ASSESSMENT COORD (MA/MSW)

UHS•Birmingham, AL

About The Position

Hill Crest Behavioral Health Services is seeking an Assessment Coordinator to conduct suicide risk screenings and assessments, receive helpline and referral calls, gather clinical intake information, and help coordinate patient admissions. The role obtains initial insurance authorization, communicates financial issues to the Business Office, and provides intake information to physicians for disposition. It also reviews residential treatment center referrals from agencies and completes referral follow-up, including sending acceptance or decline letters as needed. Hill Crest is a full-service psychiatric hospital serving the Greater Birmingham, Alabama area, with inpatient and outpatient care for children, adolescents, and adults, as well as residential treatment for adolescents ages 12–17. The position participates in a weekly on-call rotation, including handling hospital transfer calls from home as needed. New hires attend eight business days of orientation on day shift, normally 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday and then Monday through Wednesday.

Requirements

MSW or an MS degree in a mental health discipline.
Experience completing psychiatric assessments.
Effective leadership skills.
Ability to establish rapport quickly by telephone or in person.
Computer literacy and excellent clerical skills.
Successfully pass a background check, including criminal history, Child Abuse and Neglect Registry, and ABI/FBI fingerprint checks, and a drug screen.
Attend eight business days of new-employee orientation on day shift.

Nice To Haves

Three years of experience in intake in a psychiatric outpatient or inpatient setting and in crisis intervention.
Experience with insurance benefits verification and admission precertification.
Familiarity with medical and psychiatric terminology and psychotropic medications.

Responsibilities

Receive helpline and referral calls and relay information for timely follow-up.
Inform callers about programs available at Hill Crest Behavioral Health.
Follow up on helpline calls, missed appointments, and the waiting list.
Offer and schedule on-site assessments.
Maintain a phone log.
Communicate with the appropriate physician regarding disposition recommendations.
Coordinate the admission process with nursing personnel.
Enter information and admissions, transfers, and discharges into the computer with the stated accuracy standards.
Complete the admission process in less than two hours.
Participate in the weekly on-call rotation, including handling hospital transfer calls from home as needed; reviewing Concord for potential referrals; entering calls in MS4; and coordinating with the physician on call and House Supervisor regarding bed availability.
Complete pages 1–8 of assessments accurately and distribute admission forms to the appropriate departments.
Demonstrate effective leadership skills.
Assist with bed control and census reconciliation as needed.
Complete documentation and assessments accurately.
Work with insurance companies to obtain authorization for inpatient care and advocate for patients during precertification as needed.
Maintain working knowledge of DSM-5/ICD-10 diagnoses and codes.
Complete a safety check during admission.
Contact petitioners as needed to obtain clinical or medical information.
Assist patients and families in obtaining accurate insurance information.
Contact referral sources during low census regarding bed availability.
Respond to web inquiries about Hill Crest services as needed.
Demonstrate knowledge of levels of care across acute, residential, and group-home settings.
Perform 12-minute checks on patients at admission.
Obtain patients’ vital signs at admission.
Complete a High Risk Notification Form at admission.
Complete the Columbia screening and lifetime assessment.
Review residential treatment referrals from Kidlink and other agencies as needed.
Perform other duties as assigned or required.