Company Overview
Preferred Medical Group has been dedicated to providing high-quality, family-centered healthcare since 2007. Our comprehensive services encompass pediatrics, family medicine, geriatrics, and behavioral health, ensuring holistic care for patients of all ages. We are committed to compassionate and innovative healthcare that prioritizes both physical and mental well-being.
Position Summary
The Mental Health Coordinator is responsible for coordinating behavioral health services for patients receiving counseling and psychiatric care. This position serves as a primary point of contact for patients, families, providers, therapists, and outside organizations throughout the referral and scheduling process. The Mental Health Coordinator helps ensure patients are scheduled appropriately, required paperwork and insurance information are completed, authorizations are obtained when necessary, and concerns are communicated to the appropriate clinical team member. This is an administrative position and does not provide clinical advice or make treatment decisions.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Receive, review, and process new and existing mental health referrals.
- Contact patients or parents to explain the intake and scheduling process.
- Schedule counseling, psychiatric evaluations, medication-management appointments, and follow-up visits according to practice guidelines.
- Ensure required intake forms, consent forms, questionnaires, and supporting records are completed before the appointment.
- Determine whether referrals, pre certifications, or prior authorizations are required.
- Submit authorization requests and follow up until a determination is received.
- Maintain accurate patient information, appointment details, referral documentation, and telephone encounters in the electronic health record.
- Monitor referral and scheduling work queues to ensure patients are contacted promptly.
- Track patients who are waiting for services and provide updates when appropriate.
- Follow up on missed, canceled, and rescheduled appointments according to practice policy.
- Coordinate the receipt and release of records with schools, primary care providers, hospitals, therapists, and other outside organizations.
- Communicate scheduling, insurance, or documentation concerns to providers and practice leadership.
- Route urgent clinical concerns, including reports of suicidal thoughts, self-harm, or threats of harm, to the appropriate clinical team member immediately and follow the practice’s emergency protocol.
- Assist patients and families with locating community resources or outside mental health services when the practice cannot meet their needs.
- Support continuity of care between primary care, counseling, psychiatry, and outside specialists.
- Maintain provider schedules and help fill openings created by cancellations.
- Assist with reports related to referrals, wait times, authorizations, appointment completion, and no-shows.
- Protect patient privacy and follow HIPAA, confidentiality, and practice policies at all times.
- Provide professional, respectful, and compassionate service to patients, families, and coworkers.
- Perform other duties as assigned by practice leadership.
Performance Expectations
The Mental Health Coordinator is expected to:
- Process referrals and respond to patient inquiries in a timely manner.
- Maintain accurate and complete documentation.
- Follow through on outstanding referrals, authorizations, and patient requests.
- Communicate clearly with patients, families, providers, and staff.
- Remain calm and professional when assisting patients who may be upset or experiencing emotional distress.
- Follow scheduling, cancellation, no-show, and emergency-response policies consistently.
- Recognize when an issue requires clinical review and route it appropriately without providing medical or mental health advice.
- Maintain dependable attendance and arrive ready to work at the scheduled start time.
Qualifications
- High school diploma or equivalent required.
- Associate degree in healthcare administration, social services, psychology, or a related field preferred.
- At least one year of experience in a medical office, mental health practice, referral department, or similar healthcare setting preferred.
- Experience with insurance verification, prior authorizations, referrals, and appointment scheduling preferred.
- Experience using an electronic health record system, preferably eClinicalWorks, is a plus.
- Knowledge of behavioral health services and commonly used mental health terminology is helpful.
- No professional mental health license is required for this administrative position.
Required Skills
- Strong organization and follow-through.
- Excellent verbal and written communication.
- Ability to manage multiple patients, referrals, and deadlines at the same time.
- Attention to detail and accuracy.
- Professional telephone and customer-service skills.
- Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information appropriately.
- Compassion and patience when working with patients and families.
- Ability to recognize urgent concerns and follow established escalation procedures.
- Ability to work independently while collaborating with providers and other staff members.
Pay: $20.00 - $21.00 per hour
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
