Job Title: Admissions Specialist

Part-Time: 24 hour/week without benefits

Pay: $26.00 - $28.00/hour

Work location: Oakland, CA

Division/department: Behavioral Health Services (BHS)

Reports to: BHS Clinical Operations Manager

POSITION DESCRIPTION:

La Cheim School, Inc., Behavioral Health Services (BHS), a community mental health center located in downtown Oakland, California and currently operating virtually, is seeking someone with excellent organizational, administrative, clinical, and customer service skills for the position of Admissions Coordinator. The Primary Duty is to coordinate all admissions related activities, including: the timely, courteous, and accurate screening and processing of client referrals to La Cheim BHS’ Partial Hospitalization and Intensive Outpatient Programs; gathering medical records, client-signed consent forms, and other admission-related documents for each incoming client; scheduling client admission intake interviews with psychiatric staff; verifying insurance coverage and obtaining initial authorization of services for those clients who are admitted; skillfully managing a client waiting list to minimize wait time and maximize client census; developing and nurturing of productive relationships with referral sources; doing marketing and outreach communications and presentations as needed to ensure community and referral source awareness of La Cheim CMHC mental health services; and training Clinical Associates in basic aspects of admissions work. La Cheim Behavioral Health Services is a client-centered, trauma-informed, strengths-based, diversity-valuing organization. The starting pay for this position is $28/hour, 24 hours/week, without benefits. Start date is December 1, 2022, or sooner.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Work cooperatively with other members of Admissions Department team in all related tasks to meet La Cheim BHS caseload capacity and demand for services as determined by Program Director.
• Manage client waiting list, track client discharges, and schedule client admissions skillfully to maintain a client enrollment at or near staffing capacity as determined by Program Director.
• Do marketing outreach, communications and presentations as needed to ensure community and referral sources awareness of La Cheim CMHC mental health offerings and referral process, embodying a welcoming, responsive, reassuring, and competent manner with dependable follow-through.
• Thoughtfully suggest other treatment and support resources to people seeking help when/if the La Cheim program is not an appropriate referral.
• Determine appropriateness of prospective clients for La Cheim’s PHP and IOP level of care, including screening for medical necessity and the client’s potential to benefit from services.
• Assist as needed in verifying prospective client’s insurance coverage.
• Assist as needed in determining and documenting if there is a relevant co-pay, deductible, or out-of-pocket payment maximum, and relay this payment information clearly to client, to client’s treatment team, and to billing department
• Assist as needed in requesting and obtaining client-signed intake paperwork before intake.
• Assist as needed to obtain hospital and/or other health records.
• Assist as needed to collaborate with medical and clinical staff to schedule admission intakes and assign treatment team
• Skillfully manage client waiting list, so clients can be quickly placed as openings emerge.
• Deliver brief case presentation of upcoming intakes to staff at the afternoon Staff Meeting before new client admission.
• Contact client’s insurance carrier to advocate for and obtain authorizations to provide reimbursable treatment services.
• Assist clinical staff and billing department as needed to handle insurance-related matters (e.g. concurrent reviews for authorization of continued treatment).
• Participate in staff meetings as invited or assigned
• Work with data entry and tech support team to maintain, on a daily basis, an accurate record of daily client attendance.
• Function as a clinical liaison to potential referral sources.
• Follow through on directives from Clinical Operations Manager and Program Director

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, Psychology, Counseling or related field (A relevant post-Bachelor’s degree is preferred.)

• At least 6 months’ experience in clinical admissions, or related work
• Demonstration of excellent time management and organizational abilities
• Basic computer and office equipment skills and/or ability to quickly master email, texts, FAX, eFAX, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Teams, Outlook calendar, Excel spreadsheet, Zoom, BestNotes (our electronic health record.).
• Comfortable communicating respectfully with people with severe mental illnesses
• Culturally humble, non-defensive and skillful at collaborating with a diverse population
• Steady, even temperament – ability to project calmness, competence and kindness
• Must possess a valid California Driver’s License, and obtain DOJ, FBI and TB clearance