Admissions Counselor

Geisinger; Danville (PA); On-site; USD 45,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

An innovative healthcare partnership is establishing a state-of-the-art behavioral health facility in Danville, PA, aimed at enhancing access to high-quality psychiatric care. This PRN role for Admissions Counselors involves critical responsibilities such as facilitating patient admissions, conducting clinical assessments, and ensuring continuity of care. The facility, set to open in Summer 2025, will serve both pediatric and adult patients, making a significant impact on mental health services in the region. Join a dedicated team committed to providing compassionate care and support for individuals facing mental health challenges.

Qualifications

• Must possess a current RN license and have experience in mental health.
• Preferred experience in managed care pre-certification and level of care assessments.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate admissions and clinical intake assessments for patients.
• Coordinate transfers and maintain knowledge of milieu management.
• Ensure patient safety and address complaints professionally.

Skills

Therapeutic relationship development

Clinical intake assessments

Utilization review processes

Patient safety prioritization

Education

RN license

Experience in mental/behavioral health

Tools

Medical record documentation

Job description

Overview

Acadia Healthcare and Geisinger Health have partnered to establish a state-of-the-art, 96-bed behavioral health hospital in Danville, PA. Geisinger Behavioral Health Center Danville will serve pediatric and adult patients, offering inpatient treatment, intensive outpatient programming, and ECT services. It will also serve as a teaching hospital for students and residents of Geisinger’s College of Health Sciences. Set to open in Summer 2025, this facility will help meet the urgent need for accessible, high-quality psychiatric care in the region, expanding capacity to support patients with diverse mental health needs.

***This is for a PRN role***

What would you do in this role?

Our Admissions Counselors are clinical professionals responsible for facilitating admissions, clinical intake assessments and utilization review processes to assure continuity for the most appropriate level of care for patients and their benefit/resources utilization.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

1. Respond to inquiries about the facility within facility policy timeframes.
2. Ability to develop therapeutic relationships with patients and families.
3. 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.
4. Collaborate with other facility medical and psychiatric personnel to ensure appropriate recommendations regarding pending referrals.
5. Coordinate admission and transfer from referral sources and between levels of care within the facility.
6. Maintain knowledge of milieu management.
7. Communicate projected admissions to designated internal representatives promptly.
8. Ensure all clinical information from referral sources or patient (including medical comorbidity information) is received, when possible, prior to patient admission.
9. Schedule (when applicable) and complete pre-admission assessments, consult with the admitting physician, and communicate disposition recommendations to patient or their family.
10. 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.
11. Complete initial pre-authorization for treatment and admission prior to admission, when possible, and within payor timeframe guidelines.
12. Admit patient in the registration and accounting system. Complete all admission and consent forms with the patient.
13. Demonstrate a positive, empathetic and professional attitude towards customers always. When patient needs are not met, acknowledge and work to resolve complaints. Recognize that patient safety is a top priority.

OTHER FUNCTIONS:

• Perform other functions and tasks as assigned.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE/SKILL REQUIREMENTS:

• RN license is REQUIRED.
• Three or more years’ experience in mental/behavioral health working with individuals in a clinical or observational capacity preferred.
• Experience in the managed care pre-certification process, level of care assessments and utilization preferred.

LICENSES/DESIGNATIONS/CERTIFICATIONS:

• Current licensure, as required for the area of clinical specialty, i.e., current 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.

We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants for employment regardless of an individual’s characteristics protected by applicable state, federal and local laws.

AHGROW