appointments, and assist with transitions of care.
- Connect patients with appropriate behavioral health, social service, and community-based resources.
Salary Range: $ 65,800 - $130,800/Annually
Qualifications
REQUIRED
- Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, Social Work, Behavioral Science, and Behavioral Science.
- 3 years or more in Behavioral health, patient navigation, case management support, care coordination, community health, and/or related healthcare setting.
- Demonstrated experience engaging patients with behavioral health psychosocial or complex healthcare needs.
- 3 years or more of working knowledge of Motivational Interviewing principals and patient-centered communication technique.
- 3 years or more of the ability to use supportive and therapeutic communication technique within the established scope of a non-licensed position.
- 2 years or more of the ability to recognize changes in patient behavior, treatment engagement, psychosocial circumstance that requires escalation to an RN, Social Worker, Behavioral Health Clinician, Physician or other license professional.
- Ability to multi-task, work with frequent interruptions, and meet deadlines. Must be detailed, oriented, attentive, organized, and able to follow directions.
- Ability to operate a wide variety of office equipment, including computers, printers, copy machines, facsimile receiver/transmitter, scanners and mailing equipment.
- Ability to communicate thoughts and information clearly and succinctly in writing as well as verbally.
- Highly organized, reliable, consistently seeking learning opportunities and new challenges, High EQ, communication skills, problem solving ability, and teamwork, humble yet confident, peers feel comfortable requesting your assistance.
PREFERRED
- Experience in Managed care Organization, Medical Group operations, Health Plan administration and workflows.
- Ability to manage multiple patient related tasks.
- Proficient computer skills including working knowledge of Microsoft Excel, Visio, Power P and Word.
- Experience in Medicare Advantage or value-based care models
From UCLA Health's job posting, checked Oct 29, 2026. The employer's own page is the final word on requirements and availability.
Selected agencies hiring now
All agencies and apps →
AmergisHealthcare staffing agency
Nationwide healthcare staffing company (formerly Maxim Healthcare Staffing) placing medical assistants, aides, medical coders, utilization review and administrative staff alongside clinicians.
Places: Medical assistants, Front desk & admin, CNAs & PCTs
GRACE StaffingHealthcare staffing agency
Healthcare staffing agency placing nurses, allied professionals and healthcare administrators on assignments.
Places: Nurses, Front desk & admin, Allied health
These agencies and apps pay CareJobs.Now a referral fee when someone we introduce is placed or signs up. It costs you nothing and never changes your pay. Hospital and clinic jobs below keep their own order.
Sponsored jobs from job networks, which pay CareJobs.Now when you click one.
Free tools for this application: check your resume against this job, answer the application's questions or see every free tool.
New patient access, front desk and medical coding jobs in California, by email
One email a week with the newest ones, straight from the employers' own careers sites, with the pay each posting states. Free, stop anytime.
About UCLA Health
UCLA Health is the University of California, Los Angeles academic health system, with Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center and clinics across Southern California.
Based in Los Angeles, CAHires in CaliforniaPay on its listings: 83.8% of its open jobs state an hourly rate
More open jobs at UCLA Health
- Clinical Social Worker, Per Diem (weekends)Los Angeles, CA$56.66–$73.11/hr
- Administrative Assistant 3 (100% Limited)Los Angeles, CA$31.88–$45.66/hr
- Float Clinical Oncology Pharmacist - Community Infusions (Alhambra)Alhambra, CA$95.61–$112/hr
- Front Desk Admin Support - Beverly Hills Wilshire, Specialty CareBeverly Hills, CA$27.74–$39.36/hr
- Administrative Assistant II - Cornea & Uveitis, Westwood2 openings in United States$27.74–$39.36/hr
- Front Office Admin Support - Oncology, VenturaVentura, CA$27.74–$39.36/hr
More patient access, front desk and medical coding jobs
- Call Center/ Patient Service RepresentativeHenry J Austin Health Center · Trenton, NJ
- Office ManagerHenry J Austin Health Center · Trenton, NJ
- Bilingual Patient Service Representative - PSRFirst Choice Community Health Centers · Lillington, Spring Lake, Cameron, Angier, NC
- Patient Service RepresentativeFirst Choice Community Health Centers · 2 openings in United States
- Billing SpecialistDevelopmental Pathways · Van Nuys, CA
- Rehab Patient Care Coordinator - (PT/OT/SLP)CVHCare · San Ramon, CA
Experienced in the healthcare front office or coding?
One profile for every employer here. Hospitals, clinics and care companies ask us for people with a specific license, specialty, language or schedule: add yours once, and when a job fits, we introduce you, only with your yes. Free.
UCLA Health openings, sent to you weekly
Each week we send the newest postings from UCLA Health's own careers site, along with similar openings at other hospitals and care employers. It costs nothing and you can stop anytime.