PRN Admissions Counselor

Sonora Behavioral Health Hospital; Tucson (AZ); On-site; USD 25,000 - 39,000; Part time

Job summary

Sonora Behavioral Health Hospital in Tucson, AZ is seeking a PRN Admissions Counselor to support the admissions process, coordinate assessments, and connect patients with the right level of care. You will collaborate with clinical teams, navigate insurance authorizations, and ensure timely intake.

This role requires empathy, urgency, and strong customer service, with responsibilities including benefit eligibility checks, admission scheduling, and maintaining medical records to secure

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a social services field required (if state allows).
• Master's degree in social services field (psychology, counseling, social work, sociology, health administration, nursing) or RN preferred.
• One or more years’ experience in mental/behavioral health working with individuals in a clinical or observational capacity preferred.

Responsibilities

• Respond to inquiries about the facility within facility policy timeframes.
• Develop therapeutic relationships with patients and families.
• Perform benefit eligibility to ensure patient benefits are active at the time of admission.
• Coordinate admission and transfer between referral sources and levels of care within the facility.
• Maintain knowledge of milieu management.
• Communicate projected admissions to designated internal representatives promptly.
• Ensure all clinical information from referral sources or patients is received prior to patient admission.
• Schedule and complete pre-admission assessments, consult with the admitting physician, and communicate disposition recommendations.
• Prepare and maintain medical record documentation for payer authorization.
• Complete initial pre-authorization for treatment and admission prior to admission, when possible.

Skills

Empathy-related care

Patient communication

Admissions coordination

Education

Bachelor’s degree in social services

Master’s degree in social services or RN preferred

Job description

PRN Admissions Counselor - Sonora Behavioral Health
Shift: Overnights as needed

Join Sonora Behavioral Health in Tucson, AZ as a PRN Admissions Counselor and help patients and families take an important first step toward care. You’ll serve as a trusted resource throughout the admissions process, coordinating assessments, collaborating with clinical teams, navigating insurance authorizations, and ensuring patients are connected to the right level of care. Bring your sense of urgency, empathy, and commitment to exceptional service to a role where every interaction matters.

Essential Functions

• Respond to inquiries about the facility within facility policy timeframes.
• Ability to develop therapeutic relationships with patients and families.
• Perform benefit eligibility to ensure patient benefits are active at the time of admission. Communicate benefit eligibility to the business office and the patient or significant other.
• Collaborate with facility medical and psychiatric personnel to ensure appropriate recommendations regarding pending referrals.
• Coordinate admission and transfer from referral sources and between levels of care within the facility.
• Maintain knowledge of milieu management.
• Communicate projected admissions to designated internal representatives promptly.
• Ensure all clinical information from referral sources or patients (including medical comorbidity information) is received, when possible, prior to patient admission.
• Schedule (when applicable) and complete pre-admission assessments, consult with the admitting physician and communicate disposition recommendations to the patient or their family.
• Possess skill in preparing and maintaining appropriate medical record documentation that will result in authorization at the level of care being requested of the payor.
• Complete initial pre-authorization for treatment and admission prior to admission, when possible, and within payor timeframe guidelines.
• Admit the patient to the registration and accounting system. Complete all admission and consent forms with the patient.
• Demonstrate a positive, empathetic, and professional attitude toward customers always. When patient needs are not met, acknowledge and work to resolve complaints. Recognize that patient safety is a top priority.
• When a patient’s needs are not met, acknowledge and work to resolve complaints. Recognize that patient safety is a top priority.
• Coordinate care for patients who are not being admitted and ensure that they receive appropriate follow-up care and referrals.
• Demonstrate a sense of urgency related to the importance of patient safety and provide excellent customer service.
• Responsible for conducting safety checks and ensuring that supervision is conducted at 15-minute intervals, as noted in special precautions, or by individualized supervision guidelines as needed.

Other Functions

• Perform other functions and tasks as assigned.

Education/Experience/Skill Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a social services field required (if state allows).
• Master's degree in a social services field (psychology, counseling, social work, sociology, health administration, nursing) or RN preferred.
• One or more years’ experience in mental/behavioral health working with individuals in a clinical or observational capacity preferred.

Licenses/Designations/Certifications

• Current licensure, as preferred for the area of clinical specialty, as designated by the state in which the facility operates.
• CPR and de-escalation/restraint certification required (training available upon hire and offered by facility).
• First aid may be preferred based on state or facility.

Additional Regulatory Requirements

While this job description is intended to be an accurate reflection of the requirements of the job, management reserves the right to add or remove duties from particular jobs when circumstances (e.g. emergencies, changes in workload, rush jobs, or technological developments) dictate.

We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants for employment regardless of an individual’s characteristics protected by applicable state, federal and local laws.

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