Admissions Counselor

MeadowWood Behavioral Health Hospital•Saienni Farms, DE

22h•Onsite

About The Position

MeadowWood Behavioral Health is hiring an Admissions Counselor. This role involves being a compassionate clinician, welcoming voice, clinical expert, and care coordinator, ensuring patients receive timely access to appropriate behavioral health care. It's a dynamic role where clinical skill meets service excellence, making a life-changing difference daily. The Admissions Counselor is responsible for facilitating admissions, conducting clinical intake assessments, and managing utilization review processes to ensure patients are placed at the most appropriate level of care while maximizing benefit and resource utilization.

Requirements

Master's degree in a social services field required
Bachelor’s degree in a social services field required (if state allows)
Current licensure, as designated by the state in which the facility operates
CPR and de-escalation/restraint certification required

Nice To Haves

RN (Registered Nurse)
One or more years’ experience in mental/behavioral health working with individuals in a clinical or observational capacity
First aid (may be preferred based on state or facility)

Responsibilities

Respond to inquiries about the facility within facility policy timeframes.
Ability to develop therapeutic relationships with patients and families.
Perform benefit eligibility to ensure patient benefits are active at the time of admission.
Communicate benefit eligibility to the business office and the patient or significant other.
Collaborate with facility medical and psychiatric personnel to ensure appropriate recommendations regarding pending referrals.
Coordinate admission and transfer from referral sources and between levels of care within the facility.
Maintain knowledge of milieu management.
Communicate projected admissions to designated internal representatives promptly.
Ensure all clinical information from referral sources or patients (including medical comorbidity information) is received, when possible, prior to patient admission.
Schedule (when applicable) and complete pre-admission assessments, consult with the admitting physician and communicate disposition recommendations to the patient or their family.
Possess skill in preparing and maintaining appropriate medical record documentation that will result in authorization at the level of care being requested of the payor.
Complete initial pre-authorization for treatment and admission prior to admission, when possible, and within payor timeframe guidelines.
Admit the patient to the registration and accounting system.
Complete all admission and consent forms with the patient.
Demonstrate a positive, empathetic, and professional attitude toward customers always.
When patient needs are not met, acknowledge and work to resolve complaints.
Recognize that patient safety is a top priority.
Coordinate care for patients who are not being admitted and ensure that they receive appropriate follow-up care and referrals.
Demonstrate a sense of urgency related to the importance of patient safety and provide excellent customer service.
Responsible for conducting safety checks and ensuring that supervision is conducted at 15-minute intervals, as noted in special precautions, or by individualized supervision guidelines as needed.
Perform other functions and tasks as assigned.