Behavioral Health Compliance Specialist

Essen Health Care; New York (NY); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Essen Health Care in New York seeks a Compliance Coordinator to support the behavioral health program in meeting regulatory, accreditation, payer, and internal policy requirements. You will monitor documentation and clinical practices, coordinate audits, assist with corrective actions, and help maintain a culture of ethical, high‑quality, and legally compliant care across our network.

This is a hands-on role requiring collaboration with operations, clinical staff, and leadership across multiple

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in health administration, social work, psychology, public health, or related field.
• 2+ years of healthcare compliance, quality assurance, or a related setting.
• Knowledge of HIPAA, 42 CFR Part 2, and behavioral health documentation and billing standards.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and attention to detail.
• Proficiency with electronic health records and Microsoft Office or similar tools.
• Master's degree and certifications such as CHC/CHPC preferred.
• Experience with accreditation surveys or licensing audits preferred.

Responsibilities

• Monitor regulatory compliance with federal, state, and local regulations governing behavioral health services, including HIPAA, 42 CFR Part 2, CMS requirements, and state licensing standards.
• Support readiness for accreditation and licensing surveys (DOH & OMH agency reviews).
• Track regulatory changes and communicate updates to leadership and program staff.
• Conduct department workflow audits for documentation completeness, treatment plan timeliness, consent and authorization, and billing accuracy.
• Perform internal monitoring of client rights and mandated reporting.
• Prepare audit reports with findings, trends, and recommendations.
• Develop, track, and follow up on corrective action plans and plans of correction.
• Coordinate review and documentation of incidents, grievances, and complaints, including timely reporting to external agencies as required.
• Assist with investigations and root cause analysis as directed.
• Draft, update, and maintain policies and procedures; manage version control and annual review schedules.
• Coordinate and deliver compliance training for new hires and ongoing staff, including HIPAA/privacy, confidentiality of substance use disorder records, documentation standards, and ethics.
• Track completion of required trainings, certifications, and licensure.
• Assist the Compliance Officer and Medical Records department with privacy incident review, breach assessment, and release-of-information processes.
• Verify credentialing, background checks, and exclusion list screenings.
• Maintain compliance dashboards and report metrics to leadership and the Compliance/Quality Committee.
• Serve as a resource for clinical and administrative staff on compliance questions.
• Participate in quality improvement initiatives and committees.

Skills

Attention to detail

Analytical ability

Organizational skills

Written and verbal communication

HIPAA knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in health administration, social work, psychology, public health, or related field

Master's degree (preferred)

Tools

EHR systems

Microsoft Office

Job description

Essen Health Care in New York seeks a Compliance Coordinator to support the behavioral health program in meeting regulatory, accreditation, payer, and internal policy requirements. You will monitor documentation and clinical practices, coordinate audits, assist with corrective actions, and help maintain a culture of ethical, high‑quality, and legally compliant care across our network.

This is a hands-on role requiring collaboration with operations, clinical staff, and leadership across multiple