ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Facilitate admissions and assessment processes for incoming patients. Respond to inquiries about the facility within facility policy timeframes. Schedule/complete pre-admission assessments and communicate recommendations to patients or their families. Collaborate with other facility medical and psychiatric personnel to ensure appropriate recommendations and admissions. Coordinate admission and transfer between levels of care within the facility. Communicate projected admissions to designated internal representative in a timely manner. Perform insurance benefit verifications, disseminating the information gathered to patient, their families and other appropriate facility staff. Ensure all medical admission documentation is gathered from external sources prior to patient admission and secure initial pre-authorization for treatment and admission. Assist individual therapists with concurrent reviews with insurance companies to secure continued treatment. Coordinate and facilitate peer to peer reviews when needed and collaborate the results of reviews with multi-disciplinary treatment team. Provide accurate and ongoing assessment of patient status in the admissions process. Communicate treatment recommendations to and coordinate with other treatment teams.

OTHER FUNCTIONS:

Perform other functions and tasks as assigned.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE/SKILL REQUIREMENTS:

Bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Science, Social Work, Vocational Rehabilitation, Sociology, Public Administration, or a related field; in some states, may also be a registered nurse, in which case, an Associate's degree in nursing may be the minimum educational requirement or an licensed practical or vocational nurse, in which case, successful completion of an LPN or LVN training program may be the minimum requirement. For states in which a therapist may act in this role, a master's degree in a therapeutic field required. Minimum one year experience working with individuals in a clinical or observational capacity, preferably within the area of specialty for the hiring facility.

LICENSES/DESIGNATIONS/CERTIFICATIONS:

Licensure, as required for the area of clinical specialty, i.e., RN license, CAC or other clinical counseling or therapy license, as designated by the state in which the facility operates. CPR and de-escalation/restraint certification required (training available upon hire and offered by facility). First aid may be required based on state or facility.

ADDITIONAL REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS:

For Admissions Specialist who hold a current RN license, the following duties are required:
Review complex referrals with administrator-on-call and/or physician
Obtain physician orders
Accept nurse-to-nurse report from outside referral agencies
Provide nurse-to-nurse hand-off report to unit
Ensure medication security for all incoming medications per policy
Reconcile medications with outside pharmacies and other agencies
Communicate new medication orders to pharmacy
Assess the immediate and anticipated medical needs of incoming patients
Provide nursing care to meet the needs of incoming patients
Respond to medical emergencies within the hospital
Function as department supervisor in absence of Admissions Supervisor
Other nursing duties as assigned by Director of Admissions
This list is not intended to be all inclusive.