What are the responsibilities and job description for the Psychiatry Assistant & Intake Coordinator position at Psychiatric & Psychological Specialties?
Salary: $52,000–$62,000 per year
Anticipated Start Date: Immediate
Location: Initially remote; full-time in person in Grand Rapids, Michigan, beginning January 2027
Employment Type: Full-time
Psychiatric and Psychological Specialties (PPS) is seeking a compassionate, organized, and detail-oriented Psychiatry Assistant & Intake Coordinator. This role combines administrative support for psychiatry providers with coordination of the new patient intake process. The successful candidate will help patients navigate care, maintain timely communication, coordinate medication-related administrative requests, and support accurate scheduling and documentation.
We are looking for someone who can manage competing priorities independently, communicate sensitively with people seeking mental health services, and collaborate effectively with clinical and administrative staff. We will provide training on PPS-specific procedures and systems.
- Provide day-to-day administrative support to psychiatry providers and their patients.
- Monitor patient calls, portal messages, and administrative requests; respond or route them appropriately.
- Coordinate medication refill requests, gather relevant information, and forward requests to prescribing providers for clinical review and authorization.
- Assist with medication prior authorizations, including documentation, submission, tracking, and follow-up.
- Communicate with pharmacies, insurers, patients, and providers about administrative medication matters.
- Obtain and track outside records, laboratory results, referrals, and other requested documentation.
- Help coordinate psychiatry follow-up visits, schedule changes, and provider communications.
- Maintain accurate records of communications, requests, and completed tasks in the electronic health record (EHR).
- Identify urgent or concerning patient messages and escalate them promptly under established practice protocols.
- Refer clinical questions and decisions about treatment or prescriptions to licensed providers.
- Serve as a primary contact for prospective patients by telephone, email, and electronic inquiry.
- Respond to new patient inquiries within one business day.
- Explain available services, the intake process, appointment options, fees, insurance considerations, and office policies.
- Complete structured intake screening under established guidelines to support appropriate service and provider matching.
- Coordinate initial psychiatry, psychotherapy, and psychological assessment appointments.
- Review demographic, insurance, referral, and contact information for accuracy and completeness.
- Distribute and track intake forms and required supporting documentation.
- Follow up with prospective patients who have not completed the intake process.
- Maintain organized tracking of referrals, intake status, follow-up needs, and patient engagement.
- Coordinate with providers and staff when questions arise about scheduling or appropriate services.
- Provide professional, compassionate assistance with appointment and administrative questions.
- Coordinate appropriate communication among patients, providers, pharmacies, insurers, and other healthcare offices.
- Process releases of information and assist with medical records requests.
- Track pending requests and follow through to support timely resolution.
- Maintain confidential, accurate information in the EHR and administrative tracking systems.
- Assist with insurance verification, referrals, and authorizations as needed.
- Collaborate with staff across practice locations to maintain consistent workflows.
- Support reception, patient check-in/check-out, and office coverage as needed after the in-person transition.
- Identify workflow issues and communicate them to practice leadership.
- Perform other related administrative duties as assigned.
- Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
- Strong organization, time management, attention to detail, and follow-through.
- Professionalism, discretion, sound judgment, and empathy when handling sensitive situations.
- Ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, and collaborate with clinical and administrative teams.
- Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Word, Excel, and electronic communication tools.
- Ability to learn and use EHR systems, patient portals, and administrative workflows.
- Commitment to patient confidentiality, HIPAA compliance, and appropriate escalation of clinical concerns.
- Ability to maintain a private, professional remote workspace during the initial remote period.
- Ability and willingness to work full-time in person at the Grand Rapids office beginning January 2027.
- Bachelor's degree in psychology, healthcare administration, business administration, or a related field.
- Experience in psychiatry, behavioral health, or another medical practice.
- Experience supporting physicians, psychiatric nurse practitioners, or other healthcare providers.
- Experience with patient intake, registration, scheduling, and EHR systems.
- Familiarity with medication refill coordination, prior authorizations, pharmacies, and insurance verification.
- Experience managing patient messages, provider task queues, referrals, or records requests.
PPS provides structured onboarding, written procedures, hands-on instruction, and ongoing support. Training covers intake and scheduling, psychiatry administrative workflows, medication-related requests, EHR documentation, insurance processes, confidentiality, and escalation protocols.
- Full-time position with an immediate anticipated start.
- Work begins remotely and transitions to full-time, in-person work at the Grand Rapids office in January 2027.
- During the remote period, the employee must be available during established business hours and maintain a confidential workspace.
- Some scheduling flexibility may be available based on staffing and operational needs.
- Annual salary: $52,000–$62,000, based on relevant experience, qualifications, and ability to manage responsibilities independently.
- BCBS PPO health insurance.
- Dental and vision insurance.
- Retirement plan with a 3% employer match.
- 15 paid-time-off days per calendar year.
- Paid national holidays.
Please send a résumé and letter of interest to Jessica Wells at jwells@psychspecialties.com.
The selection process includes an initial conversation, Zoom interviews with PPS team members, and a standard background check.
Psychiatric and Psychological Specialties is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (including religious dress and grooming practices), sex, gender, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital or domestic-partner status, military or veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.
Salary : $52,000 - $62,000