Job title: Access Specialist I

Reports to: Manager of Access & Outreach

Positio

Job purpose

Responsible for assisting patients in gaining access to all CAT treatment programs by conducting a phone screen, checking for funding availability, assisting clients on intake paperwork for Assessments and Admissions, performing non-invasive searches on clients and their belongings during inpatient admissions process. Acts as a liaison to community and referral sources.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Facilitate pre-admission phone screening by collecting demographic information, client needs, checking funding availability, and scheduling.
• Assisting clients in overcoming barriers by ensuring that all documentation prior to admissions are collected and cleared.
• Scheduling clients for admissions.
• Assisting clients on intakes for both assessments and inpatient admissions, including explaining all paperwork so that the client is able to understand.
• Conducting a thorough non-invasive search of the client and his/her belongings during the inpatient admission process.
• Communicating with other staff members regarding patient admission issues by documenting with thorough and concise notes as well as communicating through email, tasks, contact log and referral information.
• Manages personal caseload, as well as assisting peers in caseload management to ensure all active referrals are being contacted and communicated with daily.
• Management of stored items by following the Patient Storage Procedure.
• Communicating with community partners to assist in making contact and following through with referrals from the community.
• All receptionist functions, including routing phone calls, receiving packages, documenting patient drop-offs, checking in clients (collecting ID/proof of residency, handing out BAM to fill out, notifying staff the client has arrived), updating Assessment Grid and emailing to all assigned parties, ensuring that doors are opened in the morning and locked and secured at the end of shift.
• Remaining compliant with HIPPA.
• Promote a positive and harmonious work environment.
• Work with community partners to refer clients out to other entities in the event that CAT is unable to admit a client or that the client will need to come back the next day.
• Assist in de-escalation in a heightened situation, with understanding of when and how to call for further assistance.
• Able to work all functions on paging system and knowledgeable of Code system, as well as ability to identify which Code would need to be called during any given event.

Qualifications

High school diploma or equivalent. Minimum of 1 year of direct patient experience in healthcare or social service field. Experience working in Behavioral Health setting preferred. Excellent communication skills, both oral and written. Strong customer service skills with a proven ability to build and foster positive relationships. Must have functional knowledge of Microsoft Office Products (Word®, Excel®, Outlook®)

Competencies

• Reporting- Reports unusual incidents through variance reporting to agency management.
• Infection Control- Maintains infection control standards by practicing universal precautions.
• HIPAA- Knowledge and ability to apply HIPAA laws and Federal Regulations protecting patient privacy and rights.
• Patient Rights- Adheres to all patient rights standards as well as serves as a resource to patients regarding those rights.
• Professional- Exhibits professional behaviors such as maintaining the CAT Code of Ethics, working cooperatively with others following CAT personnel polices etc.
• Adaptability- Adapts to change, open to new ideas and responsibilities.
• Communication- Communicates well, delivers presentations, has good listening skills.
• Conflict Management- Good listener, committed to finding solution to problems, works well with difficult people.
• Customer Service- Works well with customers, promotes a positive image of the company, strives to solve issues raised by customers.
• Decision Making- Able to reach decisions, takes thoughtful approach when considering options, seeks input from others, makes difficult decisions.
• Dependability- Meets deadlines, works independently, accountable, maintains focus, punctual, good attendance record.
• Ethics- Honest, accountable, maintains confidentiality.
• Initiative- Takes action, seeks new opportunities, strives to see projects to completion.
• Innovation- Creative, offers new ideas, risk taker, amenable to change.
• Interpersonal Skills- Builds strong relationships, is flexible/adaptable, works well with others, solicits feedback.
• Job Knowledge- Understands facets of job, aware of duties and responsibilities, keeps job knowledge current.
• Organizational Skills- Information organized and accessible, maintains efficient workspace, manages time well.
• Problem Solving- Strives to understand contributing factors, works to resolve complex situations.
• Product Expertise- Knowledgeable about CAT programs, services, history, and impact in the community.
• Productivity- Manages workload, works efficiently, meets goals and objectives for productivity.
• Quality- Strives to eliminate errors, accurate work is a priority, seeks opportunities to improve product/services.
• Self- Development- Looks for opportunities to increase knowledge, works to increase responsibility, strives to achieve personal goals.
• Strategic Thought- Works to establish and articulate vision, shows creativity when defining solutions.
• Teamwork- Accountable to team, works to meet established deliverables, appreciates view of team members, respectful. Ability to work well with individuals of diverse ages, cultures, races, religions, socioeconomic backgrounds, disabilities, gender and sexual orientation.

Physical requirements

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee may need to remain in a stationary position for long periods of time or walk for long periods of time in the community.
• Position may require individual to communicate, converse and exchange information with others.
• Position may require individual to perceive communications via email, phone or in person.
• Nothing in this job description restricts CAT’s rights to reassign or assign duties and responsibilities and does not prescribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned.

n is not eligible to work