Behavioral Health Intake Specialist

Responsibilities

Position Summary:

The Intake Clinician is responsible for responding to individuals seeking psychiatric or behavioral health services, whether by telephone, referral, or in person. This role provides timely and clinically appropriate assessments, crisis intervention, and coordination of care to ensure individuals are connected with the most suitable level of treatment. The Intake Clinician serves as a critical point of entry for patients and works collaboratively with internal clinical teams, external agencies, and community providers.

Qualifications

Required Education

• Master's degree in Social Work, Counseling, Psychology, Marriage & Family Therapy, Nursing, or a closely related behavioral health field.
• Agency Affiliated Counselor (AAC), or Social Worker Associate Independent Clinical (LSWAIC)
• Preferred Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), Licensed Advanced Social Worker (LASW), Licensed Psychologist

Required Experience

• Experience conducting behavioral health assessments, crisis intervention, patient evaluations, or intake/admissions services in a psychiatric, hospital, emergency services, or behavioral health setting.
• Knowledge of psychiatric diagnoses, level-of-care determinations, risk assessments, and community behavioral health resources.
• Experience working with individuals experiencing mental health, substance use, and co-occurring disorders.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary contact for individuals, families, providers, and referral sources seeking behavioral health services.
• Conduct comprehensive behavioral health assessments and determine appropriate levels of care.
• Complete risk assessments, including suicide and safety screenings, and provide crisis intervention as needed.
• Coordinate admissions and facilitate timely access to treatment services.
• Provide referrals and care coordination for individuals who require alternative levels of care or community resources.
• Communicate effectively with patients, families, physicians, referral sources, and interdisciplinary team members throughout the assessment and admission process.
• Maintain accurate, timely, and compliant clinical documentation and records.
• Ensure patient information is handled in accordance with HIPAA, confidentiality standards, and regulatory requirements.
• Support insurance authorization, admission processing, and other intake-related activities as applicable.
• Participate in team meetings, training, quality improvement initiatives, and organizational activities.