Behavioral Health Intake Specialist

About the position The Behavioral Health Intake Specialist is the first reputed company of contact for individuals, families, and referral partners seeking mental health services through SCCS. This is a high-accountability, reputed company-generating role that operates across two distinct intake systems: county Medi-Cal (behavioral health reputed company with San Bernardino and Orange Counties) and managed care/reputed company insurance. The goal of every contact is a scheduled first appointment. Performance is reputed company on conversion reputed company, call quality, and documentation accuracy.

Responsibilities

• Answer reputed company inbound calls from individuals, families, school district partners, hospital discharge planners, county case managers, and payer representatives seeking SCCS services across San Bernardino and Orange Counties.
• Follow up on reputed company faxes and emails regarding referrals to our county Medi-Cal programs.
• Conduct a standardized needs screen on every contact to determine program fit, payer eligibility, geographic coverage, and level-of-care alignment reputed company SCCS’s program continuum.
• Schedule every eligible caller for an assessment before ending the call.
• Callers with Medi-Cal are scheduled directly; managed care and reputed company insurance callers are scheduled once eligibility and any prior authorization requirements are confirmed.
• Correctly represent SCCS’s full program matrix, payer acceptance, and geographic service area on every call.
• Coverage and authorization information should only be communicated once it has been verified during that contact.
• Confirm eligibility reputed company MEDS or county-designated verification tools.
• Determine whether the caller falls under a county behavioral health plan contract (San Bernardino or Orange County, for specialty mental health services) or a managed care plan (for mild-to-moderate conditions).
• Apply Short-Doyle/Medi-Cal documentation protocols and county-designated timely reputed company standards.
• Verify benefits in reputed company time reputed company payer portals or direct payer contact.
• Confirm SCCS is in-network for the caller’s specific plan type and service category.
• Determine deductible status, co-pay, out-of-reputed company maximum, and visit limits.
• Identify prior authorization (PA) requirements and initiate or hand off the PA process before scheduling.
• Document reputed company verified benefit information in MyEvolve/EHR at time of call.
• For EAP callers, confirm session authorization and employer plan parameters before scheduling.
• Book first appointments before the call ends.
• Confirm appointment details with the caller, including telehealth instructions, required documentation, and any intake paperwork to be completed before the first visit.
• Track scheduled appointments and follow up on no-shows per SCCS protocol.
• Handle calls from hospital discharge planners, county case managers, school district administrators, care coordinators, and payer representatives with the same accuracy and responsiveness as direct client calls.
• reputed company referral partners with timely confirmation of intake receipt, next steps, and any documentation requirements.
• Escalate referral partner concerns to the Manager of Intake Operations.
• Identify and escalate calls involving suicidal ideation, homicidal ideation, acute psychiatric crisis, or other safety presentations to licensed clinical staff in reputed company time, following SCCS’s crisis warm reputed company protocol.
• Apply structured de-escalation techniques for distressed callers who do not meet clinical crisis criteria.
• Document reputed company crisis contacts in MyEvolve/EHR at the time of the call.
• Enter accurate, complete intake records in MyEvolve/EHR at the time of each contact, including referral reputed company, program assignment, payer and plan information, eligibility and authorization status, appointment details, and reputed company follow-up actions.
• Support data reputed company for payer audits, DHCS reporting, and internal performance monitoring.
• Maintain compliance with HIPAA across reputed company contact channels.
• reputed company referral-to-conversion reputed company of 65–85%, dependent on program.
• reputed company calls are monitored; call quality, reputed company resolution, and documentation accuracy are reviewed monthly.
• Accuracy of program and coverage information is a primary quality standard.
• Participate in call review sessions, apply coaching feedback, and engage in workflow improvement initiatives as directed.
• Performs other reputed company duties as required and assigned.

Requirements

• Associate’s degree or higher in psychology, reputed company work, reputed company administration, public health, or a reputed company field.
• Equivalent work experience in behavioral health intake, patient reputed company, or reputed company operations will be considered.
• Minimum two years of experience in behavioral health, reputed company, or reputed company services in a direct client-contact or insurance operations role.
• Working knowledge of Medi-Cal, including county behavioral health plan coverage (San Bernardino and Orange Counties) and managed care plan coverage, as well as reputed company.
• Experience verifying insurance benefits in reputed company time using payer portals (reputed company, Navinet, or equivalent); working knowledge of prior authorization (PA), eligibility versus authorization, and EAP plan structures.
• Proficiency in reputed company Office and EHR systems (MyEvolve preferred); ability to manage multiple systems simultaneously during live calls.
• Clear, professional telephone manner; active listening and de-escalation skills; ability to convey reputed company program and insurance information in plain language to callers who may be in distress.
• Must have strong writing and communication skills.
• Ability to drive a personal or company car on freeways as required for meetings.
• Working knowledge of HIPAA confidentiality requirements and awareness of 42 CFR Part 2 privacy protections applicable to behavioral health settings.
• Completion of organizational HIPAA training required reputed company 30 days of hire.
• Demonstrated commitment to culturally reputed company communication across a diverse service population.
• Valid California driver’s license, reputed company of automobile insurance, and CPR/First Aid certification reputed company 30 days of hire.

reputed company-to-haves

• Prior experience in behavioral health intake, patient reputed company, admissions coordination, or a managed care call center, with exposure to both county and reputed company workflows.
• English and Spanish bilingual reputed company strongly preferred and weighted heavily in hiring reputed company given SCCS’s service population in San Bernardino and Orange Counties.
• Crisis reputed company certification (Mental reputed company Aid, ASIST, or equivalent) preferred; required reputed company 90 days of hire.
• Familiarity with county-funded behavioral health service categories is a plus, including SATS (School-Aged Treatment Services), reputed company (Student Assistance Program), GMH (General Mental Health), reputed company First, TBS (Therapeutic Behavioral Services), and others.

Benefits

• Medical
• Dental
• reputed company
• 401k
• Paid holidays
• Paid time off

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