Benefits Coordinator

Commonwealth of Massachusetts•Boston, MA

6d•Onsite

About The Position

The Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller Mental Health Center (Fuller) inpatient service is seeking a person centered, detailed orientated Benefits Coordinator to research insurance and income benefits of individuals with Mental Health and Substance Use issues, and to support application of benefits for individuals who lack current entitlement benefits. The selected candidate will display excellent skills in establishing relationships with individuals served, an ability to assess an individual's current benefits, excellent skills in working with care providers and creative problem-solving in order to support community service access that meet the needs of individuals with mental health and substance use concerns.

Requirements

Ability to read, interpret, apply and explain the provisions of the laws, rules, regulations, policies, procedures, specifications, standards and guidelines governing agency operations and assigned unit activities
Capacity to gather and assemble items of information in accordance with established procedures through interviewing and observing individuals and by examining records and documents
Ability to prepare clear, concise, logical narratives and maintain accurate records of information provided orally or in writing
Ability to determine the applicability of client data, to draw conclusions and make appropriate recommendations

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of referral sources available for providing services to clients, including available health insurance benefits, income benefits, community support and social services resources
Demonstrated knowledge of the social and economic barriers of the diverse client population and the related impact on employability and self-sufficiency
Ability to effectively communicate and maintain accurate records both orally and in writing
Aptness to understand persons from different ethnic, cultural and/or economic backgrounds
Ability to demonstrate empathy toward those with emotional stress, trauma, substance use concerns and legal problems and to maintain a calm manner in stressful and/or emergency situations
Capacity to prioritize and organize several tasks and demonstrate problem solving skills under adverse working conditions
Ability to use personal computer (PC) based systems and applications
Bilingual or multilingual fluency

Responsibilities

Provides education to newly admitted patients regarding admission procedures, admission notices, patient rights
Interviews patients to assess health insurance, income benefits and other entitlements that they are receiving
Conducts research re: client entitlement benefits, takes initiative to identify and clarify conflicting information re-entitlement benefits
Provides education to patients regarding health and income eligibility criteria and resources
Assists patients to apply for benefits
Provides weekly update of status of entitlement benefits and applications in database format to social workers and other hospital staff
Provides education to treatment team members re: eligibility criteria and application process for income and health insurance benefits
Enters Pre-registration and Registration information into the Electronic Medical Record system
Documents patient education, applications submitted and response of agency responsible for determining patient eligibility for benefits
Collaborates with treatment team members and community based providers and engages in creative problem-solving to ensure that patients being discharged have health insurance and income resources at the point of discharge
Participates in Hospital Performance Improvement and Quality Care Initiatives