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Behavioral Health Utilization Management Jobs in Riverside, CA

Behavioral Health Specialist

Orange, CA ยท On-site

$18 - $22/hr

The Behavioral Health Specialist (BHS) plays a vital, hands-on role in shaping the daily experience ... If you need further support, you are also welcome to reach out to our careers and management team ...

Behavioral Health Clinician

Claremont, CA

$61K - $84K/yr

Behavioral Health Clinican (LCSW, LMFT, ACSW, AMFT, LPCC, APCC) $75,000-$110,000 DOE Claremont, CA ... Provide weekly individual and group therapy focused on symptom management, legal education, coping ...

Behavioral Health Clinician

Claremont, CA ยท On-site

$61K - $84K/yr

Behavioral Health Clinican (LCSW, LMFT, ACSW, AMFT, LPCC, APCC) $75,000-$110,000 DOE Claremont, CA ... Provide weekly individual and group therapy focused on symptom management, legal education, coping ...

Behavioral Health Clinician

Claremont, CA ยท On-site

$61K - $84K/yr

Provide weekly individual and group therapy focused on symptom management, legal education, coping ... One (1) year of behavioral health experience required; experience with severely mentally ill ...

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Behavioral Health Utilization Management information

See Riverside, CA salary details

$22

$44

$71

How much do behavioral health utilization management jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 11, 2026, the average hourly pay for behavioral health utilization management in Riverside, CA is $44.11, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $34.86 and $50.67 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Behavioral Health Utilization Management vs Behavioral Health Case Manager?

AspectBehavioral Health Utilization ManagementBehavioral Health Case Manager
CredentialsLicenses (e.g., RN, LCSW), certifications in utilization reviewLicenses (e.g., LCSW, LPC), case management certifications
Work EnvironmentInsurance companies, healthcare organizations, utilization review departmentsHospitals, community clinics, outpatient facilities
Employer & Industry UsageHealth insurance providers, managed care organizationsBehavioral health agencies, hospitals, outpatient clinics

Behavioral Health Utilization Management focuses on reviewing and authorizing mental health services to ensure appropriate care and cost management. In contrast, Behavioral Health Case Managers coordinate ongoing patient care, providing support and resources to improve treatment outcomes. Both roles require relevant licenses and certifications but differ in their primary responsibilities and work settings.

What are some common challenges faced by Behavioral Health Utilization Management professionals, and how are they typically addressed?

Behavioral Health Utilization Management professionals often encounter challenges such as managing high caseloads, keeping up with evolving clinical guidelines, and ensuring timely communication with providers and insurance companies. Balancing the need for cost containment with advocating for appropriate patient care can also be demanding. These challenges are typically addressed through ongoing training, strong teamwork, and the use of evidence-based criteria and decision-support tools to guide determinations and streamline workflows.

What is Behavioral Health Utilization Management?

Behavioral Health Utilization Management is a process used by insurance companies and healthcare organizations to evaluate the necessity, appropriateness, and efficiency of behavioral health services such as mental health and substance use treatments. This process helps ensure that patients receive the right level of care based on clinical guidelines while managing healthcare costs. Utilization managers review treatment plans, authorize services, and coordinate with providers to promote quality outcomes and avoid unnecessary services. Their work is essential in balancing patient needs with resource allocation in the healthcare system.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Behavioral Health Utilization Management professional, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Behavioral Health Utilization Management professional, you need a background in behavioral health or clinical care, often with an RN, LCSW, LPC, or similar licensure and experience in mental health care settings. Familiarity with utilization review software, insurance guidelines, and electronic health record (EHR) systems is crucial. Strong analytical thinking, communication, and negotiation skills are essential soft skills to effectively evaluate treatment plans and coordinate with providers. These competencies are vital to ensuring appropriate, cost-effective care while maintaining compliance with regulatory and payer requirements.
What are popular job titles related to Behavioral Health Utilization Management jobs in Riverside, CA? For Behavioral Health Utilization Management jobs in Riverside, CA, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Behavioral Health Utilization Management jobs in Riverside, CA look for? The top searched job categories for Behavioral Health Utilization Management jobs in Riverside, CA are:
What cities near Riverside, CA are hiring for Behavioral Health Utilization Management jobs? Cities near Riverside, CA with the most Behavioral Health Utilization Management job openings:
Infographic showing various Behavioral Health Utilization Management job openings in Riverside, CA as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 65% Full Time, and 35% Part Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $91,752 per year, or $44.1 per hour.
Behavioral Health Specialist: Part-Time/Evening Hours

Behavioral Health Specialist: Part-Time/Evening Hours

Camino Health Center

Lake Forest, CA โ€ข On-site

$57 - $65/hr

Other

Posted 24 days ago


Job description

The Behavioral Health Specialist provides behavioral health services to patients of all ages at Camino Health Center. The Behavioral Health Specialist work alongside the health centerโ€™s medical teams to provide comprehensive whole person care. The Behavioral Health Specialists provides same day mental health consults, psychosocial assessments, crisis intervention, psychotherapy, alcohol and drug screening using the SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment), education/support groups and resource information. The Behavioral Health Specialist is the link between Camino Health Center, the community, and other local agencies that provide services for this population. Behavioral health services will be provided on site at Camino Health Center and with other community partnerships.

Ensure that the core values of Camino Health Center โ€“ dignity, excellence, service and justice are carried out within daily tasks.

Essential Values-Based Competencies: Demonstrates values-based competencies in line with the four core values that are the foundation of all activities performed by employees in order to achieve the mission of the Camino Health Center.

Dignity: Demonstrates competence in communication and interpersonal relations

Excellence: Demonstrates competence in continuous improvement, continuous learning, and teamwork/collaboration

Service: Demonstrates competence in customer/patient focus, adaptability, and shaping change

Justice: Demonstrates competence in community orientation, stewardship, and strategic planning and action

Clinical Quality

  • Provide high-quality, patient-centered, and values-based primary behavioral health services.
  • Uses-strengths-based, wellness, resilience, and recovery models in conceptualizing the behavioral and care.
  • Effectively use huddles, and integration work to meet treatment and preventative care measures.
  • Provide psycho-education to patients regarding their mental health and/or substance use disorders.
  • Advocate for, teach, and support illness and whole health self-management and recovery approaches to health conditions
  • Provides timely and clinically indicated referrals to community providers for patients who are experiencing severe and persistent mental illness and/or substance use disorders.
  • Appropriate and complete referrals to specialty mental health care and SUD as needed.
  • Collaborate with medical, dental, psychiatry, optometry and other healthcare team members as appropriate for integration, consultation, and referral and follow-up.
  • Assist Medical Director and Behavioral Health Director in program development, implementation, and evaluation as necessary.
  • Active participation in the health centerโ€™s quality assurance and peer-review programs.
  • Cooperate in investigations, patient grievances, and requests from payers.
  • Participates in all aspects of the Behavioral Health Integration services at Camino Health Center; huddles, warm hand offs, provision of resources to patients and staff, and treatment planning.
  • Demonstrate cultural awareness and humility. Understanding of culture and its function to human behavior, recognizing the strengths that exist in all cultures.
  • Comply with California mandated reporting under the Welfare and Institutions Code sections 15610.15610.70.

Patient Experience

  • Provide patient care services in the spirit of the health centerโ€™s core values. Convey empathic behavior and communication with patients and encourage all members of the care team to do so as well.
  • Deliver services to the patientsโ€™ satisfaction as measured by the Follow My Health Patient Satisfaction Survey.
  • Lead team in efforts to increase patient satisfaction survey completion rate.
  • Collaborate with the behavioral health director and medical management team to investigate, respond and improve processes related to patient grievances received from payers, social media, and comment boxes/We Care emails.
  • Collaborate with the medical management team and BH Director to improve workflows, cycle times and the overall patient experience.

Access/Utilization

  • Respond immediately, if at all possible, to requests for consultation or intervention from other providers.
  • Provide primary behavioral health care services in accordance with health center policies, NASW or CAMFT professional standards and board approved privileging.
  • Provide coverage to the health centerโ€™s evening and weekend schedules.
  • Practice in an efficient and cost effective manner.
  • Provide leadership in problem solving to see late arriving patients, difficult patient calls, and patients with high risk acuity needs.
  • Collaborate with the BH case manager and care team to maximize patient same day BH access.

Supervision of Clinical Staff/Leadership

  • Assist associate clinical social workers in the assessment and treatment of patients as necessary. If appropriate, assume responsibility for the clinical situation.
  • Assume leadership role with care team. Promote positive interactions within the team and engages members to achieve quality, patient experience and access goals.
  • Collaborate with the behavioral health and management teams to develop support staff to their highest potential.
  • Active participation in department and clinic-wide meetings/trainings.
  • Attend in-services and conferences to continue professional growth and development.

Documentation

  • Complete clear and defensible documentation of patient visits and/or telephone encounters.
  • Appropriate and accurate code encounters.
  • Take reasonable steps to ensure that documentation in EHR is accurate and reflects the services provided.
  • Close encounters in accordance with health center protocols.

Minimum Position Qualifications

  • Education: Masterโ€™s degree in Social Work from a program accredited by the Council of Social Work Education, CSWEโ€™s Commissionโ€™ on Accreditation
  • License/Certification: Active LCSW in the state of California and current BLS/ACLS certification
  • Experience/Training: 3 years of experience providing direct behavioral health services to patient of all ages; ability to work through brief patient contacts as well as to make quick and accurate clinical assessments of mental and behavioral conditions; should be comfortable with the pace of primary care, working with an interdisciplinary team, and have strong communication skills.

Preferred Position Qualifications

  • Experience/Training: Bilingual in English/Spanish OR English/Farsi preferred; experience in and out-patient or community mental health setting; previous experience with motivational interviewing, crisis intervention, problem-solving therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy and solution-based counseling

Physical and Personal Requirements

  • Must have reliable transportation
  • May involve travel to other clinic sites

This position is eligible for benefits


Monday-Friday 5:00 PM-9:00 PM and
Possible Saturday coverage from 8:00 AM -5:00 PM (with flex day during the week)