Clinic Coordinator/Administrative Assistant - 142055

The mission of the Student Health & Well-Being (SHW) cluster is to promote a culture of health and well-being for the student community, deliver equitable high quality innovative services, incorporate inclusive approaches, and celebrate diversity, with the goal of adoption and maintenance of healthy behaviors contributing to the academic success and personal development of all students.

The UC San Diego SHW cluster, which reports through UC San Diego Health System, plays a leadership role in creating a strong and active wellness culture that enables all students to flourish in body, mind and spirit. This includes promotion and the transformation of existing departments, under the oversight of the Executive Director, into a cohesive, trans-disciplinary source of integrated wellness services. The SHW cluster includes the departments of Student Health Services (SHS); Health Promotion Services (HPS); Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS); Assessment and Analytics (SHAA), Strategic Planning, Innovation and Research (SPIR); and SHW Administration (ADM).

CAPS delivers campus-based mental health services to registered UC San Diego undergraduate, graduate, and professional school students. CAPS' multicultural, multidisciplinary, and student-centered staff strives to deliver trauma informed, culturally proficient counseling and psychiatric services, psycho-educational preventive outreach and early intervention programming, consultation, research, and training opportunities. CAPS is accredited by the International Accreditation of Counseling Services (IACS) and the Post-doctoral Resident Training Program is affiliated with the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Center (APPIC). CAPS is fully committed to self-examination, peer review, and quality improvement through the utilization of metrics, data, clinical outcomes, client experience measurements and feedback.

Under the general supervision of CAPS Clinical Operations Supervisor, incumbent supports clinical operations in Counseling and Psychological services and College Mental Health (Dept of Psychiatry). As part of a team, the incumbent is based at Triton Health and Wellness Building on the UC San Diego campus and will provide front office, scheduling, crisis support and administrative assistance to a team of 70+ clinicians and managers, in a high-volume University Counseling Center, and Psychiatry department. Responsible for high-level administrative support and clinical coordination.

Coordinates all aspects of clinical care, and may include aspects of teaching, research, and business development programs. Greets and assists patients in a warm and empathic manner and maintains knowledge of complex clinic operations to best assist students navigating mental health resources available to UC San Diego students. The incumbent must be compassionate, highly motivated, possess critical thinking skills, and technologically advanced to assist with troubleshooting any barriers to care including e-checkin, pre-visit questionnaires, patient education, mental health crisis screening and support, service eligibility restrictions, mediating patient complaints, and the use of de-escalation tools to efficiently and empathetically reach conflict resolution and connect patients to the appropriate resource while optimizing clinic workflows. Responsible for coordinating and executing projects, independently composing correspondence, managing and maintaining complex appointment calendars and schedules meetings and appointments. Primary responsibility for scheduling and updating Group Therapy appointments.

Clinic support includes phone and in person verification of visit history, patient enrollment, service eligibility, registration and insurance eligibility; processes and troubleshoots external referral renewals and authorization letters on the basis of need, urgency, and presenting concerns, schedules appointments for CAPS on the basis of need, urgency, and presenting concerns, and Intakes for students referred to College Mental Health (Dept of Psychiatry), manages CAPS cancellations following protocols. Coordinates authorizations for appointments and helps ensure payment/reimbursement. Follows screening protocol and monitors emotional state of patients, uses judgment through a risk management lens to determine when to escalate; utilizes a multi-line telephone system; handles all internal messages promptly, while maintaining utmost patient confidentiality. Monitors InBasket Pools and replies, redirects and creates entries in Epic Electronic Medical System as appropriate.

Compiles agendas, takes minutes in meetings and prepares and distributes minutes. Performs a variety of other clinic administrative duties support, including daily operational check of clinic equipment and reporting issues, patient check-in and check-out, copayment and e-signature collection, authorization and referral work queue management, patient message distribution, etc.

• Three (3) years related experience working in a front office mental health outpatient facility and knowledge of medical, mental health, and insurance terminology.

• Demonstrated knowledge of third party payors including federal, state, and private health plans.

• Must be able to empathically assist patients with psychological and psychiatric conditions, in emotional distress and crisis, as well as concerned family members and the campus community. Ability to comfortably navigate sensitive patient encounters which may involve involuntary hospital transports, and/or supporting coordination with law enforcement (UCSD Police).

• Experience and knowledge of EPIC or similar appointment scheduling system, work queues, provider schedule template management, InBasket management, Smartphrases and other EHR tools.

• Proven customer service professionalism delivered in a high volume, multi-phone line and front desk healthcare environment, including sensitivity to support a culturally diverse population.

• Demonstrated ability to work independently, assume responsibility for, and professionally handle evolving situations which may be of a crisis nature in a supportive manner.

• Organizational ability to work under pressure calmly and efficiently, coping with variable workloads, and keep track of many diverse activities, requests, and directions simultaneously and with an attention to detail.

• Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills, including diplomacy, tact, and flexibility. Proven ability to interact with all organizational levels and to communicate effectively and professionally both in person and via phone.

• Advanced skill level in MS software application including Word and Excel.

• Experience with editing and proofreading documents, as well as writing clear, accurate correspondence, meeting minutes, and/or reports.

• Excellent knowledge of English grammar, spelling, punctuation and sentence structure/formats, demonstrated skill in composing correspondence.

• Fast, accurate typing skills.

• Familiarity with procedure coding for clinical and billing responsibilities (CPT codes and/or ICD-9).

• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality of patient information and documentation. Ability to maintain confidentiality of administrative and personnel matters. Knowledge and skill in working with HIPAA requirements. Ability to use discretion, maintain utmost confidentiality and comply with all requirements in use of computer systems and access to any and all patient, student, employee and University data, in electronic and hard copy formats, in compliance with University, state and federal guidelines, including, but not limited to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

• Excellent attendance and punctuality.

• Ability to work collaboratively to promote positive outcomes in a team environment. Ability to uphold and maintain UC Principles of Community.

• Ability to complete Mental Heath First Aid training.

• At all times adhere to UCSD Health Medical Center (C.A.R.I.N.G.) Standards of Performance, and demonstrate the characteristics of professionalism in attire, attitude, conversation, behavior and attentiveness to others. Uphold the UCSD Principles of Community and promote a positive and collaborative team environment. Ability to adhere to and practice the mandatory University Core Values & Safety Standards of performance.

• As appropriate, submit incident reports to report near-misses, process problems or patient or employee injury events. Attend required training and refreshers for use and proper steps to follow.

• Knowledge and understanding of UCSD and Medical Center policies and procedures.

• University Counseling Center experience.

• Job offer is contingent upon satisfactory clearance based on Background Check results.

• Pre-employment physical, TB, and health clearance is required, plus annual vaccinations per COEM requirements.

• Must be able to work various hours and locations based on business needs.

• Ability to telecommute for work, if/when needed and operationally feasible, as determined by department.

• Occasional evenings and weekends may be required.