Intake Specialist PRN

Summit BHC

20h

About The Position

PURPOSE STATEMENT: The Intake Specialists is a behavioral health professional responsible for facilitating admissions, gathering clinical intake data, and prior authorization process to assure continuity for the most appropriate level of care for patients. Performs intake assessments, screens for clinical and medical appropriateness and communicates this information to a physician who makes the appropriate level of care decision. Works closely with business office, nursing, and clinical staff as well as external parties to ensure the timely admission of patients.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in social work, counseling, psychology, mental health, or a related field, and current enrollment in an accredited college or university working towards completion of a master’s degree in social science within two years. In some states, may also be a registered nurse, in which case, an associate's or bachelor's degree in nursing is required.
Two or more years’ experience in mental/behavioral health working with individuals in a clinical or observational capacity preferred.
Experience in the managed care pre-certification process, level of care assessments and utilization preferred.
Experience in clinical interviewing, patient assessment, referral, treatment planning, communicating with external review organizations or comparable entities, and working effectively with people of diverse backgrounds.
Outstanding interpersonal and interviewing and assessment skills.
Skill in telephone etiquette and paging procedures.
Employee must successfully complete Columbia CSSRS, medical necessity, and documentation training.
If RN, valid current RN license from the state or from a compact state, where applicable.
CPR and de-escalation and restraint certification required (training available upon hire and offered by facility).
First aid may be required based on state or facility requirements (training available upon hire and offered by facility).

Nice To Haves

Experience in the managed care pre-certification process, level of care assessments and utilization preferred.
Two or more years’ experience in mental/behavioral health working with individuals in a clinical or observational capacity preferred.

Responsibilities

Facilitates intake, admission, and prior authorization process for incoming patients.
Performs insurance benefit verifications upon admission, disseminating the information gathered to patient, their families, and appropriate internal staff.
Gathers data and information from patients and/or collateral resources related to a potential facility admission via face to face or via telehealth.
Gathers data and information on physical/function, emotional, social, spiritual, and financial needs of patients and implements crisis intervention and referral. This may be completed via face to face or via telehealth.
Collaborates with clinicians, nurses, and providers; reports information related to psychiatric and medical history, medical necessity criteria, and/or psychiatric emergency.
Collaborates with providers related to appropriate level of care, recommendations, admissions, and referrals.
Facilitates the response to requests for services, including the initial response, the assessment and referral process, initiation/intake into services, and appropriate follow up activity.
Follows EMTALA regulations to complete insurance verification and precertification’s, when appropriate.
Responds to inquiries about the facility within facility policy timeframes.
Schedules/completes pre-admission assessments and communicates recommendations to patient or their family
Provides education regarding healthcare and social resource systems to empower patient and their family to access resources independently.
Refers inquiries to other agencies and community resources when not appropriate for facility assistance or admission.
Provides information and referral services for internal and external customers.
Interviews patient, family members and/or collateral sources to assure intake criteria are met.
Reviews prospective admissions against approved admission criteria, policies, and procedures.
Presents clinical information to a member of the medical staff for approval of intake.
Provides crisis intervention services if needed.
Maintains all the documentation involved with the admissions process.
Provides ongoing communications with referral sources concerning the status of patients referred into the program; promotes and provides education regarding available services.
Provides clerical support to admissions (to include but not limited to): collating admission folders as required, ensuring an adequate supply of pre-stuffed admission folders, auditing patient charts, reviewing admission paperwork with patients and/or legal guardians, and monitoring patients while in an internal waiting room.