Admissions Counselor

Admissions Counselor - Cedar Crest Hospital

We are searching for a dedicated behavioral health professional with a proven ability to support patients and families through the admissions process with empathy, professionalism, and urgency. Experienced in insurance verification, care coordination, pre-admission assessments, and communication with clinical teams to ensure appropriate placement, continuity of care, and positive patient outcomes.

Situated on over 30 acres in the beautiful rolling hills of Central Texas, Cedar Crest provides innovative behavioral health and substance abuse treatment for children, adolescents, and adults. Our private campus includes walking trails, picnic areas, outdoor swimming pool, full-size gym, and state-of-the-art exercise equipment; providing opportunities for leisure, therapeutic recreation, and team building skills. Cedar Crest provides a full continuum of care including adolescent residential, inpatient, outpatient, and partial hospitalization/intense outpatient treatments.

Essential Functions:

• Respond to inquiries about the facility within facility policy timeframes.
• Ability to develop therapeutic relationships with patients and families.
• Perform benefit eligibility to ensure patient benefits are active at the time of admission. Communicate benefit eligibility to the business office and the patient or significant other.
• Collaborate with facility medical and psychiatric personnel to ensure appropriate recommendations regarding pending referrals.
• Coordinate admission and transfer from referral sources and between levels of care within the facility.
• Maintain knowledge of milieu management.
• Communicate projected admissions to designated internal representatives promptly.
• Ensure all clinical information from referral sources or patients (including medical comorbidity information) is received, when possible, prior to patient admission.
• Schedule (when applicable) and complete pre-admission assessments, consult with the admitting physician and communicate disposition recommendations to the patient or their family.
• Possess skill in preparing and maintaining appropriate medical record documentation that will result in authorization at the level of care being requested of the payor.
• Complete initial pre-authorization for treatment and admission prior to admission, when possible, and within payor timeframe guidelines.
• Admit the patient to the registration and accounting system. Complete all admission and consent forms with the patient.
• Demonstrate a positive, empathetic, and professional attitude toward customers always. When patient needs are not met, acknowledge and work to resolve complaints. Recognize that patient safety is a top priority.
• Coordinate care for patients who are not being admitted and ensure that they receive appropriate follow-up care and referrals.
• Responsible for conducting safety checks and ensuring that supervision is conducted at 15-minute intervals, as noted in special precautions, or by individualized supervision guidelines as needed.

Other Functions:

• Perform other functions and tasks as assigned.

Education/Experience/Skill Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in a social services field required (if state allows).
• Master's degree in a social services field (psychology, counseling, social work, sociology, health administration, nursing) or RN preferred.
• One or more years' experience in mental/behavioral health working with individuals in a clinical or observational capacity preferred.

Licenses/Designations/Certifications:

• Current licensure, as preferred for the area of clinical specialty, as designated by the state in which the facility operates.
• CPR and de-escalation/restraint certification required (training available upon hire and offered by facility).
• First aid may be preferred based on state or facility.