Behavioral Health Advocate (PST)

About Benchmark Health

Benchmark Health is an early-stage, venture-backed public benefit corporation dedicated to connecting individuals with appropriate mental health resources such as therapy, psychiatry, and community support. The organization emphasizes building trust by assigning Advocates who prioritize patient interests throughout their care journey.

Founded by experienced entrepreneurs and psychiatrists, Benchmark leverages AI technology responsibly to enhance patient-centered behavioral health care on a large scale.

Role Overview

The Behavioral Health Advocate position is a contract role focused on establishing trusted relationships with patients to help them navigate the complexities of behavioral health care. The Advocate delivers personalized assistance, goal-driven interventions, and care coordination, ensuring timely access to suitable resources.

This role supports a Collaborative Care Model (CoCM)-aligned structure that promotes measurement-based care and reimbursement processes. Supported by licensed clinicians, Advocates collaborate closely with primary care providers and psychiatric consultants to provide high-quality, patient-focused services.

Compensation

This is an independent contractor position paid on a 1099 basis. Compensation depends on completed, documented, and billable care management activities, calculated by time spent per patient monthly in accordance with payer and CMS guidelines. Payments require precise, timely, and audit-ready documentation.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and sustain ongoing patient relationships based on trust, offering continuous support, care coordination, and individualized guidance.
• Conduct behavioral health screenings and assessments, assisting patients in navigating mental health services including therapy, psychiatry, and community resources.
• Collaborate with healthcare teams to create, communicate, and adapt treatment plans.
• Support patients in setting measurable and evidence-based goals using techniques such as behavioral activation, problem-solving treatment, and motivational interviewing.
• Utilize validated screening instruments like PHQ-9 and GAD-7 to monitor patient progress and adjust care plans proactively.
• Act as a liaison among patients, primary care providers, psychiatric consultants, and external behavioral health providers.
• Engage in case consultations with psychiatric consultants and coordinate follow-ups with the care team.
• Maintain meticulous, prompt, and audit-compliant documentation to back clinical quality, billing, and measurement-based care.
• Work collaboratively with clinical and operational teams to enhance care workflows and patient experience.

Performance Expectations

• Deliver meaningful, relationship-focused, goal-oriented patient care.
• Maintain precise and timely clinical documentation.
• Achieve required thresholds for billable care management activities.
• Participate in structured case evaluations and care coordination efforts.
• Consistently support measurement-based care and monitor patient outcomes.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a mental health-related discipline.
• Between 2 and 5 years of experience in behavioral health or a related area.
• Proficiency with measurement-based care tools and structured goal-setting methods such as SMART goals and PHQ-9/GAD-7 assessments.
• Strong capability to engage patients in short-term, goal-driven interventions.
• Comfort operating within structured care models that demand detailed documentation and coordination.
• Capacity to work during Pacific Standard Time hours.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in Collaborative Care Models or integrated care environments.
• Skill in managing clinical escalations and conducting safety risk evaluations.
• Experience with patients who have serious mental illnesses.
• Background in working with children and adolescents.

Essential Skills

• Excellent interpersonal skills enabling quick trust and rapport development.
• Strong organizational abilities to juggle multiple cases and documentation demands effectively.
• Attention to detail in documentation with high-quality standards.
• Ability to maintain balance between patient-centric care and structured processes.
• Flexibility and adaptability in a dynamic, startup environment.

Working Conditions

This is a fully remote role requiring work during Pacific Standard Time hours. As a contractor, flexibility in scheduling aligned with care delivery and contractual requirements is expected.