Discharge Planner

Oceans Healthcare; Lafayette (LA); On-site; USD 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

Ochsner Behavioral Health Acadiana seeks a Discharge Planner to coordinate inpatient and outpatient discharge planning, liaise with physicians and therapists, and ensure timely, compliant patient transitions. The role supports treatment planning, documents referrals, and maintains communication with families.

Qualifications include an associate degree in healthcare or a bachelor’s in social services, plus psychiatric/chemical dependency experience.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to coordinate discharge planning with treatment teams.
• Knowledge of psychosocial data review and discharge assessment.
• Ability to schedule appointments and coordinate care across teams.
• Familiarity with Joint Commission, regulatory guidelines, and utilization review.

Responsibilities

• Coordinates discharge planning with physicians, therapists, and nursing staff.
• Reviews psychosocial data and presents discharge plans to the treatment team.
• Schedules appointments and follows up on absentees; completes continued care plans.
• Attends treatment team and status meetings to communicate discharge activities.
• Inputs discharge information into computer systems accurately and timely.
• Completes referral paperwork and facilitates access to community resources.

Skills

Excellent communication

Discharge planning knowledge

Strong writing skills

Regulatory understanding

Patient advocacy

High-volume workload management

Data-driven decision making

Independent work ethic

Team collaboration

Cultural sensitivity

BLS certification

Education

Associate degree in healthcare

Bachelor’s degree in social services

Job description

At Ochsner Behavioral Health Acadiana, healing is our focus. We are passionate about helping children, adults, and seniors manage the challenges associated with anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. Utilizing proven, innovative, and progressive therapies, our qualified professionals strive to promote long-term wellness through a range of inpatient and outpatient psychiatric counseling and treatment options.

The Discharge Planner coordinates with the admission staff and clinical staff to facilitate the meeting of patient's treatment needs for the inpatient programs in accordance with the Joint Commission, Federaland State regulations, Oceans' mission, policies and procedures and Performance Improvement standards. This position acts as patient liaison for physician, clinical staff and family member's activities in order to coordinate resources and discharge needs. The Discharge Planner works in coordination with the Performance Improvement Coordinator to conduct closed and concurrent reviews.

of medical records. This role interacts with members of the medical/clinical team to provide a flow of communication, documents timely and comprehensive information to support the level and intensity of services rendered, as well as facilitating timely discharge planning.

The Discharge Planner works with the primary therapist and nursing staff to facilitate treatment planning documentation, family contact, scheduling appointments, absentees from programming and access to community resources.

Essential Functions

• Functions as patient liaison in the role of discharge planner to coordinate patient treatments with the physician, therapist, and nursing staff.
• Reviews psychosocial data and other assessments to complete discharge assessment with patient; presents to multi-disciplinary treatment team for review and approval.
• Schedules appointments, follows up on absentees and completes continuing care plans.
• Attends treatment team meetings and communicates discharge planning activities to the other team members.
• Attends status meetings to share pertinent data and communicate current status, update attendance calendar and communicate individual patient needs to clinical and admission staff.
• Performs additional discharge planning duties as required and coordinates flow of communication amend staff involved in the patient's care; completes paperwork for judicial commitments and state bed packets.
• Completes referral process and necessary paperwork for all other levels of care and make follow-up appointments; including follow-up letters needed by the patient; completes all medication assistance forms and assists patients and families with follow-up care items.
• Conducts special retrospective studies/audits when need is determined by M&PS and /or other committee structure.
• Accurately does discharge reviews on 100% of all discharges per month; accurately inputs discharge review information into computer database; accurately completes all initial CQI+ forms and questionnaires in a timely manner.
• Performs other duties and projects as assigned.

Requirements

Education / Experience

• Associate degree with emphasis in healthcare or bachelor’s degree in social services field preferred.
• At least one year psychiatric/chemical dependency experience with good working psychiatric/medical knowledge preferred.

Skills / Abilities

• Demonstrates excellent assertive communication and customer service skills.
• Possesses in-depth knowledge of chemical dependency and psychiatric treatment, including the discharge planning process.
• Strong writing and composition skills.
• Understands regulatory requirements, fiscal reimbursement, and utilization review as integral components of patient care.
• Demonstrates strong patient advocacy skills.
• Able to organize, prioritize, and manage a high-volume workload effectively.
• Skilled in analyzing and utilizing data and systems to provide individualized, cost-effective, high-quality treatment.
• Functions independently with minimal supervision while maintaining a positive work attitude.
• Interacts cooperatively and professionally with staff to achieve optimal patient outcomes.
• Competent in addressing age-, disability-, and culturally related patient needs, relating to patients in a sensitive and respectful manner.
• Must successfully complete and maintain Basic Life Support (BLS) certification and an Oceans approved behavioral health de-escalation program.

Work Environment

Subject to many interruptions. Occasional pressure due to multiple calls and inquiries. This position can be high paced and stressful; must be able to cope mentally and physically to the atmosphere. Work requires spending approximately 90% or more of the time inside a building that offers protection from weather conditions but not necessarily from temperature changes.