Intake Counselor

Shift: PRN Status: 12 hours shifts 7pm-7am.

Destiny Springs Healthcare is seeking a dynamic and experienced Intake Counselor/Social Worker for a PRN position. The Intake Counselor/Social Worker will be responsible for assessing new clients, conducting intake screening processes, and performing intake assessments.

Position Summary:

This position is responsible for collaborating with nursing leadership and other support departments to manage patient access, throughput, and capacity. Also, promotes patient care consistent with the philosophy and objectives of Destiny Springs Healthcare.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The duties and responsibilities listed below are essential to the employee's position.

Destiny Springs Healthcare Employees will support compliance-related items by:

• Following internal procedures and external regulations.
• Bringing compliance issues to the attention of management.
• Successfully completing regulatory training requirements in a timely manner.
• Working collaboratively in all facets of position to meet position requirements and support hospital goals.
• Maintain confidentiality of information.

Destiny Springs Healthcare Employees will support the Hospital's vision and role model the core values and behaviors by:

• Cultivating a positive work environment.
• Being efficient with time at work.
• Communicating effectively with patients and visitors as well as management and staff.
• Being flexible.
• Maintain integrity in all conversations and actions.
• Consistently reports to work on time prepared to perform duties of position.

Intake and Admissions Operations

• Proactively manages requests for admission, facilitates throughput of patients throughout the hospital, and ensures timely turnaround of beds.
• Accurately collects the data required for the intake of patients from a variety of locations including emergency rooms, physician office and referring facilities.
• Works with nursing units and leaders to identify best available bed placement at the time of request, given patient needs, staffing resources, level of care requirements, and throughput goals.
• Determines proper patient admission and verifies alignment between admission order and determined admission status.
• Demonstrates ability to professionally interact with coworkers and other department staff concerning issues related to patient care and offers constructive alternatives.
• Reviews and plans for all scheduled admissions daily.
• Manages and accepts all referral calls and communicates incoming referrals.
• Notifies referral source of disposition at completion of evaluation/admission process and only after a release of information has been signed. Documents notification on Call Inquiry Sheet.
• Communicates bed placement/capacity issues to the Director of Intake and Admissions in a timely manner.
• Accurately and thoroughly reviews and completes all admission paperwork including Patient Rights, ensures patient signature on all required areas and witnesses signature on each form. All information is reviewed with patient in an understandable manner with consideration to age and disability.
• Provides initial clinical assessment including the history of presenting illness, family dynamics and psychosocial information. Able to communicate this information to the physician for completion of evaluation, or on progress notes for further family involvement.
• Perform other functions as assigned by the Director of Intake and Admissions.
• Makes appropriate referral for alternate level of care or notifies referral source for follow up if patient is determined not to be appropriate for admission.
• Understands need for and always maintains appropriate confidentiality when interacting with patients, families, visitors, referral sources and all other contacts.
• Demonstrates basic familiarity and knowledge of major diagnostic criteria for children, adolescents, and adults as described in DSM IV.
• Demonstrates understanding of the parent/guardian or legal obligation in the treatment process, when applicable.
• Establishes and maintains positive relationships with referral sources. Ensures timely and accurate communication of pertinent information.

Additional Responsibilities

• Performs all other duties, as assigned.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

Master's Degree in Counseling, Social Services, Psychology or Human Services field. Minimum two (2) years of intake, assessment, admission and crisis intervention experience with a psychiatric mental health population, preferably in an inpatient setting. Prefer knowledge of hospital admissions, dependency, age specific growth and development and crisis and behavior management.

COMPUTER SKILLS

Microsoft windows environment with Office Suite to include formatting and production of word processing documents, spreadsheets, and reports. Ability to use tools for video conferencing, as needed.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations

Required:

• Position may require travel within the Metropolitan Area thus, reliable transportation is required. If using personal vehicle, must have appropriate driver's license and insurance coverage.
• Independent licensure at a Master's level by the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health as an LCSW, LPC, or LMFT preferred
• Level one fingerprint clearance card in the State of Arizona or provide proof of application by hire date.
• CPR certification within 30 days of employment.
• CPI certification within 30 days of employment.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Skill in understanding the expectations of TJC, CMS and applicable state licensing requirements.
• Thorough knowledge of managed care philosophy related to mental health services.
• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
• Ability to listen effectively.
• Must have high level of interpersonal skills to handle sensitive and confidential situations. Position requires demonstrated poise, tact and diplomacy.
• Communicates regularly with a broad spectrum of personalities, some of whom are angry, aggressive, and abusive
• Strong attention to detail and well organized.
• Flexibility in schedule to meet business needs.
• Must be a self-starter, able to work independently as well as work effectively with teams.
• Ability to react calmly and effectively in emergency situations.

PATIENT CARE STANDARDS

• Ensure programs adhere to specific Standards of Care of Adolescent Patients ages 12 through 18
• Ensure programs adhere to specific Standards of Care of Adult Patients ages 19 through 64.
• Ensure programs adhere to specific Standards of Care of Geriatric Patients ages 65 and older.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

This job operates in a clinical setting. This role routinely requires interaction with patients, documentation, and utilization of standard office equipment.

Regular attendance is required. Additional hours including weekends may be required on a regular basis to fulfill duties of position. The hospital is a 24/7 hours 365 day operations. At times, individual must be able to work in a fast-paced environment with ability to handle and prioritize multiple, competing tasks and demands and to seek supervisory assistance as appropriate. Must have flexible scheduling in order to work hours necessary to fulfill job requirements.

This position requires majority of time being on-site.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Ability to exercise self-control in potentially volatile situations such as being verbally or physically confronted in a threatening or aggressive manner; must be able to work and concentrate amidst distractions such as noise, conversation and foot traffic; ability to handle interruptions often and be able to move from one task to another; must be flexible and not easily frustrated in dealing with differences of opinions.

Ability to stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, reach, stand, walk, push, pull, lift, grasp, and be able to perceive the attributes of objects such as size, shape, temperature, and/or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of the fingertips. Ability to express and exchange ideas via spoken work during activities in which they must convey detail or important spoken instructions to others accurately, sometimes quickly and loudly. Ability to express and exchange ideas via written assignments effectively and accurately. Hearing to perceive the nature of sound with no less than 40 db loss @ Hz, 1000 Hz, and 2000 Hz with or without correction; ability to perceive detailed information through oral communication and to make fine discriminations in sound.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. The employee regularly is required to stand, walk, sit, use hand to finger, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls; and reach with hands and arms. The Employee frequently lifts and/or moves up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, ability to adjust focus, and manual dexterity in combination with eye/hand coordination. Work environment is subject to interruptions, varying and unpredictable situations and time pressures related to multiple tasks. It also requires regular use of computer keyboard and monitor. There is extensive repetitive motion in using hands/wrists.