Patient Access Specialist Senior - Behavioral Health Screening

Inova Health System • Fairfax, VA

7h • $23 - $37 • Onsite

About The Position

Inova Peterson Life with Cancer is seeking a compassionate, organized, and detail-oriented Patient Access Specialist Senior to support behavioral health intake, patient access, and care coordination for individuals and families affected by cancer. This full-time position is scheduled Monday through Friday during office hours, listed as 8:00 a.m.–5:00 a.m. in the posting.

The role serves as a primary contact for patients and caregivers seeking oncology-focused counseling services. It coordinates behavioral health referrals, conducts structured intake assessments, reviews mental health screening results, manages scheduling, and facilitates communication among patients, caregivers, and clinical teams. The position also supports pediatric behavioral health coordination, Epic referral management and documentation, front-desk coverage, and administrative operations.

The successful candidate can independently manage assigned intake and coordination workflows, recognize situations requiring clinical intervention, and collaborate with licensed behavioral health professionals. The role requires compassionate, patient-centered service and careful attention to confidentiality, accuracy, and professionalism.

Requirements

• At least 2 years of patient access experience.
• High school diploma or GED.
• Ability to independently manage assigned intake and coordination workflows, recognize concerns requiring clinical intervention, and collaborate with licensed behavioral health professionals.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality, accuracy, and professionalism when handling sensitive patient information.

Nice To Haves

• Healthcare, patient access, behavioral health, mental health services, or clinical care coordination experience.
• Experience communicating with patients experiencing emotional distress or complex psychosocial needs.
• Working knowledge of behavioral health intake processes and mental health screening tools, including PHQ-9.
• Proficiency in Epic electronic medical records, including referral management, documentation, and scheduling.
• Strong organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills.
• Ability to prioritize multiple responsibilities, manage competing demands, and collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams.
• Ability to recognize concerns requiring clinical escalation and follow established procedures for timely intervention.
• Associate's or bachelor's degree in psychology, social work, behavioral health, healthcare administration, or a related field.
• Experience in oncology, outpatient behavioral health, or psychosocial support services.
• Experience with PHQ-9 screening review, C-SSRS administration, and established suicide-risk escalation protocols.
• Experience coordinating pediatric behavioral health services.
• Knowledge of community mental health resources and referral pathways.
• Experience with DocuSign, Microsoft Office, and administrative healthcare workflows.
• Experience supporting multidisciplinary clinical teams in a patient-centered healthcare environment.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a primary point of contact for patients and caregivers seeking oncology-focused counseling services.
• Conduct structured intake assessments covering psychosocial needs, cancer-related concerns, mental health history, and current support services.
• Manage incoming referrals through Epic workqueues, departmental email inboxes, and telephone inquiries.
• Review intake information against program eligibility criteria and collaborate with licensed behavioral health professionals when further clinical evaluation is needed.
• Coordinate referrals to outpatient counseling and community behavioral health resources.
• Facilitate intake paperwork, consent forms, and patient communications through DocuSign.
• Coordinate patient scheduling and communications with clinical teams.
• Review PHQ-9 depression screening results, identify elevated scores and positive responses to question 9, and conduct structured follow-up conversations when indicated.
• Administer C-SSRS screenings when indicated and authorized, following established protocols and training.
• Recognize potential suicide or self-harm concerns and promptly escalate findings to designated licensed behavioral health professionals.
• Document screening results, patient communications, and follow-up actions accurately in Epic.
• Coordinate access to behavioral health resources, crisis intervention services, and community support programs, and collaborate with clinical staff to ensure timely follow-up.
• Manage the pediatric referral inbox, communicate with parents and caregivers, conduct structured pediatric intake conversations, and coordinate parent consultations and appointments with pediatric oncology therapists.
• Support appropriate pediatric referral pathways and maintain accurate documentation and timely follow-up.
• Monitor and manage assigned Epic referral workqueues, maintain patient and referral records, route nurse navigator referrals to appropriate clinical teams, and identify time-sensitive requests such as fertility preservation.
• Use Epic SmartPhrases, flowsheets, In Basket messaging, telephone encounters, and scheduling tools; track referral status and communicate updates to clinical and administrative staff.
• Ensure compliance with HIPAA, organizational policies, and documentation standards.
• Provide front-desk coverage and assist with scheduling, appointment coordination, telephone inquiries, and general patient access operations.
• Respond to questions about services, referral processes, and appointment scheduling.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to support daily operations and continuity of services.
• Assist with invoice processing, administrative documentation, and other assigned operational responsibilities.
• Identify opportunities to improve patient access, referral management, workflow efficiency, and service consistency.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Team member wellness program.
• Retirement plan with Inova matching the first 5% of eligible contributions, starting on the first day.
• Education assistance up to $5,250 per year.
• Student loan assistance up to $10,000.
• Up to 25 mental health coaching or therapy sessions per person per year at no cost for team members, spouses or partners, and children.
• Paid time off.
• Paid parental leave.
• Professional development opportunities.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: High school or GED