Complex Care Specialist

Remote (United States)

Job Details

Location: United States

Workplace: Remote

Employment Type: Full-time

Schedule: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM–5:30 PM Pacific Time (PT)

Core Areas: Complex Behavioral Health Care, Clinical Case Management, Crisis Intervention, Risk Assessment, Care Coordination, Treatment Navigation, Motivational Interviewing, Safety Planning

Compensation: $38.65 per hour

About the Role

The Complex Care Specialist provides specialized clinical support and long-term case management for clients with complex behavioral health needs. This position focuses on assessing clinical risks, managing high-acuity situations, coordinating access to appropriate levels of care, and helping clients remain engaged throughout treatment. Responsibilities include crisis intervention, safety planning, treatment navigation, and developing individualized care plans that address each client's clinical needs and preferences.

This fully remote clinical position delivers services exclusively through phone and email, with occasional text communication. The role does not involve in-person services or psychotherapy. It requires an independently licensed mental health professional experienced in high-risk clinical situations, evidence-based interventions, health plan navigation, and coordination with treatment facilities, care navigators, and multidisciplinary clinical teams.

What You'll Do

• Independently manage a caseload of clients with complex behavioral health conditions and multiple care needs, providing collaborative, longitudinal clinical case management.
• Assess clinical needs and help clients access appropriate levels of behavioral health treatment, including higher levels of care when indicated.
• Maintain ongoing client engagement throughout different stages of treatment, applying Motivational Interviewing techniques to strengthen readiness for care and continued participation.
• Respond to clients experiencing behavioral health crises by conducting brief risk and needs assessments, developing safety plans, and using crisis de-escalation strategies to facilitate access to treatment.
• Provide immediate telephone support to callers experiencing emotional distress or behavioral health crises, including brief evidence-based coping strategies.
• Communicate professionally with clients, healthcare providers, and treatment facilities through telephone calls, email, and occasional text messages to support access to care.
• Identify and resolve barriers to treatment access while developing personalized, clinically appropriate care options.
• Use clinical matching software, treatment facility databases, health plan provider directories, and online research to identify suitable treatment programs based on individual clinical needs and preferences.
• Administer and monitor client-reported symptom assessments, including PHQ-9, GAD-7, and other applicable clinical measurement tools.
• Develop individualized care plans outlining appropriate treatment options, clinical recommendations, and next steps for accessing services.
• Participate in multidisciplinary team meetings, present complex clinical cases, and contribute to collaborative treatment planning.
• Conduct proactive outreach to clients who may need additional behavioral health support, using Motivational Interviewing strategies to encourage program engagement.
• Coordinate with preferred treatment facility network providers before, during, and after treatment, addressing recommended levels of care, length of stay, treatment modalities, and discharge planning.
• Collaborate with health plans, care navigators, and clinical navigation teams to facilitate treatment access, monitor client engagement, and support continuity of care.
• Participate in recurring coordination meetings with care navigators to review shared cases, resolve access barriers, and maintain accountability for client engagement.
• Work with billing personnel and preferred treatment facilities to confirm authorized referrals, facilitate coverage for eligible treatment services, monitor clinical quality expectations, and address treatment-related concerns.
• Participate in an on-call rotation supporting a dedicated telephone line for warm referrals from Care Navigators, Clinical Care Navigators, and health plans.
• Conduct clinical screenings for a Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) program and assess client suitability for specialized treatment.
• Provide recommendations to clinical leadership regarding improvements to client experience, care delivery processes, operational efficiency, and treatment outcomes.

Qualifications

Required Experience

• Significant professional experience managing high-risk behavioral health situations, including suicidal ideation, clinical crisis intervention, and mandated reporting responsibilities.
• Demonstrated experience providing clinical case management and coordinating specialized treatment services for clients with complex and diverse behavioral health needs.
• Experience navigating health plans, supporting treatment access, and encouraging engagement among clients with escalating mental health needs.

Required Skills

• Strong clinical assessment skills, including evaluating behavioral health risks, identifying appropriate levels of care, and responding effectively to high-acuity client situations.
• Ability to conduct crisis interventions, brief risk and needs assessments, safety planning, and de-escalation while connecting clients with appropriate treatment resources.
• Proficiency in longitudinal case management, individualized care planning, clinical care coordination, and treatment navigation across different levels of behavioral health care.
• Knowledge of higher levels of behavioral health treatment, specialized care programs, and community mental health resources.
• Ability to apply Motivational Interviewing techniques to improve client engagement, treatment readiness, and ongoing participation in care.
• Familiarity with health plan procedures, medical necessity criteria, treatment authorizations, insurance benefits, and available care options.
• Ability to use clinical assessment measures, including PHQ-9 and GAD-7, to monitor client-reported symptoms and inform care planning.
• Ability to identify appropriate treatment resources through facility databases, health plan directories, clinical matching tools, and other available information sources.
• Strong professional communication skills for supporting clients and coordinating with clinicians, care navigators, health plans, and treatment facilities by phone and email.
• Ability to work independently in a remote clinical environment while collaborating effectively with a small multidisciplinary team.
• Capacity to adapt to updated clinical protocols, incorporate professional feedback, and contribute to continuous improvement in care delivery.

Education & Certifications

• Master's degree in clinical social work or an equivalent clinical discipline.
• Current independent clinical licensure, such as Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC), or an equivalent credential.
• Must hold a valid state license permitting independent delivery of mental health services. Candidates requiring supervised clinical hours toward licensure are not eligible.
• Must be a full-time resident of the United States. Work cannot be performed from outside the United States.
• Must be available to work Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM–5:30 PM Pacific Time, and participate in the required on-call rotation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish is strongly preferred but not required.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage.
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Health Savings Account (HSA) options.
• Life insurance and disability insurance coverage.
• Employee access to mental health coaching and therapy services.
• Paid vacation, sick leave, and company holidays.
• Paid parental leave.
• 401(k) retirement benefits.
• Monthly technology allowance.
• Employee well-being perks, recognition activities, and team celebrations.