Patient Access Associate - Behavioral Hlth Resource Ctr

The compensation range listed reflects the range Northern Light Health anticipates relying on in setting the wages for the position. The range may not necessarily include all additional compensation elements available, such as differentials, incentive programs and benefits.

Northern Light Acadia Hospital

Department: Behavioral Hlth Resource Ctr

Position is located: Acadia

Work Type: Full Time

Hours Per Week: 36.00

Work Schedule: 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM

Salary Range : $19.50 - $28.09

Exempt: No

Summary

The Patient Access Associate serves as a central operational resource within the Behavioral Health Resource Center (BHRC), coordinating patient access, bed management, emergency communications, and hospital operations on a 24/7 basis. This role is responsible for gathering, analyzing, summarizing, and prioritizing clinical information for individuals referring to inpatient psychiatric admission and telepsychiatry services while facilitating timely access to behavioral health care.

The Patient Access Associate serves as primary contact for behavioral health crisis calls from patients, family members, healthcare providers, and community partners. In these situations, the associate assesses available information, escalates urgent concerns to appropriate emergency personnel, and coordinates emergency response services to support patient safety.

This position coordinates involuntary hospitalization processes in accordance with applicable state laws and organizational policy. Facilitates Psychiatric Treatment Plan (PTP) applications and related court documentation for patients requiring court-ordered medication management.

The Patient Access Associate coordinates patient movement throughout the organization by prioritizing referrals based upon clinical urgency and bed availability, maintaining real-time bed management and patient census, scheduling psychiatric evaluations, and supporting efficient patient flow across inpatient services.

In addition, the role serves as operational backup for Registration, Utilization Management, Facilities, the Addiction Care Team, Hospital Operators, and other designated support departments. Responsibilities include managing incoming calls, activating emergency codes, coordinating after-hours communications, and maintaining hospital-wide communication systems.

The Patient Access Associate also supports emergency preparedness activities and incident command operations during emergencies and disasters, collaborating closely with emergency departments, physicians, nursing staff, law enforcement, crisis agencies, community partners, and internal departments to ensure coordinated response efforts.

Serving as a critical liaison between clinical and operational teams, the Patient Access Associate promotes timely access to care, optimizes patient flow, maintains regulatory compliance, and supports the safe, efficient operation of the hospital.

Responsibilities

• Coordinates and triages requests for telehealth psychiatric consultation services with partnered emergency departments by gathering, reviewing, and documenting referral information, ensuring timely communication and accurate updates to the patient record.
• Serves as the central intake and coordination point for inpatient behavioral health admission referral process by receiving, reviewing, and prioritizing referral information, maintaining accurate documentation and communicating pertinent clinical information to the multidisciplinary team to facilitate timely admission decisions.
• Manages and coordinates administrative processes related to involuntary psychiatric hospitalization in accordance with applicable state laws, organizational policies, and regulatory requirements, including preparation, tracking and distribution of required legal documentation.
• Performs registration and admission functions during non-business hours.
• Follows Acadia Hospital protocols decisively and immediately in crucial situations (i.e. disasters, code reds, medical and/or psychiatric emergencies)
• Assumes the role of the Hospital Operator during non-business hours.
• Maintains regulatory requirements, including The Joint Commission, Federal and State regulations.
• Acts as administrative back up for other departments during non-business hours such as: Scheduling, Addiction Care, Facilities, and Utilization Management.
• Other Duties

Other Information

Competencies and Skills

• Achieves Results: Sets high standards for their own outcomes and seizes opportunities to engage others towards objectives. Consistently moves forward with direct actions in order to attain or exceed objectives. Manages their own time effectively to accomplish assigned tasks. Successfully prioritizes multiple projects and duties as needed.
• Demonstrates Adaptability: Learns quickly when facing a new problem or unfamiliar task; is flexible in their approach with changing priorities and ambiguity. Manages change effectively and does not give up during adversity. Capable of changing one's behavioral style and/or views in order to attain a goal. Absorbs new information readily and puts it into practice effectively.
• Demonstrates Emotional Intelligence: Exhibits a high level of self-awareness, self-management, other awareness and relationship management. Conducts themselves in an empathic, appropriate way, with a sense of humor and stimulates a collaborative work environment. Is respectful of the attitudes, feelings, or circumstances of others and aware of the influence of their own behavior on them. Is aware of relevant social, political, system, and professional trends and developments and uses this information for the organization's benefit.
• Develops Self and Others:Takes responsibility for engaging in professional self-development activities and programs. Strives to gain insight into their own values, strengths and weaknesses, interests and ambitions and takes action in order to enhance competencies and skills when possible. As a leader, encourages and guides employees towards growth opportunities to enhance performance and help them reach goals. Reviews and analyzes employees' strengths and weaknesses to distinguish their talents and development needs, and to ensure they are enhanced appropriately.
• Effectively Communicates: Listens, speaks and writes appropriately, using clear language. Communication methods are fitting to the message(s), audience, and situation and follow-ups are regular and timely. Shows that important (non-) verbal information is absorbed and understood and asks further questions to clarify when necessary. Expresses ideas and views clearly to others and has ability to adjust use of language to the audiences' level.
• Exercises Sound Judgment & Decision Making: Understands and processes complex information, which allows for appropriate and accountable conclusions. Does not react too quickly or slowly. Balances facts, goals, and potential approaches taking the appropriate criteria into account. Makes active decisions and commits oneself by communicating confidently and respectfully.
• Influences and Inspires: Builds enthusiasm and commitment among others to move in a desired direction and models it personally. Creates a compelling vision of success that motivates workplace initiative and energizes others to follow. Provides direction and guidance to encourage cooperation between team members in order to attain an objective. Has the ability to appropriately influence others' actions and decisions with and without express authority.
• Promotes Health and Safety: Promotes a healthy and safe environment for patients, employees and visitors. Advocates and models healthy physical and mental health behaviors even in challenging circumstances. Sets high quality standards and strives for continuous improvement and quality assurance by reporting and encouraging others to report near misses and safety issues.
• Provides Patient-Centered Care: Demonstrates understanding of patient care quality and service as organizational priority. Proactively supports change to improve patient experience and results. Exhibits the ability and willingness to find out what the patient wants and needs and to act accordingly, taking the organizational and outside resources into account. Cooperates, collaborates, communicates, and integrates care within and between teams to ensure that care is continuous and reliable.
• Seeks Process Improvement & Applies System Thinking: Possesses and gains insight into situations, problems and processes. Understands the interconnection between organizational elements. Deconstructs problems and systematically investigates the various components. Considers the impact of actions on the entire process/system. Detects problems and opportunities, recognizes important information, and links various data to trace potential causes and relevant details.
• Serves Others: Strives to understand, meet and exceed the expectations and requirements of internal and external customers which may include the people and communities in our service areas. Develops and maintains relationships, alliances and coalitions within and outside the organization and leverages them in order to obtain information, support, and promote cooperation and collaboration.
• Utilizes Resources Effectively: Understands how to get the most out of available resources and uses cost-benefit thinking in decision-making and in setting priorities. Monitors and analyzes resource usage to identify and eliminate areas of waste and maximize resources. As a leader, defines targets and provides appropriate means; oversees progress and makes adjustments when necessary. Appropriately delegates work, sets clear direction and manages workflow and time.
• Behaves with Integrity and Builds Trust: Acts consistently in line with the core values, commitments and rules of conduct. Leads by example and tells the truth. Does what they say they will, when and how they say they will, or communicates an alternate plan.
• Cultivates Respect: Treats others fairly, embraces and values differences, and contributes to a culture of belonging, empowerment, and cooperation.
• Fosters Accountability: Creates and participates in a work environment where people hold themselves and others accountable for processes, results and behaviors. Takes appropriate ownership not only of successes but also mistakes and works to correct them in a timely manner. Demonstrates understanding that we all work as a team and the quality and timeliness of work impacts everyone involved.
• Practices Compassion: Exhibits genuine care for people and is available and ready to help; displays a deep awareness of and strong willingness to relieve the suffering of others.

Education

• Required Bachelor's Degree or the equivalent of 8 years’ experience in a mental health related field preferred.

Working Conditions

• Potential exposure to diseases or infections.
• Work with computers, typing, reading or writing.
• Lifting, moving and loading less than 20 pounds.
• Prolonged periods of sitting.
• Prolonged periods of standing.
• Prolonged periods of walking.

Northern Light Acadia Hospital is regional psychiatric hospital in Bangor, Maine, providing acute mental health care and telehealth psychiatry across the state. As the behavioral health member of Northern Light Health, Acadia Hospital offers specialized care through programs like Behavioral Home Health, integrated behavioral health in primary care settings, and a geriatric Mood and Memory clinic that participates in clinical trials for new Alzheimer’s treatments. Northern Light Acadia Healthcare, a subsidiary of the hospital, delivers outpatient services including substance use disorder treatment and case management. Through these programs, we serve patients from every part of Maine.