Job Description

General Purpose of Job:  

Plan, organize, supervise and evaluate the day-to-day operations of the Behavioral Health Access team and UR team as assigned by the Behavioral Health Director.  Maintain a two-way flow of information to all key relationships. Provide direct patient assessment services in order to maximize the value, potential and satisfaction of our customers.

Essential Duties:

This job description is intended to cover the minimum essential duties assigned on a regular basis. Associates may be asked to perform additional duties as assigned by their leader. Leadership has the right to alter or modify the duties of the position.

• Supervises Access team Social Workers including Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists and Nurses administratively (unless a nurse themselves). Nurses will be clinically supervised by a designated nurisng supervisor to be determined upon hire.
• Supervises Behavioral Health UR Workers to assist with eligiblity and authorization of services for the Inpatient Behavioral Health units an Outpatient Partial Hospitalization programs.
• Performs patient assessments and trains staff in competence of completing assessments.
• Develops close and collaborative relationships with Nurses and Nurse Leaders throughout the Sparrow Health System to assist with identification and facilitation of patient admissions to the Behavioral Health Inpatient facility.
• Participates in daily morning huddles for the Emergency Department, Affiliate Hosptials and other departments as needed for identification of patients requring behavioral health assistance.
• Ensures department rounds the Sparrow Main inpatient floors to assist teams with behavioral health patients in a consultative manner unless asked to provide an assessment or to facilitate discharge planning.
• Communicates effectively with all Sparrow staff/caregivers, customers, community at large in a manner that supports the mission, goals and objectives of the Sparrow Health System.
• Empowers  the Behavioral Health Access team front-line caregivers by delegating clear responsibility, facilitating an atmosphere promoting high performance, teamwork, excellent customer service and continued improvement in order to provide cost effective high quality care to the people of Mid Michigan.
• Assists with developing community opportunites for throughput of patients into both the adult and geriatric inpatient units.
• Assists with recruitment, orientation, training, performance appraisal, disciplinary action as needed of all individuals supervised.
• Participates in the development of the departmental operating and financial plans, ensuring compliance with established departmental standards.
• Develops a staffing schedule allowing for 24 hours per day coverage. Monday through Sunday (7-days per week) to ensure needs of patients are assessed and moved to appropriate levels of care as quickly as possible.
• Participate in the Sparrow quality improvement program.
• Cooperates with support staff and other Sparrow Behavioral Health and Sparrow Health System departments in order to maximize the efficiency of non-clinical services such as the registering, scheduling, and billing of our patients.
• Seeks ways to continually improve the value of our services and maximize our customers' behavioral health recovery potential by actively participating in activities such as inservices, staff meetings, team meetings, continuing education courses and patient conferences.
• Maximize customer satisfaction by treating our customers with respect and responding to their needs in a prompt, friendly, and courteous manner.

Job Requirements