Behavioral Health Referrals Team Lead

Job Posting Title:

Behavioral Health Referrals Team Lead

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Hiring Department:

Department of Psychiatry

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Position Open To:

All Applicants

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Weekly Scheduled Hours:

40

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FLSA Status:

Exempt from FLSA

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Earliest Start Date:

Immediately

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Position Duration:

Expected to Continue Until Aug 31, 2027

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Location:

AUSTIN, TX

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Job Details:

GENERAL NOTES
Dell Medical School is seeking a Behavioral Health Referrals Team Lead.

JOB SUMMARY

This role supports mental health programs and initiatives developed through the Texas Child Mental Health Care Consortium, with a focus on improving the quality and accessibility of mental health care for children and adolescents across Texas.

The Behavioral Health Referrals Team Lead will work as part of an interdisciplinary, team-based program that coordinates referrals for Texas Child Mental Health (TCMH) programs, including the Texas Child Health Access Through Telemedicine (TCHATT) program, the Perinatal Psychiatry Access Network (PeriPAN), the Child Psychiatry Access Network (CPAN), and similar programs. Reporting to the Supervisor, Behavioral Health Referrals and External Relations, this role serves as a working lead for the referrals team, ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant referral processing while supporting staff through training, guidance, and workflow management. This position will have the ability to interact with peers, patients’ families, and other program partners.

General Notes:

This is a state-funded position sponsored by the Texas Child Mental Health Care Consortium (TCMHCC). TCMHCC was created by the 86th Texas Legislature to leverage the expertise and capacity of the health-related institutions of higher education to address urgent mental health challenges and improve the mental health care system in this state in relation to children, adolescents, and perinatal women. The University of Texas Dell Medical School is a Health Related Institution (HRI) for the TCMHCC.

The Behavioral Health Referrals Team Lead will work as part of the External Relations and Education Team that supports all Dell Medical School Texas Child Mental Health programs, including the Perinatal Psychiatry Access Network (PeriPAN) and Child Psychiatry Access Network (CPAN), Texas Child Health Access Through Telemedicine (TCHATT), Youth Aware of Mental Health (YAM), and other related mental health programs. CPAN and PeriPAN provide primary care clinic providers and OBGYNs prompt access to on-call psychiatrists to provide expertise in assessment, treatment, and referrals for pediatric and/or perinatal patients identified as having a mental health challenge. TCHATT provides telemedicine or telehealth programs to school districts to help identify and assess the behavioral health needs of children and adolescents and provide access to mental health services. YAM is a school-based program for students in eighth through 12th grades to learn about and explore the topic of mental health.

This position has an end date of 8/31/2027, but may be renewable based upon availability of funding, work performance, and progress toward goals. Funding is expected to continue. A flexible working arrangement agreement can be accommodated based upon the needs of the program and with supervisor approval. This position may require occasional work on-site for some of the scheduled work week. Remote work will require reliable internet access and a suitable private workspace free from distractions.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Team Leadership and Workflow Oversight

• Acts as the primary point of contact for Referrals Associates regarding questions, workflow issues, and escalation needs.

• Trains new hires and supports ongoing staff development to ensure consistent adherence to referral protocols and standards.

• Delegates tasks and balances workloads across the team to meet productivity and quality expectations.

Referral Quality, Compliance, and Process Improvement

• Reviews referral submissions for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with program and organizational requirements.

• Identifies workflow bottlenecks and recommends process improvements.

• Ensures timely resolution of escalated or complex referral issues.

• Maintains accurate tracking and documentation of referral activity and outcomes.

Coordination and Stakeholder Engagement

• Serves as a liaison between the referrals team and other internal teams, such as CPAN/PeriPAN, collaborating with supervisory leadership to ensure referral activities align with organizational goals and priorities.

• Answers provider inquiries regarding the referral process and provides necessary information and support.

• Follows up with providers, care coordinators, patients, and families to resolve issues or delays in the referral process and support successful outcomes.

• Maintains accurate referral records and documentation; conducts community outreach and targeted provider research to expand and maintain referral resources, including providers serving traditionally marginalized populations and identified referral gaps.

Clinical Collaboration and Referral Management

• Uses assembled information concerning a patient’s clinical background to determine appropriate referral options.

• Works on the referrals team using an interprofessional model that includes pediatric psychiatrists, psychologists, other licensed mental health professionals, and administrative staff.

• Manages and tracks patient referrals, ensuring all records are provided promptly and accurately.

• Uses the Electronic Medical Record to communicate referral information to team members, patients, families, and school staff, ensuring accuracy of all assigned records.

MARGINAL OR PERIODIC FUNCTIONS:

• Researches and identifies referral resources for traditionally marginalized or underserved populations.

• Updates and maintains a list of emerging or unmet referral needs to support program planning.

• Participates in special projects, pilot workflows, or initiatives as assigned.

• Adheres to internal controls and reporting structure.

• Performs related duties as required.

Other Job Duties may apply as assigned

KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/ABILITIES

Customer Focus 

• Dedicated to meeting the expectations and requirements of internal and external customers.

• Responds promptly and professionally to provider, patient, and family inquiries.

• Anticipates referral issues and proactively resolves barriers to access.

• Ensures referral processes support timely, coordinated care.

• Understands, manages, and improves work processes.

• Applies standardized referral workflows consistently across the team.

• Identifies inefficiencies and recommends process or system improvements.

• Ensures compliance with referral standards and documentation requirements.

Informing 

• Provides timely, accurate information to others through appropriate communication channels.

• Communicates referral requirements clearly to providers and internal partners.

• Documents referral information accurately and completely in the EMR.

• Shares updates regarding process changes or issues with team members.

Interpersonal Savvy 

• Relates well to people at all levels and builds effective working relationships.

• Establishes rapport with clinical, administrative, and community stakeholders.

• Navigates sensitive conversations with patients and families professionally.

• Collaborates effectively within an interdisciplinary team environment.

Peer Leadership

• Gains support, cooperation, and commitment from others without formal authority.

• Provides day to day guidance and coaching to referrals staff.

• Encourages adherence to standards through influence and example.

• Supports team performance and morale during periods of high workload.

Organizing

• Plans, schedules, and organizes work in an efficient and productive manner.

• Manages multiple referrals, follow ups, and priorities simultaneously.

• Tracks referral status and deadlines accurately.

• Maintains focus and accuracy in a fast paced, detail oriented environment.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Requires a Bachelor's Degree in Health Administration, Public Health, Social Work, Psychology, or a related field with at least 4 year(s) of experience in coordinating or administering a program, service operation, care coordination function, or referral based workflow.

• Proficiency in electronic systems including, but not limited to, Google Suite, Trayt, Slack, Athena or Epic, Calendly

For classified jobs, include whether relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate:  Yes

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

 in  with at least  year(s) of experience in

• 2 or more years of professional experience in care coordination or case management. 

• Proficient PC skills with emphasis on Excel. 

• Health plan or provider order entry experience. 

• Knowledge of medical and mental health terminology and/or medical coding. 

• Bilingual in English and Spanish.

Salary Range

$49,000 + depending on qualifications

LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS OR CERTIFICATIONS

REQUIRED:

• None

PREFERRED:

• None

WORKING ENVIRONMENT/EQUIPMENT

• Standard office equipment

• Repetitive use of a keyboard

• May be exposed to such occupational hazards as communicable diseases, blood borne pathogens, ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, hazardous medications and disoriented or combative patients, or others.

Required Materials

• Resume/CV

• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor

• Letter of interest

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded.  Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.

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Employment Eligibility:

Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.

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Retirement Plan Eligibility:

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

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Background Checks:

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

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Equal Opportunity Employer:

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

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Pay Transparency:

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

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Employment Eligibility Verification:

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form.  You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States.  Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment.  Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

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E-Verify:

The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:

• E-Verify Poster (English and Spanish) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (English) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]

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Compliance:

Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.

The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.