Emergency Services Intake Counselor Flex PRN

Garfield Park Behavioral Hospital; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Garfield Park Behavioral Hospital in Chicago, IL seeks an Emergency Services Intake Counselor to conduct crisis risk assessments and provide clinical triage for families and professionals. You will also manage the fast-paced admissions process, ensuring compliance with mental health laws and confidentiality policies.

The role requires a Masters degree in a clinical field, licensure eligibility, BLS and CPI upon orientation, and the ability to work in a high-stress, fast-paced environment

Qualifications

• Masters degree in Social Work, Counseling, Psychology, or related clinical field.
• Licensure or eligibility for licensure (LPC, LSW, LCPC, LCSW) or RN preferred in Illinois.
• BLS (AHA) and CPI certifications required upon orientation.

Responsibilities

• Conducts crisis risk assessments and clinical triage for families and professionals.
• Coordinate intake paperwork, pre-certifications, and physician care collaboration.
• Manage bed availability, admissions processes, and multidisciplinary team updates.
• Maintain records and uphold confidentiality and legal standards.

Skills

Crisis risk assessment

Clinical triage

Crisis intervention

Trauma-Informed Care

De-escalation techniques

Bilingual Spanish/English

Education

Masters degree in Social Work, Counseling, Psychology, or related clinical field

Job description

Responsibilities

Garfield Park Behavioral Hospital provides compassionate, evidence-based psychiatric and behavioral health support to children and teens ages 3 to 17. Guided by the highest standards of ethics and individualized care, our mission is to exceed patient expectations, instill hope in families, and meet the diverse needs of our community. We are passionate about transforming lives through quality behavioral healthcare, and we are excited to further serve our patients by expanding our partial and intensive outpatient programs through an upcoming construction project.

Job Summary

As the Emergency Services Intake Counselor you will conduct crisis risk assessments and provides clinical triage for families and professionals. You will also manage the fast-paced, high-stress admissions process, ensuring compliance with mental health laws and confidentiality policies.

Key Responsibilities

• Clinical Assessment: Conducts risk evaluations (suicide, psychosis, substance abuse) and gathers health and treatment histories.


• Admissions Management: Coordinates intake paperwork, pre-certifications, and physician care collaboration.


• Team Collaboration: Manages bed availability, patient deflections, and multidisciplinary team updates.


• Regulatory Compliance: Mainitains records and upholds legal and confidentiality standards.

Environment & Demands

• Fast-Paced Setting: Operates in an environment equivalent to an Emergency Room.


• High-Stress Resilience: Requires strong multitasking skills and high physical stamina to support children and families in crisis

Work Schedule

PRN/ Flex/ Per Diem; Weekends, Days, PM, Night shifts

Qualifications

This position is not eligble for benefits

Education

Masters Degree required in Social Work, Counseling, Psychology, or related clinical field.

Licensure/Certification

• Licensure or eligibility for licensure (LPC, LSW, LCPC, LCSW) or Registered Nurse in the State of Illinois preferred


• BLS (AHA) and CPI certifications required upon orientation completion

Knowledge

Thorough understanding of the DSM-V criteria, psychotropic medications, and assessment skills with the ability to develop quick and strong clinical rapport. Working knowledge of Illinois Confidentiality Act, Illinois Mental Health Code, EMTALA and ILPA process. Must posses a detailed understanding of psychiatric criteria for various levels of care and insurance/benefit verifications. Have the ability to provide de-escalation techniques and crisis stabilization. Must be able to utilize CBT, Trauma Informed Care and Crisis Intervention effectively. Must be able to work cooperatively with other hospital staff and community agencies. Good organization skills, attentive to detail, thorough, as well as excellent oral and written clinical communication skills.

Language

Bilingual in both Spanish and English preferred

About Universal Health Services

One of the nation’s largest and most respected providers of hospital and healthcare services, Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS) has built an impressive record of achievement and performance. Growing steadily since its inception into an esteemed Fortune 500 corporation, annual revenues during 2025 were $17.4 billion. In 2026, UHS was again recognized as one of Fortune World’s Most Admired Companies™ and in 2025, was listed in Forbes ranking of America’s Largest Public Companies. Headquartered in King of Prussia, PA, UHS has approximately 101,500 employees and continues to grow through its subsidiaries. Operating acute care hospitals, behavioral health facilities, outpatient facilities and ambulatory care access points, an insurance offering, a physician network and various related services located in 40 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom. For additional information visit www.uhs.com.

EEO Statement

All UHS subsidiaries are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and teammates. UHS subsidiaries are equal opportunity employers and as such, openly support and fully commit to recruitment, selection, placement, promotion and compensation of individuals without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), genetic information, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. We believe that diversity and inclusion among our teammates is critical to our success.

Pay Transparency

To encourage pay transparency, promote pay equity, and proactively address regulations, UHS and all our subsidiaries will comply with all applicable state or local laws or regulations which require employers to provide wage or salary range information to job applicants and employees. Salary offers may be based on key factors such as education and related experience.