Director of Admissions

Director of Admissions | Raleigh Oaks Behavioral Health | Garner, North Carolina

About the Job:

PURPOSE STATEMENT:

The Intake Director is responsible for managing all the different aspects of the patient assessment, referral, and admission process. Responsibilities include the development, direction, operations, financial management, and human resource development of the Admissions Department. Communicates with all other facility staff members to have a smooth admission outcome. Leads a team of professionals from multiple departments in developing and nurturing professional relationships with payers, physicians and other clinicians in acute care hospitals, community mental health centers and other organizations. Oversees and ensures implementation of updates/projects to improve quality outcomes and maintain revenue-generating strategies.

Roles and Responsibilities:

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Provides oversight to the admission function.  Provides clinical evaluations of prospective patients determining patients' appropriateness for the program and coordinates the psychiatric assessment process with the medical staff.                                                                                                                                                                                                         
• Provides additional oversight for the Call Center Team including call management, processing admission requests, verifying insurance and preauthorization needs, managing referrals, and ensuring overall compliance with organizational policies, regulatory requirements, and quality standards for patient intake and admissions.
• Identifies and prioritizes issues of importance, including those priority issues as set by leadership.  Collaborates with department leaders and corporate leaders, as needed.
• Communicates instructions, expectations and timelines clearly and concisely.
• Leads a team of highly engaged members through hiring, orienting, performance assessment and management, motivating, training, scheduling, and coaching to meet department goals and ensure effective and efficient department operation.
• Maintains productivity levels that are aligned with patient census, curtailing unnecessary overtime and/or excessive staff work hours. 
• Manages staff scheduling and maintains an updated plan for contingency staffing.
• Maintains accountability expectations for self and staff in all areas of job performance. 
• Engages staff in quality and safety basics to ensure sustained, measurable compliance. 
• Identifies staff educational needs and ensures they are addressed with education programs that are attended by staff. 
• Holds staff accountable for non-compliance and patient safety concerns, as well as attendance, following policies, behavior, and adherence to code of conduct. 
• Identifies and implements proactive data-based census development strategies.  Reports data related to the referral and admission process.
• Continually assesses processes and workflows involved with pre-admission performance and maintains an intake continuous improvement plan for the department.
• Establishes results-producing relationships with the referral community including physicians, social workers, state officials, and payers.
• Educates team members and referral sources about company services as related to industry changes, specific clinical programs and capabilities, clinical outcomes, and appropriate patient referrals/admissions.
• Manages the finances of the department, prepares and monitors budgets and spending to ensure department operates within allocated funds.
• Ensures that appropriate and accurate billing information is available for all admissions and coordinates with Business Office.
• Prepares for any surveys related to regulatory agencies (TJC, Medicare, etc.).
• Maintains all documentation in accordance with regulatory and accrediting standards.
• Works with Department Heads and Medical Staff to assure admissions services are effectively integrated into hospital operations.
• Determines and implements admissions best-practices, promotes the hospital, and maintains a satisfied patient base.
• May be required to provide onsite coverage for other programs when needed, develops, and executes new programs according to market needs and may provide training, case consultation and Administrator On Call coverage during and after program hours as needed.
• Performs Leadership Rounds as assigned to include observation and immediate identification of environment of care, safety, and infection control concerns, as well as real time education of new facility processes.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE/SKILL REQUIREMENTS:

• Registered Nurse or Master’s Degree from an accredited college or university in social work, counseling, psychology, mental health, or a related clinical field required.
• Two or more years' healthcare admissions experience required. Behavioral health field preferred.
• Working knowledge of psychiatric diagnosis, of the Addiction & Recovery field and experience in clinical interviewing, patient assessment, treatment planning, communicating with external review organizations or comparable entities.

LICENSES/DESIGNATIONS/CERTIFICATIONS:

• RN License or LCSW, LMHC or LPC, or other behavioral health license as required by the state for this position.
• CPR and de-escalation and restraint certification required (training available upon hire and offered by facility).
• First aid may be required based on state or facility requirements.

WORK LOCATION:

This position is onsite at the facility and is not a remote position.

SUPERVISORY REQUIREMENTS:

One or more years proven supervisory/management experience required, preferably in Admissions.

Why Raleigh Oaks Behavioral Health?Raleigh Oaks Behavioral Health offers a comprehensive benefit plan and a competitive salary commensurate with experience and qualifications. Qualified candidates should apply by submitting a resume. Raleigh Oaks Behavioral Health is an EOE.

Veterans and military spouses are highly encouraged to apply. Summit BHC is dedicated to serving Veterans with specialized programming at our treatment centers across the country. We recognize and value the unique strengths of the military community in supporting our mission to serve those who have served.