Admissions and Intake Coordinator

Clare Foundation, Inc.•Santa Monica, CA

1d•$23 - $27•Onsite

About The Position

The Admissions Intake Counselor is a critical first point of contact for individuals seeking treatment for substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health conditions. Under supervision, this role conducts comprehensive intake assessments, determines appropriate levels of care, coordinates admissions, and supports a clinically sound, compassionate, and efficient transition into treatment. The counselor works collaboratively with clinical, medical, and administrative teams to complete admissions accurately, urgently, and with dignity. The position has no direct reports. The role includes screening prospective participants for eligibility and immediate needs; completing intake documentation, consents, and biopsychosocial assessments; applying ASAM and C-SSRS tools as applicable; determining appropriate levels of care; providing program orientation and participant education; and offering crisis support within the counselor’s scope of practice. The position also coordinates admissions, referrals, re-admissions, care transitions, insurance verification, pre-certification, and prior authorization. The counselor maintains timely and accurate EHR records, supports billing and chart compliance, coordinates admission reporting with medical and other staff, and documents case-management activity. The role requires adherence to organizational policies, applicable regulations, privacy and safety standards, professional boundaries, and ethical practice. It also involves interdisciplinary collaboration, meetings, and communication with participants, families, providers, referral sources, and community partners. The position is primarily located in Santa Monica and involves work in participant-accessible areas, group rooms, offices, and other designated program spaces. The environment is fast-paced and may involve interaction with participants exhibiting challenging behaviors, including escalation or physical agitation. Standard office equipment and a computer workstation are used; work may sometimes take place in a confined or shared space. The scheduled hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, for 40 hours per week.

Requirements

Must be registered or certified as an Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) Counselor with a California-recognized certifying organization, such as CCAPP, CADTP, or CAADE; registration is required for the AOD I Counselor level at the time of job offer.
Must fulfill board requirements for completed registration; currently, must complete a minimum of 80 educational hours toward CADC-I certification or another acceptable credential within six months of registration as a RADT or other acceptable credential. The hours must cover the 12 required core competencies.
Must obtain and maintain First Aid and CPR certification.
Must meet additional requirements mandated by applicable state or local regulations governing substance use disorder treatment services.
Must understand substance use disorders, recovery principles, and basic mental health considerations related to AOD counseling.
Must demonstrate strong organizational, verbal, written, and counseling skills, including accurate documentation, timely workflow, and effective communication.
Must demonstrate professionalism, appropriate boundaries, cultural responsiveness, ethical conduct, and the ability to work effectively with people from diverse backgrounds.
Must exhibit emotional maturity, resilience, and interpersonal skills to engage respectfully with individuals in recovery and support group dynamics in a diverse treatment community.
May be required to transport participants between program sites, partner locations, or medical services.
Must be able to perform the essential functions of the role with or without reasonable accommodation, including physical requirements such as continuously talking, hearing, sitting, standing, walking, and using hands and fingers; regularly lifting, carrying, pushing, or pulling up to 25 pounds; and, as needed, reaching, stooping, kneeling, or crouching.
Must complete the required onboarding health screening and TB screening under the stated timelines.

Responsibilities

Conduct initial screenings to determine participant appropriateness and eligibility for substance use disorder services, identify immediate needs and risks, and use standardized tools such as ASAM and C-SSRS as applicable.
Complete intake documentation and consent forms, explain program expectations, and enter information accurately and promptly into the Electronic Health Record.
Conduct phone and in-person biopsychosocial assessments, gather information about substance use history, social functioning, strengths, risks, and treatment needs, and determine appropriate levels of care using ASAM.
Assign substance use disorder diagnoses and document self-reported co-occurring mental health diagnoses within the counselor’s scope of practice and credentialing level.
Orient participants to program rules, schedules, rights and responsibilities, confidentiality requirements, and treatment goals and structure.
Provide immediate crisis support within scope, escalate concerns to supervisory or clinical staff when needed, and document incidents and responses within required timeframes.
Educate participants about substance use, recovery principles, wellness, community resources, and related topics.
Guide prospective participants and families through admissions with empathy and clinical proficiency; coordinate benefits verification, pre-certification, prior authorization, and medical-necessity documentation.
Facilitate timely and clinically appropriate internal placements and external referrals, assess re-admission conditions, and support continuity-of-care documentation.
Coordinate care with internal staff, external providers, community partners, referral sources, hospitals, detox facilities, courts, and EAPs.
Maintain accurate, timely, and complete EHR documentation, including progress notes, treatment plan updates, group notes, participant contacts, service entries, referrals, and case-management activity.
Ensure participant charts meet contractual, regulatory, billing, and organizational documentation requirements, including required signatures, consents, assessments, and program forms.
Coordinate with medical staff for admission approval, complete admission reports, and provide service summaries or departmental email reports as required.
Protect participant confidentiality and comply with organizational policies, HIPAA, 42 C.F.R. Part 2, applicable regulations, OSHA, and CAL-OSHA requirements.
Maintain professional boundaries and a safe, ethical, respectful environment for participants and staff.
Attend and participate in staff meetings, case conferences, supervision, training, and team-building activities as required.
Collaborate with the interdisciplinary team and community partners to support participant care and continuity of services.
Perform other job-related duties as assigned.