Admissions Counselor - Henry Ford Behavioral Health
We are searching for a dedicated Admissions Counselor with a proven ability to support patients and families through the admissions process with empathy, professionalism, and urgency. Experienced in insurance verification, care coordination, pre-admission assessments, and communication with clinical teams to ensure appropriate placement, continuity of care, and positive patient outcomes.
Essential Functions:
- Respond to inquiries about the facility within facility policy timeframes.
- Ability to develop therapeutic relationships with patients and families.
- Perform benefit eligibility to ensure patient benefits are active at the time of admission. Communicate benefit eligibility to the business office and the patient or significant other.
- Collaborate with facility medical and psychiatric personnel to ensure appropriate recommendations regarding pending referrals.
- Coordinate admission and transfer from referral sources and between levels of care within the facility.
- Maintain knowledge of milieu management.
- Communicate projected admissions to designated internal representatives promptly.
- Ensure all clinical information from referral sources or patients (including medical comorbidity information) is received, when possible, prior to patient admission.
- Schedule (when applicable) and complete pre-admission assessments, consult with the admitting physician and communicate disposition recommendations to the patient or their family.
- Possess skill in preparing and maintaining appropriate medical record documentation that will result in authorization at the level of care being requested of the payor.
- Complete initial pre-authorization for treatment and admission prior to admission, when possible, and within payor timeframe guidelines.
- Admit the patient to the registration and accounting system. Complete all admission and consent forms with the patient.
- Demonstrate a positive, empathetic, and professional attitude toward customers always. When patient needs are not met, acknowledge and work to resolve complaints. Recognize that patient safety is a top priority.
- Coordinate care for patients who are not being admitted and ensure that they receive appropriate follow-up care and referrals.
- Demonstrate a sense of urgency related to the importance of patient safety and provide excellent customer service.
- Responsible for conducting safety checks and ensuring that supervision is conducted at 15-minute intervals, as noted in special precautions, or by individualized supervision guidelines as needed.
Other Functions:
- Perform other functions and tasks as assigned.
Education/Experience/Skill Requirements:
- Bachelor's degree in a social services field required (if state allows).
- Master's degree in a social services field (psychology, counseling, social work, sociology, health administration, nursing) or RN preferred.
- One or more years' experience in mental/behavioral health working with individuals in a clinical or observational capacity preferred.
Licenses/Designations/Certifications:
- Current licensure, as preferred for the area of clinical specialty, 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 preferred based on state or facility.
Additional Regulatory Requirements:
Additional regulatory requirements may apply based on state or facility policies.