Admissions/Intake Counselor - Evening FT

Shorewood Behavioral Health • Madison, WI

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Admissions/Intake Counselor is responsible for facilitating admissions, clinical intake assessments, and utilization review processes to ensure continuity of care for patients and efficient benefit/resource utilization. This role involves responding to inquiries, developing therapeutic relationships, performing benefit eligibility checks, collaborating with clinical staff, and coordinating admissions and transfers. The counselor must maintain knowledge of milieu management, communicate projected admissions, ensure receipt of clinical information prior to admission, and complete pre-admission assessments. A key aspect of the role is preparing and maintaining medical record documentation to secure authorization for requested levels of care and completing initial pre-authorizations. The counselor will also admit patients into the registration and accounting system, complete admission forms, and demonstrate a positive, empathetic, and professional attitude. Responsibilities include resolving patient complaints, ensuring patient safety, coordinating care for non-admitted patients, and conducting safety checks as needed.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a social services field required (if state allows).
• Current CPR certification.
• Current de-escalation/restraint certification (training available upon hire and offered by facility).

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree in a social services field (psychology, counseling, social work, sociology, health administration, nursing) or RN preferred.
• One or more years’ experience in mental/behavioral health working with individuals in a clinical or observational capacity preferred.
• Current licensure, as preferred for the area of clinical specialty, as designated by the state in which the facility operates.
• First aid may be preferred based on state or facility.

Responsibilities

• Respond to inquiries about the facility within facility policy timeframes.
• Develop therapeutic relationships with patients and families.
• Perform benefit eligibility checks to ensure patient benefits are active at the time of admission and communicate this information.
• 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 is received, when possible, prior to patient admission.
• Schedule and complete pre-admission assessments, consult with the admitting physician, and communicate disposition recommendations to the patient or their family.
• Prepare and maintain 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 and complete all admission and consent forms with the patient.
• Demonstrate a positive, empathetic, and professional attitude toward customers always, acknowledging and working to resolve complaints when patient needs are not met.
• 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.
• Conduct safety checks and ensure 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.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation with industry leading annual performance-based bonus opportunity
• Comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Generous paid time off for vacation, sick days, and holidays
• Professional development & leadership training

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level