PRN Admissions Counselor
Sonora Behavioral Health•Tucson, AZ
•Onsite
About The Position
The PRN Admissions Counselor at Sonora Behavioral Health in Tucson, Arizona supports patients and families through the admissions process. The role coordinates assessments and admissions, collaborates with medical and psychiatric teams, handles benefit eligibility and insurance authorizations, and helps ensure patients are connected with the appropriate level of care. It requires empathy, urgency, professional customer service, and a focus on patient safety. The position includes overnight shifts as needed.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in a social services field, if allowed by the state.
- Current licensure appropriate to the area of clinical specialty, as designated by the state in which the facility operates.
- CPR and de-escalation/restraint certification required; training is available upon hire and offered by the facility.
Nice To Haves
- Master’s degree in a social services field (psychology, counseling, social work, sociology, health administration, or nursing) or RN.
- One or more years of experience in mental or behavioral health working with individuals in a clinical or observational capacity.
- First aid, which may be preferred based on the state or facility.
Responsibilities
- Respond to inquiries about the facility within facility policy timeframes.
- Develop therapeutic relationships with patients and families.
- Verify benefit eligibility and communicate coverage information to the business office and the patient or significant other.
- Collaborate with medical and psychiatric personnel on recommendations regarding pending referrals.
- Coordinate admissions and transfers from referral sources and between facility levels of care.
- Maintain knowledge of milieu management.
- Promptly communicate projected admissions to designated internal representatives.
- Obtain clinical information from referral sources or patients, including medical comorbidity information, before admission when possible.
- Schedule and complete pre-admission assessments when applicable, consult with the admitting physician, and communicate disposition recommendations to the patient or family.
- Prepare and maintain medical record documentation to support authorization for the requested level of care.
- Complete initial pre-authorization for treatment and admission before admission when possible and within payor timeframe guidelines.
- Register patients in the registration and accounting system and complete admission and consent forms with them.
- Maintain a positive, empathetic, and professional attitude toward customers, acknowledge unmet needs, and work to resolve complaints.
- Coordinate appropriate follow-up care and referrals for patients who are not admitted.
- Demonstrate urgency regarding patient safety and provide excellent customer service.
- Conduct safety checks and ensure supervision at 15-minute intervals, as noted in special precautions, or according to individualized supervision guidelines.
- Perform other functions and tasks as assigned.
