Admissions Specialist (CSR, DARC, RSS) - Behavioral Health

Location Detail: Rushford Center Inc Meriden (10172)

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Every day, more than 40,000 Hartford HealthCare colleagues come to work with one thing in common: Pride in what we do, knowing every moment matters here. We invite you to become part of Connecticut’s most comprehensive healthcare network.

Rushford Center, one of Connecticut’s leading providers of addiction and mental health services, is nationally recognized for delivering outstanding prevention, treatment and recovery programs. We offer a wide range of programs including Acute Care and Evaluation, Residential Addiction Treatment, Individual, Group & Family Therapy, Intensive Outpatient programs and Community Support Programs. Through the passion of our specialists, we continue to treat every patient with care, compassion and respect, while providing affordable and accessible services.

Job Summary

Answers and triages calls coming into the Admission center.  Processes referrals and requests for service from prospective clients and professionals, directs requests to the most appropriate level of care.  Responsible for bed management for Rushford residential programs with a focus on excellent internal and external customer service. Maintains a strong working knowledge of all applicable computer systems that affect and support bed placement and transfer activities.

Job Responsibilities

1. Triages clinical needs of callers/referrals. Utilizes scripted Rushford screening tool and decision tree to direct prospective clients to the most appropriate residential or ambulatory level of care for assessment services. 
2. Listens for urgency & crisis to coordinate and/or involve emergency services as necessary. 
3. Partners with physicians and clinical leadership in the communication of clinical issues related to client placement/flow.
4. Schedules ambulatory and residential assessments, adhering to Rushford standards for emergent, urgent, and routine needs. 
5. Focuses on efficient bed management to ensure open beds are filled as soon as possible.
6. Refers clients to appropriate alternate facilities when Rushford is unable to meet these needs.
7. Processes direct referrals from professionals with attention to medical acuity, psychiatric stability, and prescribed medications. 
8. Accurately collects and enters demographic and insurance information from prospective client and/or referral sources into business software. 
9. Verifies eligibility and benefits on the Department of Social Services Website and Availity or other web sites for commercial providers. 
10. Maintains point of clinical contact with outside referral sources to secure clinical information regarding pending transfer activity and resultant client placement needs. 
11. Achieves seamless delivery of services by appropriately involving colleagues, physicians, nurses and other staff to ensure commitment, communication and cross-functional linkage.
12. Collaborates with Admission and Program Managers to achieve utilization goals and ensure availability and accuracy of intake appointments and access to services. 
13. Effectively manages bed resources to support client demand. 
14. Ensures the smooth functioning of the bed management process in order to reduce wait times and avoid unnecessary movement of clients. 
15. Serves as point of contact to communicate with physicians and nurses regarding availability of direct admissions and transfers to support timely placement.  
16. Supports unit/department management in the facilitation of inter- and intra- unit problem resolution.
17. Partners with clinical leadership and management to define, reduce, and eliminate processes that may negatively affect client throughput/efficient delivery of care and implement improvements. “Study and adjust” each change to achieve cost effectiveness and desired result.
18. Increase effective bed capacity by identifying barriers in bed assignment processes and collaborate with clinical management in the resolution of these issues.
19. Documents and reports on timeliness of client placement activities and issues of concern related to efficient throughput. 
20. Pulls client forward as unexpected beds become available.
21. Monitors clinical and fiscal goals and objectives to address specific issues and support throughput efforts.
22. Develops effective relationships with Transportation options to enhance client flow and bed management.
23. Perform other related duties as required

Qualifications

• Associate's degree or equivalent experience
• Certified Addiction Counselor (CAC) preferred
• Bachelor's degree in human services, social work, or related field is preferred
• 2-4+ years of customer service experience
• Experience in a mental health/substance abuse facility is preferred
• Office experience is preferred
• Knowledge of drug and alcohol treatment or disease concept of addiction preferred
• Demonstrated computer skills with working knowledge of Microsoft Office products
• Demonstrated organizational and multi-tasking skills
• Good interpersonal/written communication skills
• Ability to perform duties with minimal direction

As a Hartford HealthCare entity, Rushford provides eligible employees with an extensive benefits package consisting of:

• Medical and dental benefits
• 401(k) plan with employer match
• Generous paid time off with accrual starting on the date of hire, including seven paid holidays
• Additional voluntary benefits as well as employee discount programs           

With locations around the state, Hartford HealthCare offers exciting opportunities for career development and growth. Here, you are part of an organization on the cutting edge – helping to bring new technologies, breakthrough treatments and community education to countless men, women and children. We know that a thriving organization starts with thriving employees- we provide a competitive benefits program designed to ensure work/life balance. Every moment matters. And this is your moment.