Assessment & Referral Counselor (11p-7a)

Methodist Children's Behavioral Hospital • Jonesboro, AR

5d • Onsite

About The Position

The Assessment & Referral Counselor is responsible for maintaining the acute program referral database, assessing the suitability of admissions based on clinical and financial criteria, and coordinating the referral process. This role involves direct communication with families, courts, and referral sources, as well as collaboration with the Business Development Department and other continuum staff. The position requires knowledge of relevant laws and regulations, and management of bed status throughout the shift to ensure appropriate scheduling of assessments.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Sociology or related field required.
• Ability to assess physical, emotional, and psychological needs of patients.
• Ability to determine suitability of admission to the hospital based on clinical and financial criteria.
• Ability to make independent and responsible decisions.
• Good knowledge of common mental illnesses.
• Ability to work under stressful circumstances with frequent interruptions.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills in order to communicate with patients, families, referral sources and hospital staff.
• Knowledge of telephone etiquette, ability to work heavy telephone contact and personal contact with patients, families, referrals and hospital staff.
• A stable emotional makeup required.
• Ability to work with a team.
• Possesses the ability to understand and implement extensive training and to apply that training to the implementation of a comprehensive program of care for patients.
• Remains current in Crisis Prevention Intervention Training, CPR & First Aid and all employee requirements.
• Must be physically capable to receive verbal and written directions.
• Must be physically capable of sitting and standing for several hours at a time.
• Must have good auditory, visual and olfactory ability.
• Ability to use hands and fingers to handle or feel objects, tools or controls.
• Must be able to maintain effective audio, visual discrimination and perception needed for making observations, communicating with others, reading and writing, and operating office equipment and other treatment equipment.
• Must be able to use a telephone to communicate verbally and a computer to communicate through written means, to review information and enter/retrieve data, to see and read characters on a computer screen, chart or other treatment items.
• Must be willing and able to work with all patients of Methodist Family Health.
• Flu vaccinations are mandatory and required for all positions (subject to qualified exemptions).

Nice To Haves

• Experience working with “at-risk” youth or other populations with special needs preferred.

Responsibilities

• Maintains current and thorough information in the acute program referral database and ensures its accuracy.
• Assesses suitability of admission to the hospital and residential programs based on clinical and financial criteria.
• Primary responsibility to acute referrals and assessment but may assist with residential assessments as needed.
• Delivers high quality customer service.
• Coordinates all needed items to process acute referrals.
• Communicates clearly and effectively regularly with families, courts and referral sources on the status of referrals and bed availability.
• Coordinates with the Business Development Department and other MFH continuum staff to follow up with referral sources regarding referrals and admissions.
• Manages MCBH-J bed status throughout shift, appropriately scheduling assessments in accordance to bed availability.

Benefits

• Knowledge of EMTALA law and application of state and national laws/regulations.
• The individual employed in this position may accept other reasonable assignments, which may be necessary, for efficient operation of assigned programs as there is time and opportunity.
• When an employee performs two or more different jobs, for which different straight time hourly rates are established, the employee will be paid during overtime hours as a rate not less than one and one-half time the hourly rate established for the type of work, he or she is performing during the overtime hours.
• Ongoing regular access to PHI of all forms while the employee is on duty and performing within the scope of his or her job as defined by the employee's job description, and Policy and Procedure. "Such access must be for cause, consistent with job responsibilities and related to patients, claims, audits, reviews and other legitimate business purposes." (e.g. Physicians, nurses and other clinicians)

What This Job Offers

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