CHLA Care Network: Behavioral Health Specialist – Collaborative Care Model
Make an impact on behavioral and mental health care for children.
The Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Care Network is actively working to improve where and how children and teens can access behavioral and mental health care.
Offering mental health screenings and interventions in a pediatrician’s office is more supportive and convenient for patients and families. They already know their child’s doctor and are familiar and comfortable with the setting. Plus, referrals for behavioral or mental health services often have a 3 to 6 month wait and can involve questions about insurance, creating a whole host of hurdles for families.
Members of the CHLA Care Network have come together to leverage the Collaborative Care Model, which addresses medical and mental health care together in a primary care setting. This model has been demonstrated to be successful, and CHLA is the first children’s hospital in Southern California to use the model to support children in this way.
In this model, the pediatrician partners with two key team members: a behavioral health specialist and a psychiatric consultant. Together, all three provide integrated, evidence-based behavioral health services within the pediatric medical home.
Southern California Pediatricians Want to Work With You
Individuals with the clinical backgrounds listed below are welcome to apply for the behavioral health specialist position:
- Master’s degree in social work (MSW)
- Licensed in California Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
- Licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT)
- Licensed professional clinical counselor (LPCC)
- Clinical child/pediatric psychologist (PhD or PsyD)
The behavioral health specialist position is with independent pediatric practices that are members of the Care Network. Please note that any position you apply for will be within the practice—not the CHLA Care Network or Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Each practice is responsible for deciding whether to hire a candidate. The information provided here is intended as a community resource and not as an advertisement or promotion of any particular practice.
Role of the Behavioral Health Specialist
The behavioral health specialist is an essential member of the primary care team, directing assessment and care management services for patients enrolled in the program. A major strength of this model is that the specialist meets the patient where they are and can swiftly begin providing behavioral health intervention. Creating this strong clinical culture allows the team to care for an underserved population with limited access to mental health care.