PSYCHIATRIC MEDICAL ASSISTANT

Whitman-Walker envisions a society where all persons are seen for who they are, treated with dignity and respect, and afforded equal opportunity to health and wellbeing. Through care, advocacy, research, and education, we empower all persons to live healthily, love openly, and achieve equality and inclusion. For over 50 years, we have been meeting the needs of our communities with the endless dedication of our diverse teams.

Assists with clinical duties under the supervision of licensed psychiatric providers. Answers phone to help triage and address patient's psychiatric concerns. Provide clinical assistance to psychiatric providers, including transferring requests to psychiatric providers into electronic requests for medication refills. Assist with calling insurance companies for Prior Authorization of psychiatric medications, which can include prior authorization for behavioral health treatment, Suboxone, or Vivitrol prescribed by medical providers. Maintain flexibility in assisting with the duties of psychiatric providers in applicable procedures.

• Performs and behaves in accordance with Whitman-Walker's mission, cultural norms, and core values of dignity, respect, affirmation, and humility.
• Maintain a respectful, non-judgmental, and compassionate manner with patients/clients/staff.
• Demonstrate excellent customer service by identifying and exceeding customer requirements.
• Adhere to Whitman-Walker policies and procedures, with special attention given to HIPAA requirements.
• Maintain data integrity through conscientious use of relevant tools and employing a system of checks and balances.
• Demonstrate organizational skills necessary to multi-task, meet deadlines, and re-prioritize as needed.
• Participate in organizational quality and performance improvement activities.

Role Specific Primary Essential Duties:

• Answers phone calls and checks messages for psychiatric patients
• Triage patients and re-direct their calls according to acuity and concerns. This may involve 1) transferring calls for clients experiencing acute mental health crises to an on-call Behavioral Health Specialist, 2) transferring patient phone calls into telephone encounter messages in the medical record for psychiatric providers, 3) Redirect phone calls to other departments of Whitman-Walker (such as triage nurse for medical concerns, pharmacy for refills, front desk staff for rescheduling appointments)
• Transfer requests for medication refills in different formats (i.e. telephone requests, faxes from pharmacy) to psychiatric providers for refill.
• Conducting chart review to address specific concerns if further information is needed to facilitate clinical duties
• Call insurance companies to submit requests for Prior Authorizations of medications or behavioral health treatment with the information provided in the medical chart (this will involve psychiatric medications, Vivitrol, and Suboxone prescriptions)
• Help collect urine drug screen samples if needed and drop off samples at the lab
• Help add notations to psychiatric providers' schedules in medical records (i.e. block out time for specific dates)
• Assist with writing forms and/or letters requested by patients in preparation for psychiatric providers to review and sign based on chart review (i.e. disability paperwork).
• Assist with collecting paperwork for medical records
• Assist with faxing records
• Assist with ensuring clinical office supplies are available (mainly urine cups for drug screens)
• Other duties as assigned

• Knowledge and ability to safely and accurately perform medical/psychiatric support functions.
• Ability to make appropriate clinical judgments to triage patients and ask for additional support if needed
• Self-motivation, flexibility, and the ability to provide support to multiple providers in a fast-paced clinic environment.
• Ability to communicate in an effective and professional manner with patients and staff members.
• Ability to communicate with empathy and have sensitivity with patients with mental health disorders or substance use disorders
• Excellent telephone and face-to-face interpersonal skills, including the ability to effectively de-escalate difficult client encounters.
• Sensitivity to all areas of diversity, including HIV status, race, ethnicity, ability, age, sexual orientation and gender identity
• Knowledge of standard medical office/clinic procedures.
• Written and oral fluency in Spanish is preferred but not required (may be required for some positions).
• Ability to conduct chart review to understand the information needed to submit for Prior Authorization
• Flexibility to adapt to the work environment and needs of the organization

• Graduation from an approved Medical Assistant program is required, with experience working in mental health settings and/or substance use disorders preferred.
• Experience working with an ethnically, culturally, and racially diverse work staff preferred; ability to work harmoniously with diverse groups of individuals required

Whitman-Walker is an equal employment opportunity employer and does not discriminate against applicants, its employees, or former employees based on race, color, religion, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or gender identity. For accommodation in the application process, please contact Human Resources.