Admissions Specialist, PHP/IOP (PST)

Job Description

Job Description

Guidelight Health is a cutting-edge behavioral healthcare company dedicated to transforming lives through high-quality PHP (Partial Hospitalization Program) and IOP (Intensive Outpatient Program) services. As a newly launched organization, we are on a mission to redefine the behavioral health industry by delivering exceptional care, utilizing state-of-the-art facilities, and prioritizing the well-being of those we serve. At Guidelight Health, we are building a team of passionate, forward-thinking professionals who are eager to be part of this exciting journey to reshape mental health care. Join us in making a lasting impact!

Title: Admissions Coordinator 

Reports to: Central Intake Supervisor  

Department/Location: Remote (PST)

FLSA Status:  Non-Exempt, Hourly

Schedule:  Monday-Friday, 8:30-5:30pm PST 

*Must hold a Bachelors Degree. Must have experience in behavioral health admissions. 

Role Summary:  

The Admissions Coordinator is a critical member of Guidelight's Central Intake team and serves as one of the first points of contact for prospective clients and referral partners. 

This is a high-volume, front-line role for someone who is comfortable engaging people who may be anxious, ambivalent, emotionally dysregulated, or in crisis while keeping the interaction focused and moving forward. The Admissions Coordinator builds rapport quickly, gathers relevant information, completes structured screening and intake activities, educates clients about Guidelight's PHP and IOP programs, addresses barriers and objections, verifies benefits, and coordinates the next steps toward care. 

The ideal candidate brings strong judgment and clinical curiosity without needing to be clinically credentialed. They ask thoughtful follow-up questions, listen for what may not be explicitly stated, recognize potential risk or fit concerns, and understand when to escalate to the appropriate clinical or operational team rather than attempting to interpret or make clinical determinations. 

This role combines genuine care with strong sales and operational instincts. The Admissions Coordinator believes in the value of treatment and can help an ambivalent client take the next step toward care while maintaining clinical appropriateness, ethical standards, and a high-quality client experience. The role is accountable not only for completing tasks, but for owning the outcome—ensuring that clients do not fall through the cracks and that each interaction results in a clear next step or accepted handoff. 

Role Responsibilities:  

Client Engagement & Admissions  

• Serve as a primary point of contact for prospective clients and referring providers through phone and web-based channels. 

• Engage clients with warmth, confidence, and appropriate directness, including individuals who may be anxious, ambivalent, emotionally dysregulated, or experiencing a behavioral health crisis. 

• Build rapport quickly while maintaining structure and control of the conversation. 

• Guide clients through demographics, insurance, screening, program education, scheduling, and next steps in a cohesive and efficient interaction. 

• Conduct structured initial screenings to gather relevant clinical, demographic, and logistical information while maintaining the appropriate boundary between screening and clinical assessment. 

• Recognize potential risk, clinical fit, or other concerns and appropriately escalate to clinical or operational team members. 

• Educate prospective clients and referral partners about Guidelight's PHP and IOP programs, including program structure, expectations, and next steps. 

• Help clients navigate barriers to accessing care, including ambivalence, scheduling challenges, technology, insurance questions, and other concerns. 

Engagement, Conversion & Client Commitment  

• Use active listening, motivational interviewing, and consultative communication techniques to understand client needs and support movement toward treatment. 

• Help clients understand the value of treatment and confidently move toward an appropriate next step in care. 

• Address questions and objections with empathy, confidence, and sound judgment. 

• Ask directly for commitment and help clients take action when appropriate. 

• Maintain a conversion-minded approach while protecting client experience, clinical appropriateness, and ethical standards. 

• Take ownership of funnel movement and identify opportunities to reduce drop-off and improve conversion. 

• Consider an interaction complete only when there is a clear next step, accepted handoff, or documented resolution. 

Referral & Pipeline Management  

• Proactively manage inbound and outbound referrals and ensure timely movement through the admissions pipeline. 

• Maintain ownership of assigned cases across multiple stages of the intake process. 

• Reliably complete follow-up activities and close loops with clients, referral partners, clinicians, and internal teams. 

• Monitor cases for stalled movement, missing information, or other sources of funnel leakage and take action to resolve them. 

• Coordinate with referring providers and community partners to facilitate appropriate access to care. 

• Ensure clients and referral partners have a clear understanding of next steps and who is responsible for them. 

I nsurance & Financial Transparency  

• Verify insurance eligibility and benefits for PHP and IOP services. 

• Explain coverage, out-of-pocket costs, and payment expectations clearly and accurately. 

• Demonstrate a working knowledge of commercial insurance, Medicaid, and Medicare. 

• Identify insurance or financial barriers that may affect access and escalate or coordinate resolution as appropriate. 

Documentation & Clinical Handoffs  

• Capture accurate, concise, and relevant information from client and referral interactions. 

• Document information in CRM and EMR systems so that Clinical Reviewers and downstream teams can quickly understand the client, referral context, screening information, and outstanding needs. 

• Coordinate the collection and submission of relevant prior medical records and referral documentation. 

• Complete clear and effective handoffs to clinical and operational partners. 

• Maintain accurate records and ensure required information is complete and accessible to downstream teams. 

Workflow, Systems & Operational Excellence  

• Manage high call volumes and multiple active cases while maintaining quality, responsiveness, and client experience. 

• Balance live client interactions with follow-up work, documentation, SLAs, and other assigned responsibilities. 

• Follow established workflows consistently while identifying opportunities to improve processes and reduce friction. 

• Learn and effectively navigate CRM, EMR, scheduling, insurance, and other technology platforms. 

• Adapt quickly as programs, payer requirements, workflows, and processes evolve. 

• Identify process gaps and bring forward practical solutions rather than simply identifying problems.