IOP Intake Specialist

IOP Intake Specialist

Tempe - Tempe, AZ 85281

Position Summary

The IOP Intake Coordinator (IC) is the first point of contact for individuals seeking Intensive Outpatient Programming (IOP) services at Turnwell Mental Health Network, playing a pivotal role in connecting patients to structured, higher-level behavioral health care. The IC owns the full IOP intake journey from initial referral receipt through clinical eligibility screening, insurance authorization, scheduling, and EHR transfer ensuring every prospective IOP patient is engaged promptly, accurately, and compassionately. Operating at a volume of 1525 IOP intakes per week, this role demands exceptional organizational skill, attention to clinical detail, and the ability to coordinate with treatment teams, payers, and referring providers across multiple communication channels.

The IC works primarily within Salesforce as the system of record for all IOP referral and admission activities, and coordinates closely with the IOP clinical team, referring providers, payers, and the EHR to ensure each patient is clinically appropriate, financially authorized, and fully prepared for program entry.

Core Responsibilities

Referral & New Patient Management

• Manage all incoming IOP referrals and new patient inquiries, regardless of source physician referrals, self-referrals, online webforms, phone calls, or internal step-down referrals from higher levels of care.
• Enter and maintain accurate patient and referral information in Salesforce, ensuring IOP-specific fields (level-of-care indicators, referral source, clinical urgency) are complete, current, and properly categorized.
• Monitor the IOP referral pipeline daily to ensure no patient falls through the cracks and all active referrals are progressing toward a confirmed program start date.
• Prioritize outreach based on referral date, clinical urgency, and contact history to maximize timely access to IOP services and conversion to program enrollment.

Patient Outreach & Referral Follow-Up

• Execute the IOP referral management process for all inquiries, creating tasks in Salesforce to document and track each outreach attempt from first contact through program enrollment or disqualification.
• Contact prospective IOP patients and their referring providers via phone, text, and email across multiple touchpoints to ensure thorough and persistent follow-up until contact is made and the patient is enrolled, redirected to an appropriate level of care, or disqualified.
• Communicate with warmth and professionalism, recognizing that individuals seeking IOP services are often in acute distress and may require additional sensitivity and support during the intake process.
• Document all outreach activity, patient responses, and disposition outcomes in Salesforce in real time.
• Escalate unreachable, clinically urgent, or high-risk IOP referrals to the IOP Clinical Director or Practice Manager per established protocols.

IOP Intake Screening, Information Gathering & Scheduling

• Conduct IOP intake conversations with prospective patients to collect demographic, clinical history, insurance, and presenting concern information, and to screen for IOP-level-of-care appropriateness using established clinical criteria (e.g., ASAM, DSM-based criteria).
• Coordinate with the IOP Clinical Director or assigned clinician to confirm level-of-care determination and schedule the patient's IOP orientation and program start date accordingly.
• Confirm program start details with the patient and communicate all pre-admission requirements, including consent forms, clinical questionnaires, schedule expectations, and any documentation needed prior to the first IOP session.
• Manage the IOP admission schedule with accuracy, coordinating program cohort capacity with the IOP clinical team and avoiding enrollment beyond available program slots.

Insurance Verification, Prior Authorization & Salesforce Documentation

• Verify patient insurance benefits prior to the IOP program start date, confirming IOP-specific coverage (including mental health parity applicability), co-pays, deductibles, session limits, and any prior authorization requirements.
• Initiate and track prior authorization requests for IOP services, following up with payers as needed to obtain timely approvals and ensuring no patient begins programming without confirmed coverage.
• Enter all verified benefits and authorization information into Salesforce completely and accurately, and communicate benefit details to the patient clearly, including estimated out-of-pocket costs for the full IOP episode of care.
• Identify and address insurance-related barriers to IOP admission (e.g., out-of-network status, prior authorization denials, benefit exclusions) in coordination with the RCM team, and communicate resolution timelines to patients and the clinical team.

EHR Transfer & IOP Program Preparation

• Upon confirmed IOP admission, transfer all relevant patient intake information including clinical history, insurance authorization details, and presenting concerns from Salesforce into the EHR to prepare the IOP clinical team for the patient's first session.
• Ensure all required IOP fields, intake documents, consent forms, and clinical history data are accurately entered in the EHR prior to the patient's program start date.
• Coordinate with the IOP clinical team to confirm that the group facilitators, clinical director, and prescribing providers have the information needed to conduct a productive first IOP session and individualized treatment planning.
• Maintain data integrity between Salesforce and the EHR, flagging discrepancies and resolving them promptly.

Performance & Compliance

• Maintain an IOP admission volume of 1525 enrolled patients per week, tracking personal productivity metrics including referral-to-enrollment conversion rates and authorization turnaround times, and reporting progress to the Practice Manager.
• Adhere to all HIPAA regulations and organizational policies regarding patient privacy, data handling, and communication standards.
• Participate in team meetings, training sessions, and process improvement initiatives as directed.
• Identify inefficiencies in the IOP intake and authorization workflow and proactively recommend improvements to the Practice Manager and IOP Clinical Director.

Qualifications

Required

• High school diploma or equivalent required; associate degree or higher in healthcare administration, business, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum 12 years of experience in a behavioral health intake, patient access, medical scheduling, or healthcare admissions role; experience in an IOP, PHP, or higher level of care setting strongly preferred.
• Experience with Salesforce or a comparable CRM platform; ability to learn and navigate new systems quickly.
• Experience with Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems; familiarity with behavioral health or psychiatric EHR platforms (e.g., Kipu, Credible, myEvolv, TheraNest) is strongly preferred.
• Strong communication skills both verbal and written with the ability to engage patients empathetically across phone, text, and email.
• Demonstrated ability to manage a high volume of tasks simultaneously with accuracy and composure.
• Knowledge of basic insurance terminology and benefits verification processes.
• Commitment to patient confidentiality and adherence to HIPAA regulations.

Preferred

• Prior experience in an IOP, Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP), residential, or other structured behavioral health treatment setting.
• Familiarity with IOP referral management workflows, level-of-care criteria, and behavioral health patient access best practices.
• Experience conducting insurance verifications, obtaining prior authorizations for behavioral health services, and working with payer portals for IOP or PHP level-of-care claims.
• Bilingual communication skills are a plus.

Core Competencies

Patient-Centered Communication - IOP Referral Pipeline Management

Salesforce & EHR Proficiency - Insurance Verification, Prior Authorization & Benefits Knowledge

High-Volume Task Management - Attention to Detail & Data Accuracy

Follow-Through & Accountability - Empathy & Professionalism

Work Environment & Physical Requirements

This position is primarily office- or clinic-based and involves extended periods of computer use, phone communication, and data entry. The IOP IC may occasionally be asked to support other Turnwell Mental Health Network locations. Occasional lifting of up to 20 pounds may be required. This role involves regular interaction with individuals in acute behavioral health distress who are seeking structured IOP services; a calm, compassionate, trauma-informed, and non-judgmental approach is essential at all times.

Compensation & Benefits

Turnwell Mental Health Network offers a competitive compensation package commensurate with experience. Benefits eligibility is determined based on employment status and organizational policy. Details will be provided during the recruitment process.

About Turnwell Mental Health Network

Turnwell Mental Health Network is a