Care Management Care Advocate - Remote

Optum is a global organization that delivers care, aided by technology to help millions of people live healthier lives. The work you do with our team will directly improve health outcomes by connecting people with the care, pharmacy benefits, data and resources they need to feel their best. Here, you will find a culture guided by diversity and inclusion, talented peers, comprehensive benefits and career development opportunities. Come make an impact on the communities we serve as you help us advance health equity on a global scale. Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together.
As a Care Management Care Advocate you will be responsible for case management of mental health and substance use disorder services. 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.
You’ll enjoy the flexibility to work remotely* from anywhere within the U.S. as you take on some tough challenges. Due to business needs, residency in the Eastern and Central Time Zones is preferred.
Primary Responsibilities

• Partner with internal Optum Behavioral Health Services Teams to coordinate a seamless transition for consumers from an inpatient setting to community-based services
• Participate in standing meetings to review performance, identify areas of opportunity, and oversee course for improvements
• Discharge planning or management of transitions between care settings to ensure the appropriate services/resources are in place for quality outcomes
• Identify and address the needs of members who are consistently high utilizers of services through case conferences and informal communications
• Identify and remove barriers to procurement, delivery, participation in and success of services
• Comply with all policies, procedures, and documentation standards in appropriate systems, tracking mechanisms and databases
• Assist consumers and their families/caregivers with connections to appropriate psychiatric, medical, and psychosocial referrals and services
• Assist consumers by screening, answering questions, providing program information and education about network and community resources
• Partner with designated external providers, programs, entities to address the needs, gaps in care, and recovery goals of complex and high-risk consumers
• Assist in the development of a relevant and consumer-specific aftercare plan
• Collaborate with providers to determine acuity of mental health concerns, barriers, and progress; coordinate appropriate services
• Identify high-risk, co-morbid needs of consumers
• Manage phone queues including a member and crisis line
• Contribute to treatment plan discussions; routinely attend clinical rounds and other meetings with medical partner or external entities, when applicable
• Manage behavioral care coordination for all complexity levels

You’ll be rewarded and recognized for your performance in an environment that will challenge you and give you clear direction on what it takes to succeed in your role as well as provide development for other roles you may be interested in.
Required Qualifications

• Licensed Master's degree in Psychology, Social Work, Counseling, or Marriage and Family Counseling
• Computer and typing proficiency to enter and retrieve data in electronic clinical records, and experience with email, internet research, use of online calendars, and other software applications
• Active, unrestricted, independent clinical licensure in state of residence (e.g., LCSW, LICSW, LMFT, LMHC LP, LPC, LPCC, RN, etc.)
• 2+ years of experience in a related mental health setting
• Licensed Ph.D.
• Access to install secure, high-speed internet and a dedicated workspace at home
• Proficient in MS Office Suite, including Word, Outlook, Excel, and Teams
• RN with a Bachelor's degree or greater and 2+ years of experience in behavioral health
• One of the following:

Preferred Qualifications

• Proven excellent customer service skills
• Experience in an inpatient setting
• Proven solid problem-solving skills
• Proven excellent organizational skills
• Experience in a managed care environment (i.e., health insurance company / managed care organization [MCO])
• Dual diagnosis experience with mental health and substance abuse
• Experience in a community mental health setting
• Experience working with the geriatric population
• Experience working with children and adolescents

Careers with Optum. Our objective is to make health care simpler and more effective for everyone. With our hands at work across all aspects of health, you can play a role in creating a healthier world, one insight, one connection and one person at a time. We bring together some of the greatest minds and ideas to take health care to its fullest potential, promoting health equity and accessibility. Work with diverse, engaged and high-performing teams to help solve important challenges.
California, Colorado, Connecticut, Nevada, New York, Rhode Island, or Washington Residents Only:The salary range for California, Colorado, Connecticut, Nevada, New York, Rhode Island or Washington residents is $56,300 to $110,400. Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, UnitedHealth Group offers benefits such as, a comprehensive benefits package, incentive and recognition programs, equity stock purchase and 401k contribution (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements). No matter where or when you begin a career with UnitedHealth Group, you’ll find a far-reaching choice of benefits and incentives.

• All employees working remotely will be required to adhere to UnitedHealth Group’s Telecommuter Policy

At UnitedHealth Group, our mission is to help people live healthier lives and make the health system work better for everyone. We believe everyone-of every race, gender, sexuality, age, location and income-deserves the opportunity to live their healthiest life. Today, however, there are still far too many barriers to good health which are disproportionately experienced by people of color, historically marginalized groups and those with lower incomes. We are committed to mitigating our impact on the environment and enabling and delivering equitable care that addresses health disparities and improves health outcomes - an enterprise priority reflected in our mission.
Diversity creates a healthier atmosphere: UnitedHealth Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and 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.