Admissions Counselor - Mental Health Intake

Acadia Healthcare; Memphis (TN); On-site; USD 50,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Acadia Healthcare in Memphis seeks a clinical professional to facilitate admissions, conduct intake assessments, and coordinate utilization review, ensuring the correct level of care and optimal benefit utilization.

The role emphasizes timely inquiries, therapeutic relationships, eligibility checks, coordination with medical and psychiatric staff, pre-admission assessments, and accurate medical records to support payor authorization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a social services field required (if state allows).
• Master's degree in a social services field or RN preferred.
• One or more years’ experience in mental/behavioral health in a clinical or observational capacity preferred.
• Current licensure as designated by the state; CPR and de‑escalation/restraint certification required.
• First aid may be preferred based on state or facility.

Responsibilities

• 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.
• When a patient’s 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.

Skills

Communication

Empathy

Clinical intake

Patient safety

Conflict resolution

Education

Bachelor’s degree in social services

Master’s degree or RN preferred

Tools

CPR certification

De-escalation training

Job description

Acadia Healthcare in Memphis seeks a clinical professional to facilitate admissions, conduct intake assessments, and coordinate utilization review, ensuring the correct level of care and optimal benefit utilization.

The role emphasizes timely inquiries, therapeutic relationships, eligibility checks, coordination with medical and psychiatric staff, pre-admission assessments, and accurate medical records to support payor authorization.