Behavioral Health Coordinator

Job Description Purpose of Position

Assist the Psychiatric Observation Providers in coordinating timely treatment, continuation of care, and disposition planning.

• Responds in a timely fashion to minimize the duration of a patient’s time in the Emergency Department ("ED") or on the medical units; contributing to efforts to reduce overcrowding and boarding.
• Takes a behavioral health history, including past inpatient admissions or admissions to other levels of behavioral health care.
• Collects information from the patient, family, or providers regarding current functioning at home, school, community, as well as educational, social familial, legal/court related and environmental factors that may have contributed to the current crisis.
• Identifies current Providers and State agency involvement.
• Identifies Health-related social needs (HRSN) including housing insecurity, food insecurity, access to transportation, need for health insurance, difficulty paying for prescriptions, education and literacy.
• Provide support to the patient, by providing updates on the process as it progresses.
• Once disposition is determined by the Psychiatric Provider, in compliance with the medical necessity criteria, presents all relevant assessment information to the Payer, and obtains authorization for services.
• Works closely with the Behavioral Health admissions team regarding inpatient and partial hospital admissions, authorizations, and coordination of services.
• Conducts a bed search to arrange admission for patients assessed to meet medical necessity criteria to an inpatient psychiatric facility and less restrictive levels of care.
• Arranges admission or readmission to the same facility when there is a bed available within that facility.
• Continues bed search on an ongoing basis until disposition. During this process, keeps the patient or accompanying parent or guardian updated.
• Coordinates transfer and admission to an appropriate facility, which includes obtaining the accepting physician’s name, time of arrival requested, and faxing of information if required.
• Responsible for arranging transportation, inclusive of ambulances.
• Updates any existing crisis prevention plan or safety plan or creates a new plan utilizing the Crisis Planning Tool.
• Collaborates with other involved service Providers and/or newly referred Providers to share information (with appropriate consent) regarding the Psychiatric Providers treatment plan.
• For patients discharged home, supports linkage with the patient’s natural support system, and arranges services based on the assessment completed by the Psychiatric Provider.
• Identifies strategies to reduce unnecessary hospitalization and utilization of the ED by connecting the patient to alternative community-based services.
• Provide the patient with resources and referrals for additional services and supports, such as recovery-oriented and consumer-operated resources in the community.
• Answers incoming calls to the Psychiatric Provider.
• Provides psycho-education including information about recovery, wellness, and crisis self-management.
• Responsible for completion of all encounter documentation required for the position.
• Maintains a comprehensive community resource list.
• Perform other work-related duties as requested/directed.
• Active participant in the annual process improvement plan.
• Consistently provides service excellence to all patients, family members, visitors, volunteers and co-workers.

• Bachelor’s degree in the field of human services required. Master’s preferred
• 1-3 years’ experience working with programs treating mental health, substance abuse, or co-occurring disorders preferred
• Experience using electronic health record documentation system/s to document program notes preferred
• Working…