Patient Access Specialist Senior - Behavioral Health Screening
$22.76 - $37.10
Junior
Bachelor's, Associate's
Fairfax, VA, USA
In PersonFull-time, Monday–Friday, office hours.
Medical, Clinical & VeterinaryClinical Support & Patient Administration
About the job
Requirements
- A minimum of 2 years of patient access experience.
- A high school diploma or GED.
- Preferred experience in healthcare, patient access, behavioral health, mental health services, or clinical care coordination.
- Preferred experience communicating with patients experiencing emotional distress or complex psychosocial needs.
- Preferred working knowledge of behavioral health intake processes and mental health screening tools, including PHQ-9.
- Preferred proficiency in Epic electronic medical records, including referral management, documentation, and scheduling.
- Preferred ability to manage sensitive patient information with discretion and professionalism.
- Preferred ability to prioritize multiple responsibilities, manage competing demands, and collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams.
- Preferred ability to recognize concerns requiring clinical escalation and follow established procedures for timely intervention.
- Preferred associate's or bachelor's degree in psychology, social work, behavioral health, healthcare administration, or a related field.
- Preferred experience in oncology, outpatient behavioral health, or psychosocial support services.
- Preferred experience with PHQ-9 screening review, C-SSRS administration, and established suicide-risk escalation protocols.
- Preferred experience coordinating pediatric behavioral health services.
- Preferred knowledge of community mental health resources and referral pathways.
- Preferred experience with DocuSign, Microsoft Office, and administrative healthcare workflows.
- Preferred experience supporting multidisciplinary clinical teams in a patient-centered healthcare environment.
- Ability to independently manage assigned intake and coordination workflows, recognize concerns requiring clinical intervention, and collaborate with licensed behavioral health professionals.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality, accuracy, and professionalism while delivering patient-centered service.
Responsibilities
- Serve as a primary point of contact for patients and caregivers seeking oncology-focused counseling services.
- Conduct structured intake assessments to gather information regarding patients' psychosocial needs, cancer-related concerns, mental health history, and current support services.
- Manage incoming referrals through Epic workqueues, departmental email inboxes, and telephone inquiries.
- Review intake information against established program eligibility criteria to identify patients who may be appropriate for short-term, cancer-focused counseling services.
- Collaborate with licensed behavioral health professionals when additional clinical evaluation or determination of service appropriateness is needed.
- Coordinate referrals to outpatient counseling services and appropriate community behavioral health resources.
- Facilitate intake paperwork, consent forms, and patient communications through DocuSign.
- Coordinate patient scheduling and communication with clinical teams to ensure timely access to services.
- Review and monitor PHQ-9 depression screening results submitted through patient intake documentation.
- Identify elevated PHQ-9 scores and positive responses to question 9 requiring additional screening or follow-up.
- Conduct structured follow-up conversations with patients to gather additional information regarding emotional distress and immediate support needs.
- Administer Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) screenings when indicated, in accordance with established clinical protocols, training, and role authorization.
- Recognize potential suicide or self-harm concerns and promptly escalate findings to designated licensed behavioral health professionals.
- Document PHQ-9 and C-SSRS screening results, patient communications, and follow-up actions accurately in Epic.
- Coordinate access to appropriate behavioral health resources, crisis intervention services, and community support programs in accordance with established protocols.
- Collaborate with clinical staff to ensure patients requiring additional evaluation receive timely follow-up.
- Manage the Life with Cancer pediatric referral inbox and monitor incoming pediatric counseling requests.
- Communicate with parents and caregivers to gather information regarding children's emotional, behavioral, and psychosocial needs related to cancer.
- Conduct structured pediatric intake conversations to identify presenting concerns and facilitate appropriate next steps.
- Coordinate parent consultations with pediatric oncology therapists.
- Schedule pediatric appointments in Epic and facilitate communication between families and clinical teams.
- Support appropriate referral pathways for pediatric patients requiring specialized behavioral health services, psychoeducation, or community resources.
- Maintain accurate pediatric referral documentation and ensure timely follow-up.
- Monitor and manage assigned Epic referral workqueues to ensure timely processing, appropriate routing, and follow-up.
- Maintain accurate patient records, intake documentation, screening results, and referral information.
- Route oncology nurse navigator referrals to the appropriate clinical teams, identifying time-sensitive requests such as fertility preservation.
- Utilize Epic SmartPhrases, flowsheets, In Basket messaging, telephone encounters, and scheduling tools to support efficient workflows.
- Track referral status and communicate updates to appropriate clinical and administrative staff.
- Ensure compliance with HIPAA, organizational policies, and documentation standards.
- Provide front desk coverage and serve as a welcoming point of contact for patients, families, and visitors.
- Assist with patient scheduling, appointment coordination, telephone inquiries, and general patient access operations.
- Respond to patient and caregiver questions regarding available services, referral processes, and appointment scheduling.
- Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to support efficient daily operations and continuity of patient services.
- Assist with invoice processing, administrative documentation, and other operational responsibilities as assigned.
- Identify opportunities to improve patient access, referral management, workflow efficiency, and service consistency.
Desired Qualifications
- Preferred experience in healthcare, patient access, behavioral health, mental health services, or clinical care coordination.
- Preferred experience communicating with patients experiencing emotional distress or complex psychosocial needs.
- Preferred working knowledge of behavioral health intake processes and mental health screening tools, including PHQ-9.
- Preferred proficiency in Epic electronic medical records, including referral management, documentation, and scheduling.
- Preferred ability to manage sensitive patient information with discretion and professionalism.
- Preferred ability to prioritize multiple responsibilities, manage competing demands, and collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams.
- Preferred ability to recognize concerns requiring clinical escalation and follow established procedures for timely intervention.
- Preferred associate's or bachelor's degree in psychology, social work, behavioral health, healthcare administration, or a related field.
- Preferred experience in oncology, outpatient behavioral health, or psychosocial support services.
- Preferred experience with PHQ-9 screening review, C-SSRS administration, and established suicide-risk escalation protocols.
- Preferred experience coordinating pediatric behavioral health services.
- Preferred knowledge of community mental health resources and referral pathways.
- Preferred experience with DocuSign, Microsoft Office, and administrative healthcare workflows.
- Preferred experience supporting multidisciplinary clinical teams in a patient-centered healthcare environment.
About the company
Inova Health System is a nonprofit healthcare network based in Falls Church, Virginia, providing a broad range of medical services across hospitals, outpatient clinics, assisted living, and long-term care facilities in Northern Virginia and the Washington, D.C. metro area. Its hospitals have Magnet status, indicating high nursing quality, and the system emphasizes care delivery as well as medical research and education through clinicians and scientists. The organization’s operations rely on reinvesting earnings into its mission rather than distributing profits to shareholders, with the Inova Health Foundation supporting fundraising and philanthropy to expand services, research, and training. Overall, Inova aims to improve community health by delivering patient care, advancing medical knowledge, and educating the next generation of healthcare professionals.
Company Size
N/A
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
$422.8M
Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
Founded
1956
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Inova topped out both replacement hospitals in April 2026, keeping 2028 delivery on track.
- September 2026 brought the $97.5 million Willow Oaks acquisition beside Fairfax Hospital.
- Press Ganey named Inova 2025 Health System of the Year, strengthening recruiting and referrals.
What critics are saying
- The $3.15 million tracking-pixel settlement exposes Inova’s digital privacy practices and compliance controls.
- If 2028 campus openings slip, aging Alexandria capacity stays overloaded and capital returns weaken.
- Courts affirmed Inova’s vaccine-policy privilege suspensions in March 2026, validating aggressive labor controls.
What makes Inova unique
- Northern Virginia’s only Level 1 Trauma Center anchors Inova’s regional referral moat.
- Inova runs 26,000 employees across hospitals, outpatient sites, and long-term care facilities.
- FACT-accredited cellular therapy and two 2028 replacement campuses deepen specialty-care differentiation.
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Benefits
- Health Insurance
- 401(k) Company Match
- Tuition and Student Loan Assistance
- Mental Health Support
- Paid Vacation
- Parental Leave