Overview
Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC’s) seek to improve the behavioral health of their communities by: providing outpatient mental and substance use disorder services; advancing integration of behavioral health with physical health care; assimilating and utilizing evidence-based practices on a more consistent basis; and promoting improved access to high quality care.
The Referral Specialist serves all of the clinical staff and must navigate and negotiate successful tracking and coordination of referrals; it requires highly technical clerical tasks, specific to an area of work. The work includes responsibility for the preparation of specialized departmental documents; significant interpersonal staff and public contact, appropriate and professional conduct, independent judgment, discretion, and personal initiative; and use of Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems.
Responsibilities
Referrals:
- Develop and maintains effective relationships with outside medical offices for patients needing specialty care. Serves as liaison to medical offices, hospitals
- Ensure successful tracking and monitoring of referrals placed: follows up with patients and outside providers to ensure referral completed in EHR
- Maintain ongoing tracking and appropriate documentation on referrals to promote team awareness and ensure patient safety
- Prioritize Urgent referrals and follow entire process through to confirmed scheduled appointment
- Communicate and coordinate referral requests with outside specialists
- Re-refer/re-schedule patients if they do not make their original referred appointment
- Request authorizations from patient’s insurance companies required by specialists
- Request authorization extensions or adjustments as requested by specialists
- Provide contact information to patients asking for specific details about their appointments
- Answer, respond and document phone calls, requests, and questions from patients in a timely manner
- Routinely make notification phone calls to patients throughout the referral process
- Document every step of the patients’ referral process in EHR system
- Close the final loop in referral tracking and document patient completion in EHR
- Communicate information via computer, phone, fax, and in writing to appropriate resources
- Respond to In-house provider questions, requests, and concerns regarding the status of patient referrals, care coordination or follow-up status
Other duties:
- Knowledgeable of sliding fee scale for qualifying patients and can counsel and educate patients
- Assist with coverage of front desk as needed to handle patient needs
- Assist with coding and review of records for billing purposes
- Comply with Health Center’s policies and procedures
- Demonstrate professionalism, patience, and a high level of interpersonal and communication skills with patients, staff, visitors, and outside organizations
- Seek supervision and consultation as needed.
- Accept and employ suggestions for improvement.
- Actively work to enhance skills.
- Documents in a timely fashion per policy.
- Documents in a clear, legible, and concise manner.
Courteous and respectful towards consumers, visitors, and co-workers:
- Treats consumers with care, dignity and respect.
- Respect patient privacy and confidentiality.
- Pleasant and cooperative with others.
- Promote a professional work atmosphere
Administrative and Other Related Duties as assigned:
- Actively participate in AltaPointe committees as required.
- Accurately complete assigned tasks in a timely manner.
- Follows AltaPointe policies and procedures.
Qualifications
High School graduate or the equivalent. Proficiency in Excel; ability to problem solve and carry out task independently; Preferred experience in medical practices to include outpatient best practices, FQHC, coding and billing, Proficient with computer applications including Microsoft Office Suite, EMR and medical billing software, Knowledge of HIPAA.