Intake Manager - RN License or LCSW, LMHC or LPC

Strategic BH-Brownsville, LLC; Harlingen (TX); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Palms Behavioral Health is seeking an Intake Manager in Harlingen, TX to support the Director in patient intake, referral, and admission processes. You will supervise the intake team, coordinate psychiatric assessments, ensure accurate billing for admissions, and build relationships with payers and physicians.

The role requires clinical oversight, supervisory experience, and a background in behavioral health services. Onsite work is required at the Palms Behavioral Health facility.

Qualifications

• Admissions experience in healthcare settings and coordination of intake processes.
• Behavioral health background and ability to work with psychiatric/chemical dependency services.
• Clinical interviewing and patient assessment for admission suitability.

Responsibilities

• Oversee intake, admissions, and prior authorization processes.
• Coordinate psychiatric assessments with medical staff for referrals.
• Lead staffing: hiring, training, scheduling, and performance management.
• Ensure proper billing information is captured for admissions.
• Maintain contingency staffing plans and monitor call volumes during peak times.

Skills

Admissions experience

Behavioral health

Clinical interviewing

Patient assessment

Referral coordination

Education

RN/LCSW/LMHC/LPC license (state requirements)

CPR and de-escalation certification

First aid (state/facility requirement)

Job description

Intake Manager | Palms Behavioral Health | Harlingen, Texas

About the Job

Purpose statement: The Intake Manager is responsible for assisting the Director in managing all the different aspects of the patient assessment, referral, and admission process. Responsibilities include intake screenings for incoming patients, providing clinical direction in psychiatric and chemical dependency assessment services including evaluation, crisis intervention and referrals, staff supervision, communicating with all other facility staff members to have a smooth admission outcome, developing and nurturing professional relationships with payers, physicians and other clinicians in acute care hospitals, community mental health centers and other organizations. Ensures appropriate and accurate billing information is available for all admissions.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Managing the intake, admissions, and prior authorization process for incoming patients.
• Providing clinical evaluations of prospective patients determining patients' appropriateness for the program and coordinating the psychiatric assessment process with the medical staff.
• Identifying and prioritizing issues of importance, including those priority issues as set by leadership.
• Collaborating with department leaders and corporate leaders, as needed.
• Communicating instructions, expectations and timelines clearly and concisely.
• Managing a team of highly engaged members through hiring, orienting, performance assessment and management, motivating, training, scheduling, and coaching to meet department goals and ensure effective and efficient department operation.
• Maintaining productivity levels that are aligned with patient census, curtailing unnecessary overtime and/or excessive staff work hours.
• Managing staff scheduling and maintaining an updated plan for contingency staffing.
• Maintaining accountability expectations for self and staff in all areas of job performance.
• Engaging staff in quality and safety basics to ensure sustained, measurable compliance.
• Identifying staff educational needs and ensuring they are addressed with education programs that are attended by staff.
• Holding staff accountable for non-compliance and patient safety concerns, as well as attendance, following policies, behavior, and adherence to code of conduct.
• Continuously assessing processes and workflows involved with pre-admission performance and maintaining an intake continuous improvement plan for the department.
• Monitoring call volumes and service requests to ensure proper staffing during peak call times.
• Establishing results-producing relationships with the referral community including physicians, social workers, state officials, and payers.
• Educating team members and referral sources about company services as related to industry changes, specific clinical programs and capabilities, clinical outcomes, and appropriate patient referrals/admissions.
• Ensuring that appropriate and accurate billing information is available for all admissions and coordinating with Business Office and Utilization Management.
• Providing insurance verification training to staff.
• Serving as a liaison between hospitals and facilities in the event of transfer.
• When appropriate, referring the patient to an alternate level of care based on their needs and wishes.
• Ensuring that all related admission documentation is complete and entered timely.
• Serving as a link between Admissions and other departments to ensure the efficient transfer of information essential to operations.
• Working with Department Heads and Medical Staff to assure admissions services are effectively integrated into hospital operations.
• Providing the patient, family members, referral sources, significant others with assessment and voluntary/involuntary admission information.
• Providing additional coverage for the Admissions team and Call Center – e.g. answering phones, processing admission requests, completing clinical screenings and Intake Assessments, verifying insurance, and assisting with insurance pre-certifications during times of high volume.

Education / Experience / Skill Requirements

• Registered Nurse or Master’s Degree from an accredited college or university in social work, counseling, psychology, mental health, or a related clinical field required.
• One or more years' healthcare admissions experience required.
• Behavioral health field preferred.
• Working knowledge of psychiatric diagnosis, of the Addiction & Recovery field and experience in clinical interviewing, patient assessment, referral, treatment planning, communicating with external review organizations or comparable entities.

Licenses / Designations / Certifications

• RN License or LCSW, LMHC or LPC, or other behavioral health license as required by the state for this position.
• 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 and is not a remote position.

Supervisory Requirements

• One or more years proven supervisory/management experience required, preferably in Admissions.

Why Palms Behavioral Health

Palms Behavioral Health offers a comprehensive benefit plan and a competitive salary commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Palms Behavioral Health is an EOE.

Summit BHC is dedicated to serving Veterans with specialized programming at our treatment centers across the country. We recognize and value the unique strengths of the military community in supporting our mission to serve those who have served.