Admissions Coordinator

United Methodist Ministry with Children and Families, Inc.; Jackson (MS); On-site; USD 36,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

United Methodist Ministry with Children and Families, Inc. seeks an Admissions Coordinator to manage referrals, intake, and admissions across all programs, ensuring timely access to services and compliance with licensing and payer requirements.

Reporting to the Residential Services Director, the role emphasizes organization, confidentiality, and professional communication with CPS/MDCPS, families, schools, and providers to support smooth transitions and accurate documentation.

Qualifications

• Must be twenty-one (21) years of age.
• Bachelor’s degree in business or mental health related field, preferred.
• Strong people skills.
• Must be organized and detail oriented.
• Minimum two (2) years of experience working with children/adolescents or other populations with special emotional/behavior needs.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate referrals, intake, admission, and related administrative processes across all programs.
• Maintain accurate documentation and payer authorization readiness.
• Communicate with referral sources, families, CPS/MDCPS representatives, schools, providers, and other stakeholders.
• Assist with admission packets and regulatory/agency documentation.
• Monitor and report barriers affecting admission timeliness and authorization.

Skills

People skills

Organizational skills

Detail oriented

Experience with children/adolescents

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business or mental health

Job description

Description

Details: Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

General Job Summary: The Admissions Coordinator coordinates all placement referrals for all Methodist Children’s Homes programs. The Admissions Coordinator reports to the Residential Services Director

Major Job Responsibilities:

The Admissions Coordinator coordinates referral, intake, admission, authorization, billing-support, census, transition, and related administrative processes for all Methodist Children's Homes programs. The position supports timely access to services, accurate documentation, payer authorization readiness, census accuracy, and communication among referral sources, program staff, clinical leadership, and other stakeholders.

This role is central to admissions workflow, prior authorization tracking, payer communication, EHR accuracy, regulatory documentation, clinical/program coordination, and referral source responsiveness. The Admissions Coordinator is expected to demonstrate strong organization, follow-through, confidentiality, onsite availability, attention to detail, and professional communication.

• Receive, process, screen, and track all placement and service referrals according to agency procedures and program eligibility criteria.
• Respond to referral sources, families, legal guardians, CPS/MDCPS representatives, schools, providers, and other authorized parties in a timely and professional manner.
• Coordinate review of incoming referrals with appropriate program and clinical leaders across all agency programs and services.
• Screen referral information for completeness, appropriateness, level-of-care fit, required documentation, safety considerations, payer/funding status, and program capacity.
• Coordinate admissions, suspensions, transfers, breaks in service, and discharges with appropriate internal and external parties.
• Compile, maintain, and update admission packets and required admission forms in accordance with agency, licensing, payer, DMH, Medicaid, CPS/MDCPS, and program requirements.
• Ensure required consents, releases, rights acknowledgments, grievance acknowledgments, handbooks, emergency contact information, and other intake/admission documents are obtained, uploaded, filed, and tracked as applicable.
• Complete, submit, track, and monitor admission prior authorization requests for programs requiring payer approval.
• Coordinate with Medicaid, Managed Care Organizations, commercial insurance plans, utilization review staff, clinical staff, psychiatric/medical staff, and program leadership to obtain required approvals for admission or continued service delivery.
• Maintain current knowledge of Medicaid, managed care, third-party payer, prior authorization, continued stay, eligibility, and reimbursement processes applicable to assigned programs.
• Identify and communicate payer-related documentation gaps, authorization risks, reimbursement concerns, and corrective needs to the supervisor or designated leadership in a timely manner.
• Assist with coordination of intake assessments, admissions meetings, and other meetings related to referral and admission.
• Coordinate with clinical staff, residential staff, foster care staff, nursing/medical staff, and program leadership as applicable.
• Support compliance with agency policies, corrective action plans, accreditation expectations, DMH certification requirements, and internal documentation standards.
• Serve as a professional liaison between MCH and referral sources, including CPS/MDCPS, therapeutic placement units, schools, hospitals, providers, community partners, youth, families, legal guardians, payers, and other stakeholders.
• Promote positive relationships with referral sources and community partners to support timely, appropriate referrals and understanding of available services.

Monitor and communicate barriers that affect admission timeliness, service initiation, and authorization.

Requirements

Requirements

Qualifications:

Knowledge & Experience:

• Must be twenty-one (21) years of age.
• Bachelor’s degree in business or mental health related field, preferred.
• Strong people skills.
• Must be organized and detail oriented.
• Minimum two (2) years of experience working with children/adolescents or other populations with special emotional/behavior needs.

Skills/Working Conditions:

• Must maintain valid Driver’s License and an acceptable driving record
• Must be insurable by Methodist Children’s Homes insurance carrier
• Must be able to work flexible schedule and shifts including overnights, weekends, holidays and extended periods of time.
• First Aid, CPR, Universal Precautions, and medication administration.
• Must be able to work in a fast paced, high pressure, high stress environment.
• Must provide a negative drug screen result prior to employment.
• Must pass a pre-employment physical and on-going physical assessments as required
• Have the ability to demonstrate organizational, management, and leadership skills.
• Have the ability to generate multiple solutions to meet the changing needs of clients, staff, and communities
• Have the ability to communicate professionally, in both verbal and written formats, with consumers, including, but not limited to parents, supervisees, colleagues, and community service providers.