Wellbeing Specialist - Behavioral Health

This position is National Remote. You'll enjoy the flexibility to telecommute* from anywhere within the U.S. as you take on some tough challenges.

Optum is a global organization that delivers care, aided by technology to help millions of people live healthier lives. The work you do with our team will directly improve health outcomes by connecting people with the care, pharmacy benefits, data and resources they need to feel their best. Here, you will find a culture guided by inclusion, talented peers, comprehensive benefits and career development opportunities. Come make an impact on the communities we serve as you help us advance health optimization on a global scale. Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

The Wellbeing Specialist is a key member of a dynamic team dedicated to behavioral health and emotional wellbeing navigation and support. This role provides high-quality, member-centered services through initial triage, benefit education, resource navigation, and motivational interviewing.

The Wellbeing Specialist engages members in one-to-one interactions across telephonic, chat, and digital platforms, skillfully listening for both spoken and unspoken needs. Using a compassionate, coaching-based approach, the specialist guides members to the most appropriate internal and external resources while supporting goal setting and behavior change.

This role also includes active participation in case management activities such as assessment, care plan development, coordination, and follow-up interventions to ensure members receive the right care at the right time. Specialists are expected to independently manage a dynamic workload from both inbound and outbound queues while maintaining professionalism, accuracy, and adherence to leadership direction in a remote work environment.

You'll be part of a mission-driven team focused on improving behavioral health outcomes and enhancing member experiences. This role offers the opportunity to make meaningful impacts every day while developing skills in coaching, case management, and healthcare navigation in a supportive and growth-oriented environment.

This position is full-time. Employees are required to have flexibility to work any of our 8.5-hour shift schedules during our normal business hours of 6:45am - 10:15pm CST, Monday - Friday. It may be necessary, given the business need, to work occasional overtime. 

We offer 10 weeks of paid training. The hours during training will be 9:00am to 5:30pm CST, Monday - Friday. Training will be conducted virtually from your home.  

Primary Responsibilities:

• Provide empathetic, member-centered support via phone, chat, and digital messaging
• Conduct initial triage, needs assessment, and behavioral health benefit education
• Engage members in case management, including assessments, care planning, coordination, and follow-up
• Apply coaching techniques to support goal articulation, motivation, and behavior change
• Identify expressed and unspoken member needs and connect them to appropriate resources
• Assess for risk indicators, respond calmly, and escalate to clinical teams when appropriate
• Navigate members through behavioral health services and available benefits
• Manage a mixed workload of inbound and outbound interactions, both real-time and self-directed
• Independently solve complex or non-standard member issues while exercising sound judgment
• Maintain accurate documentation and follow established processes and leadership direction
• Act as a resource for peers and contribute to a collaborative, service-oriented team culture

You'll be rewarded and recognized for your performance in an environment that will challenge you and give you clear direction on what it takes to succeed in your role as well as provide development for other roles you may be interested in.

Required Qualifications

• High School Diploma / GED OR equivalent work experience
• Must be 18 years of age OR older
• 1+ years of customer service, call center, or member-facing experience
• Experience working with diverse populations across age groups and backgrounds
• Written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
• Ability to navigate multiple computer systems while engaging with members
• Ability to work independently in a remote environment while maintaining productivity and professionalism
• Ability to follow direction, adhere to workflows, and meet performance expectations
• Ability to work full-time with a flexible schedule (8.5-hour shifts between 6:45 AM - 10:15 PM CST, Monday-Friday; occasional overtime as needed)

Preferred Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in a clinical, behavioral health, or health insurance setting
• Experience in case management, care coordination, or member advocacy
• Knowledge of payer systems, provider networks, or claims processes

Telecommuting Requirements:

• Ability to keep all company sensitive documents secure (if applicable)
• Required to have a dedicated work area established that is separated from other living areas and provides information privacy
• Must live in a location that can receive a UnitedHealth Group approved high-speed internet connection or leverage an existing high-speed internet service

Soft Skills:

• Empathy & Compassion: Ability to genuinely connect with members and support sensitive behavioral health needs
• Active Listening: Skilled at identifying both stated and unstated concerns
• Professionalism: Maintains composure, accountability, and a high standard of conduct in all interactions
• Emotional Intelligence: Navigates complex emotional situations with awareness and care
• Critical Thinking & Problem-Solving: Evaluates complex situations and develops effective, individualized solutions
• Resilience & Composure: Handles high-risk or emotionally charged interactions calmly and confidently
• Communication Excellence: Clear, supportive, and professional communication across all channels
• Adaptability: Thrives in a fast-paced, evolving environment with shifting priorities
• Time Management & Organization: Effectively prioritizes and balances a dynamic workload and caseload
• Proactive Mindset: Anticipates needs and takes initiative to improve member outcomes
• Collaboration: Works effectively within a team while maintaining accountability for individual performance
• Coaching Orientation: Supports behavior change through motivation, encouragement, and goal setting

Physical and Work Environment:

• Fully remote role requiring strong self-direction, accountability, and adherence to schedules
• Ability to work independently while remaining aligned with leadership guidance and team goals
• Commitment to maintaining confidentiality and handling sensitive information securely
• Dedicated, private workspace with reliable, hardwired, high-speed internet required
• Commitment to continuous learning, including application of coaching foundations and behavioral health best practices

*All employees working remotely will be required to adhere to UnitedHealth Group's Telecommuter Policy

Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to local labor markets, education, work experience, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, we offer benefits such as, a comprehensive benefits package, incentive and recognition programs, equity stock purchase and 401k contribution (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements). No matter where or when you begin a career with us, you'll find a far-reaching choice of benefits and incentives. The hourly pay for this role will range from $20 - $36 per hour based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable. 

Application Deadline: This will be posted for a minimum of 2 business days or until a sufficient candidate pool has been collected. Job posting may come down early due to volume of applicants. 

At UnitedHealth Group, our mission is to help people live healthier lives and make the health system work better for everyone. We believe everyone-of every race, gender, sexuality, age, location, and income-deserves the opportunity to live their healthiest life. Today, however, there are still far too many barriers to good health which are disproportionately experienced by people of color, historically marginalized groups, and those with lower incomes. We are committed to mitigating our impact on the environment and enabling and delivering equitable care that addresses health disparities and improves health outcomes - an enterprise priority reflected in our mission.

UnitedHealth Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer under applicable law and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations.

UnitedHealth Group is a drug - free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.