Manager, Behavioral Health Utilization Management

The Behavioral Health Utilization Management (UM) team performs prior authorization and concurrent reviews for members by applying evidenced based guidelines, policies, and nationally recognized clinical criteria across multiple lines of business. The Manager, Behavioral Health Utilization Management will report to the Sr. Manager, Behavioral Health Utilization Management. In this role you will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the business unit and execution of departmental goals and objectives. **Your Role** The Behavioral Health Utilization Management (UM) team performs prior authorization and concurrent reviews for members by applying evidenced based guidelines, policies, and nationally recognized clinical criteria across multiple lines of business. The Manager, Behavioral Health Utilization Management will report to the Sr. Manager, Behavioral Health Utilization Management. In this role you will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the business unit and execution of departmental goals and objectives. Our leadership model is about developing great leaders at all levels and creating opportunities for our people to grow – personally, professionally, and financially. We are looking for leaders that are energized by creative and critical thinking, building and sustaining high-performing teams, getting results the right way, and fostering continuous learning. ### Responsibilities **Your Work** In this role, you will: - Manage a team of licensed clinicians responsible for prior authorization and concurrent review - Be responsible for the daily operations of the Behavioral Health Utilization Management team including staffing, scheduled work, assignments, efficient workflow, and performance - Provide oversight of licensed clinicians to ensure appropriate application of clinical guidelines - Oversee caseload management and adherence to regulatory, accreditation and contractual requirements - Monitor clinician workloads via daily performance monitoring reports - Representing Behavioral Health UM as a Subject Matter Expert in cross departmental meetings and process design ### Qualifications **Your Knowledge and Experience** - Current, unrestricted CA LMFT, LCSW, LPCC, PhD/PsyD or RN license required - Associates degree required for an RN license - Master’s degree in counseling required for LMFT, LCSW, LPCC - Bachelor of Science in Nursing preferred - Doctoral degree required for PhD or PsyD - Requires advanced knowledge of job area usually obtained through advanced education combined with experience - Requires at least seven (7) years of prior relevant experience - Three (3) years of management experience gained as a team leader, supervisor or project/program manager - Three (3) years conducting Utilization Management for a health plan preferred - Understands Blue Shield of CA's mission and business plan - Understands basic management approaches such as work scheduling, prioritizing, coaching and process execution, work organization, risk management and delegation - Has functional expertise within the area of responsibility - Strong understanding of behavioral health utilization management including application of multiple standardized clinical criteria sets including but not limited to MCG guidelines, nonprofit association guidelines, and various Medicare guidelines **Hybrid** This role requires employees to be in-office based on our hybrid workplace model, balancing purposeful in-person collaboration with flexibility. For most teams, this means coming into the office two days each week. Employees living more than 50 miles from an office location will work with their manager to determine in-office time based on business need. ### About the Team **About Blue Shield of California** As of January 2025, Blue Shield of California became a subsidiary of Ascendiun. Ascendiun is a nonprofit corporate entity that is the parent to a family of organizations including Blue Shield of California and its subsidiary, Blue…