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MAHEC

Healthcare education, training, and patient care

Engagement Specialist - School Based Therapy, Patient Access Center

Full-TimePosted on 10/2/2026
$23.65/hr
Mid
Asheville, NC, USA
HybridHybrid work is available after training; on-site frequency is set by leadership. Must live within reasonable daily commuting distance of MAHEC.
Medical, Clinical & VeterinaryClinical Support & Patient Administration
No H1B Sponsorship

About the job

Requirements
  • A high school diploma or equivalent, two years of relevant experience, or a comparable combination of education and experience is required.
  • Excellent skills in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and database applications.
  • Experience with Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint for collaboration management.
  • Advanced skills in a medical office management software program.
  • A valid North Carolina driver's license is required.
  • Regular on-site attendance is essential, with work hours flexible to meet client or division needs and occasional weekend, holiday, or evening coverage.
  • Employees must receive the flu vaccine or have an approved exemption.
  • New employees must provide valid, original I-9 documents on their first day of work.
Responsibilities
  • Process incoming referrals for school-based therapy services, including initial patient and guardian outreach, building patient charts, verifying demographic and insurance information, helping complete initial registration paperwork, and confirming compliance standards are met before scheduling.
  • Obtain and review patients' legal decision-making documentation, such as guardianship and custody paperwork, for risk review.
  • Coordinate with referral sources and schools, provide referral updates, and coordinate efforts to contact patients as needed.
  • Monitor patient charts to keep registration paperwork, demographic information, and insurance information up to date, including contacting patients to collect necessary information and paperwork.
  • Update patient charts with accurate demographic, insurance, and contact information.
  • Refer patients to financial advocates as needed.
  • Schedule interpreting services for patient appointments, including intake and routine appointments.
  • Monitor therapist schedules and support appointment scheduling and reconciliation.
  • Monitor the appropriate electronic health record inbox and provide follow-up as needed.
  • Answer phones, check voicemails, and monitor phone volume.
  • Support divisional and organizational initiatives.
Desired Qualifications
  • Previous experience in a medical office or clinical environment is preferred.
  • Experience in behavioral health is highly preferred.
  • Familiarity with community mental health services, school-based therapy, and/or child and family therapy services is preferred.
  • Spanish language skills are preferred but not required.

About the company

MAHEC provides patient care, education, and research in Western North Carolina. It serves as a branch campus for UNC schools of medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and public health, hosting the UNC Health Sciences at MAHEC and the UNC Gillings MPH program. It operates multiple clinics including Family Health, Ob/Gyn, Dental Health, and Community Pharmacies, and runs the region’s only high-risk obstetrics practice as a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike. Its mission is to grow and improve the regional health workforce and health outcomes through hands-on clinical care, education from high school to graduate programs, and collaborative research.

Company Size

201-500

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Asheville, North Carolina

Founded

1974

Get referred to MAHEC

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • UNC System awarded MAHEC over $2 million in April 2026 for rural training.
  • Kenan Charitable Trust granted $1 million in 2026 for post-Helene health services.
  • Givens Communities backed MAHEC Impact Tours on September 22, 2026, widening community visibility.

What critics are saying

  • MAHEC depends on grants and public funding, including $4 million NCDHHS and county support.
  • Helene-driven demand strains staff; school-based referrals jumped 34 percent after Hurricane Helene.
  • UNC Health, Mission Health, and local nonprofits can outcompete MAHEC for clinicians and contracts.

What makes MAHEC unique

  • MAHEC combines residency training, primary care, and workforce development across Western North Carolina.
  • Its school-based therapy network reached 61 therapists in 83 schools by June 2026.
  • MAHEC’s Centering Parenting remains Western North Carolina’s only site, launched April 2025.

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Benefits

  • Flexible Work Hours
  • Hybrid Work Options

Company News

Givens Estates
Sep 22nd, 2026
Givens Communities to support Impact Tours in partnership with MAHEC.

Givens Communities to support Impact Tours in partnership with MAHEC. By Geoffrey Cantrell September 22, 2026. Givens Communities is proud to sponsor and partner with MAHEC to advance the health and well-being of people across Western North Carolina. MAHEC - Mountain Area Health Education Center - is an Asheville based non-profit dedicated to improving training and retention of healthcare professionals, excellence in clinical care, health professions education, and innovative practices in the state's 16 westernmost counties. Together, the two service organizations share three key priorities: promoting lifelong health and wellness, expanding access for underserved populations, and building strong community partnerships. As part of this partnership, Givens Communities will support MAHEC's Impact Tours, a free quarterly series of lunch and learn events that offer a closer look at MAHEC's work across WNC, from expanding access to care, as well as strengthening the healthcare workforce through education and training. During a tour, participants get an overview of MAHEC's programs, learn how MAHEC is adapting its services to meet growing community needs, hear from MAHEC Ambassadors about the impact of their work, and discover ways to get involved in supporting healthier communities.

Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce
Apr 9th, 2025
Business Buzz: April 9, 2025

MAHEC also launched the region's only Centering Parenting(R) program, a group-based model of well-child care, supported by First Horizon Foundation.

Becker's Behavioral Health
Jun 3rd, 2022
HHS invested into Mountain Area Health Education Center, Inc. in $4M on Jun 1st 22'.

Asheville, N.C.-based Mountain Area Health Education Center was awarded a $4 million grant from the state's Department of Health and Human Services, ABC affiliate WLOS reported June 1.

Sinclair Broadcast Group
Mar 23rd, 2022
Mountain Area Health Education Center, Inc. partners with Mission Health

(Photo credit: WLOS staff) ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Mountain Area Health Education Center, in a partnership with Mission Health, is welcoming 81 new residents.

Mountain Xpress
Jan 6th, 2022
Mountain Area Health Education Center, Inc will hire William Hathaway as CEO on Feb 1st 22'.

After conducting a nationwide search, the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) is pleased to announce William Hathaway, MD, will succeed Jeffery Heck, MD, who announced his retirement in August after leading the organization through a decade of unprecedented growth.

INACTIVE