SMI Program Operations Specialist

Valle del Sol•Phoenix, AZ

About The Position

The SMI Program Operations Specialist supports the daily operations, service coordination, and performance monitoring of Valle del Sol’s Serious Mental Illness (SMI) program. The role works collaboratively with patients, providers, interdisciplinary teams, and community partners to coordinate court-ordered treatment (COT) tracking, provider schedules, referrals, care transitions, member follow-up, and program documentation. The Specialist uses a strengths-based, trauma-informed, culturally responsive, recovery-oriented, and patient-centered approach to identify service gaps, reduce barriers to care, support patient engagement, and facilitate timely service coordination. The position coordinates daily program workflows and tracks hospital admissions, discharges, transfers, and transitions of care. It supports COT tracking and member activity records, coordinates court-related documents and status updates, and escalates missing, overdue, or inconsistent information. The Specialist performs administrative tracking and coordination but does not independently determine treatment compliance, direct clinical care, or make clinical or legal determinations. The role monitors operational and quality indicators, prepares reports and dashboards, maintains accurate member and program documentation in the EHR and approved systems, and supports data validation, audit preparation, workflow improvement, and quality follow-up. The position may work in clinical, office, or community settings and may require local travel. Schedules may vary based on program needs and may include evening or weekend hours.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
At least two years of experience in administrative operations, program coordination, care coordination support, or customer service in healthcare, behavioral health, social services, managed care, or a related setting.
Experience maintaining accurate records, tracking deadlines or service activity, and preparing reports or status updates.
Experience communicating with diverse individuals and coordinating information across teams while protecting confidential information.
Must meet Valle del Sol’s applicable Behavioral Health Technician (BHT) qualification, credentialing, and competency requirements.
Assigned behavioral health services, including case management and care coordination, must be performed within demonstrated competencies, under applicable clinical supervision, and in accordance with organizational policies and payer requirements.
Must practice within the scope of applicable credential(s), consistent with organizational policies and populations served.
BLS certification, or ability to obtain it within five days of the start date.
Arizona Level I Fingerprint Clearance Card, or ability to obtain it within five days of the start date.
Must be at least 18 years of age.
Must be authorized to work in the United States and able to pass pre-employment and continued employment screenings.
Knowledge of administrative workflows supporting SMI services, member engagement, and interdisciplinary care coordination.
Ability to maintain COT trackers, service deadlines, referral and transition records, and follow-up lists accurately.
Ability to compile, validate, and interpret routine operational reports, performance measures, and care-gap data, and identify discrepancies for escalation.
Proficiency with EHR systems, Microsoft Outlook, Excel, Word, Teams, and related documentation and reporting tools.
Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines.
Ability to distinguish administrative tracking and coordination from clinical judgment, treatment decisions, and legal determinations.
Ability to communicate effectively with patients, staff, and community partners; maintain accurate documentation; comply with regulatory requirements; and work effectively in a multidisciplinary team.
Ability to provide culturally responsive and trauma-informed services, handle sensitive information discreetly, and respond professionally to complex or emotionally charged situations.

Nice To Haves

Associate’s or bachelor’s degree in behavioral health, public health, social services, healthcare administration, or a related field.
Experience supporting SMI or community behavioral health programs, including COT tracking or related court documentation workflows.
Experience with EHR systems, healthcare quality measures, care-gap monitoring, referral workflows, or care transitions.
Familiarity with AHCCCS and Arizona behavioral health service systems.
Specialized training related to SMI.

Responsibilities

Coordinate provider schedules, team calendars, appointments, referrals, eligibility follow-up, and other daily SMI program workflows.
Track hospital admissions, discharges, transfers, and care transitions; communicate updates and outstanding follow-up needs to appropriate team members.
Participate in interdisciplinary meetings, document operational action items, and follow up with responsible staff to support continuity of services.
Serve as an operational point of contact for members, families, providers, hospitals, courts, and community partners, referring clinical questions and decisions to authorized staff.
Maintain COT tracking lists, deadlines, appointments, required contacts, and supporting records in accordance with established procedures.
Coordinate collection and routing of court-related documents and status updates to designated clinical or legal personnel; promptly escalate missing, overdue, or inconsistent information.
Track appointment attendance, reported medication follow-up needs, service engagement, and other required activities without independently determining treatment compliance or directing clinical care.
Monitor assigned operational and quality indicators, including behavioral health care gaps, service intensity, member engagement, hospitalizations, and outcome measures.
Prepare and maintain accurate census reports, tracking lists, dashboards, and routine performance reports; flag exceptions and trends for review.
Enter, scan, upload, reconcile, and maintain timely member and program documentation in the EHR and approved systems.
Support data validation, audit preparation, workflow improvement, and follow-up on assigned quality or documentation gaps.
Protect confidential member information and follow privacy, safety, documentation, and compliance requirements.
Collaborate respectfully across disciplines, participate in required training, contribute to process improvement, and perform other related duties as assigned.