Intake Clinician RN- FT Nights

Palms Behavioral Health; Harlingen (TX); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

Palms Behavioral Health is seeking an Intake RN for admissions and initial assessments at our Harlingen, TX facility. You will screen, verify insurance, and coordinate with physicians to determine level of care.

The role requires RN licensure in Texas or a compact state and CPR/de-escalation certification. Ideal candidates have 1+ year of mental health admissions experience, strong communication skills, and proficiency in pre-certification processes.

Qualifications

• Graduation from an accredited school of nursing is required.
• RN license in Texas or a compact state is required.
• BSN preferred.
• 1+ year experience in mental health admissions preferred.
• Experience in clinical interviewing, patient assessment, referral, treatment planning, and coordination with external review organizations.
• Experience in managed care pre-certification and level of care assessments.
• Outstanding interpersonal and interviewing skills; telephone etiquette.

Responsibilities

• Facilitates admissions and assessment processes for incoming patients.
• Provides initial evaluation and initiates integrated assessment; documents symptoms and needs.
• Collaborates with facility staff to ensure accurate admissions decisions.
• Communicates projected admissions to internal representatives promptly.
• Provides Call Center support: answers phones, processes admission requests, and assists with insurance pre-certifications.
• Obtains orders, recommendations, and DSM-V diagnoses by reviewing charts with physicians.
• Communicates treatment recommendations to treatment teams.
• May administer medications; monitors effects and lab results; educates patients on side effects.
• Advocates for lowest appropriate level of care and coordinates transitions.
• Maintains thorough documentation and responds to inquiries about services.

Education

RN licensure in Texas or compact state

BSN preferred

CPR certification

De-escalation training

Restraint certification

First aid certification (optional)

Clinical interviewing and assessment

Managed care pre-certification

Insurance verification and pre-auth processes

Excellent interpersonal skills

Job description

**About the Job:**PURPOSE STATEMENT: The Intake RN performs the daily operations of patient intake and/or admissions, with may include screening, financial counseling, insurance verification and assessment at or outside the facility, depending on the needs of the patient or hospital. Screens and assesses admissions to evaluate clinical and medical appropriateness and communicates this information to a physician who makes the admissions and level of care decision. Works closely with business office, nursing, and clinical staff as well as external parties to ensure the timely admission of patients. Responds to inquiries regarding admissions.**Roles and Responsibilities:****ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:*** Facilitates admissions and assessment processes for incoming patients. Provides initial evaluation and initiate the integrated assessment, documenting patient symptoms, functioning and needs.* Collaborates with other facility medical and psychiatric staff to ensure appropriate recommendations and admissions. Communicates projected admissions to designated internal representative in a timely manner.* Provides additional coverage for the Call Center Team – e.g. answers phones, processes admission requests, completes call center duties reviewing and accepting patients, verifies insurance, and assists with insurance pre-certifications during times of high volume* Ensures all medical admission documentation is gathered from external sources prior to patient admission and secures initial pre-authorization for treatment and admission.* Reviews patient charts to determine medical necessity and staffs each referral and assessment with appropriate physician to obtain orders, recommendations, and DSM-V diagnosis, when appropriate.* Communicates treatment recommendations to and coordinate with other treatment teams.* May administer patients’ medications and follows all physician's orders in consultation with psychiatrist and in accordance with established hospital and licensing agency protocols. Educates patients on side effects, and through discussions determines the effectiveness of education; questions compliance and adjusts medications under psychiatrists' supervision as needed; monitors lab results to validate medication compliance.* May maintain accountability of administration, recording, control and security of medications, including narcotics. Assures completion of Adverse Drug Reaction forms as necessary. Maintains knowledge of the most common medications used for psychiatric patients.* Advocates for the lowest level of care consistent with the patient’s needs. Coordinates admission and transfer between levels of care within the facility.* Assures thorough, accurate documentation is completed for all patients on each shift and facilitates the response to requests for services, including the initial response, the assessment, and referral process, the designation of appropriate level of care, initiation/admission into services, and appropriate follow up activity.* Responds to inquiries about the facility within facility policy timeframes.* Performs insurance benefit verifications, disseminating the information gathered to patient, their families and other appropriate facility staff. Provides accurate and ongoing assessment of patient status in the admissions process. Reviews client charts to determine medical necessity and staffs each referral and assessment with appropriate physician to obtain orders, recommendations, and DSM-V diagnosis, when appropriate.* Other duties as assigned, including assisting on patient unit.* May administer clients’ medications. Follows all physician's orders in consultation with psychiatrist and in accordance with established hospital and licensing agency protocols. Educates patients on side effects, and through discussions determines the effectiveness of education; questions compliance and adjusts medications under psychiatrists' supervision as needed; monitors lab results to validate medication compliance.* May maintain accountability of administration, recording, control and security of medications, including narcotics. Assures completion of Adverse Drug Reaction forms as necessary. Maintains knowledge of the most common medications used for psychiatric clients.**EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE/SKILL REQUIREMENTS:*** Graduation from an accredited school of nursing required. BSN preferred.* One or more years' experience in mental health or substance use disorder admissions preferred.* Experience in clinical interviewing, patient assessment, referral, treatment planning, communicating with external review organizations or comparable entities.* Experience in the managed care pre-certification process, level of care assessments and utilization.* Outstanding interpersonal and interviewing and assessment skills. Skill in telephone etiquette and paging procedures.**LICENSES/DESIGNATIONS/CERTIFICATIONS:*** Valid current RN license from the state or from a compact state, where applicable.* CPR and de-escalation and restraint certification required (training available upon hire and offered by facility).* First aid may be required based on state or facility requirements.**WORK LOCATION:**This position is onsite at the facility and is not a remote position.**SUPERVISORY REQUIREMENTS:**This position is an Individual Contributor.Why Palms Behavioral Health?Palms Behavioral Health offers a comprehensive benefit plan and a competitive salary commensurate with experience and qualifications. Qualified candidates should apply by submitting a resume. Palms Behavioral Health is an EOE.