Client Care Coordinator/Phone Receptionist Portland Psychotherapy Portland, OR Job Details Full-time $20.58 - $21.91 an hour 3 hours ago Benefits Health insurance Dental insurance Paid time off Vision insurance Flexible schedule Life insurance Qualifications Phone communication Spreadsheets Maintaining patient confidentiality Technical user customer support Managing clients in a customer support role Bachelor's degree Working with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds Productivity software Full Job Description Portland Psychotherapy Clinic, Research, & Training Center is a locally owned social enterprise that seeks to provide high-quality, inclusive, and evidence-based mental health services to our community. We also provide professional education and conduct research. About our organization Are you seeking a supportive atmosphere that helps you be your best and that supports you to continue to develop your skills, but also encourages you to live a balanced life and not overwork? We provide lots of support for staff professional development and also support staff in finding balance so that they can have a great life outside of work as well. Do you value diversity and inclusivity in your work? We do too and are continually working to do better in being more inclusive, socially just, and more culturally sensitive in our work. Our team is multicultural and anti-racist. Our diversity includes staff who identify as Asian, Latinx, mixed-race, LGBTQ, first generation immigrants, first generation college students, and others. We are seeking to expand the diversity of our staff to further expand who we can be of service to. Do you want to work for a local company that really cares about their team and their community versus some online company or huge organization with lots of bureaucracy? We are a local business with about 20 employees and have worked hard to develop a culture that makes this a great place to work with lots of flexibility and support. As a social enterprise our bottom line isn't about creating profits for our owners, but rather it is to have a meaningful impact in our community and in our field. To learn more about our company visit us at: www.portlandpsychotherapy.com/about. Portland Psychotherapy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran status, or disability status.

What we offer:

Flexible schedule A great place to work that supports you in your development We are seeking a full-time Client Care Coordinator/Phone Receptionist to join our team in a Mental Health Office. This is, first and foremost, a phone job. You will spend roughly 60-70% of each workday on the phone, and the calls come from every stage of a client's journey with us. Some are people seeking mental health care for the first time: you will listen to their concerns, screen for fit and level of need, explain our services and the Oregon Health Plan (OHP, Oregon's Medicaid program), and match them with the right therapist or provide them with other resources. Some are current clients who need practical help: scheduling or rescheduling an appointment, checking their insurance benefits, or resetting a patient portal password. It is meaningful, varied work. You are the first voice people hear when they reach out for help, often during a time when they are really struggling, and the voice they come back to throughout their care. You will switch gears many times a day: a sensitive 20-minute screening interview on one call, a password reset on the next, a schedule change after that. If that kind of sustained, varied phone conversation energizes you, this role offers real purpose. If long stretches on the phone or lots of interaction with people tend to drain you, this will not be the right fit. This is a key role for our organization and for the clients who call us, so we want to make sure the person in that position really enjoys what they do and finds it meaningful. Position Summary A Client Care Coordinator/Phone Receptionist is both the first point of contact for new clients coming to our clinic. They screen and assess people's needs who are seeking mental health care, conduct structured screening interviews with prospective OHP clients, verify benefits and funding sources, assess for potential suicide risk and connect callers to crisis services when necessary, and schedules appointments with therapists. For our current clients, the Client Care Coordinator/Phone Receptionist reschedules appointments, resolves everyday customer service issues such as patient portal access, and helps callers find additional outside resources when needed. The position also includes a modest amount of administrative support and requires maintaining a culturally responsive, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive approach in all aspects of the work. Responsibilities The first two groups below are phone work, and together they fill roughly 60-70% of each day.

New callers:

screening and matching Answer and return calls from people seeking mental health care; listen to their concerns, explain our services, and screen for service needs and fit. Conduct structured screening interviews (about 20 minutes) by phone with prospective OHP clients, covering presenting concerns, mental health history, and risk, to assess appropriateness for our services. Ask sensitive questions of people you have just met, including about suicide risk and substance use, with warmth and professionalism. Assess for risk and provide immediate referral to crisis services when necessary, or help develop a crisis plan. Match callers with the right therapist and schedule new OHP clients under intake coordinator supervision. When we are not the right fit or have no availability, make sure the caller still leaves with somewhere to go: deliver disappointing news kindly and offer referrals to community resources and other providers.

Current clients:

scheduling, benefits, and support Schedule and reschedule appointments — schedule changes are a large share of daily calls. Check and verify benefits and funding sources, including OHP eligibility, insurance, co-payments, co-insurance, and/or deductibles. Resolve everyday customer service issues, such as walking a client through a patient portal password reset or helping them navigate the portal. Field questions from current clients and either resolve them or route them to the right team member. Provide limited case management support to clinicians. Documentation and coordination Document calls and screenings accurately in our CRM and electronic health record, often while on the phone. Develop and maintain knowledge of organizational and community resources for referrals and care coordination. Administrative support — roughly 10% of the day Send faxes, enter data, prepare mailings, and archive files. Light office upkeep (e.g., sweeping, picking up trash outside the building, taking out trash and recycling). In all aspects of the work Maintain culturally responsive, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive approaches. May perform other duties as assigned. Is This Role Right for You? We have learned that this job is wonderful for some people and exhausting for others, and the difference is almost always how someone feels about spending most of the day on the phone — and about the variety of what those calls ask of them. Please read this section closely before applying. You will likely thrive in this role if: You like talking with people and end a conversation-heavy day feeling satisfied rather than depleted. Switching gears energizes you — a clinical screening interview one call, a password reset the next, a schedule change after that. You get real satisfaction from small, solvable problems: a found appointment time, a fixed login, a caller who hangs up relieved. You can bring the same warm attention to your twenty-third call of the day as to your first. You can stay patient and kind with frustration that is not about you — waitlists, insurance limits, appointment changes. You are willing to ask strangers sensitive questions, with support and training, including questions about suicide risk and substance use. You find meaning in being the first point of contact for someone finally reaching out for help — and a steady, familiar voice for them afterward. This is probably NOT the right role for you if: You prefer quiet, heads-down project work with few interruptions. The phone tends to feel like an interruption to your "real" work. You are mainly drawn to the clinical screening conversations and would experience the customer service calls — rescheduling, portal help, benefits questions — as a distraction. Emotionally heavy conversations require a long recovery time for you. You are looking for a counseling or case-management caseload — this is a screening and client support role, not ongoing clinical work. You will not be doing this work alone: the role comes with training on our screening protocols, ongoing supervision, and a team that pays attention to sustainable workloads. You also work as a team with our administrative assistant who also helps with phone calls and office tasks. Minimum Qualifications Bachelor's degree OR three years of applicable education/work experience related to social services OR meet QMHA requirements under State of Oregon Administrative Rules. A kind person who is warm and patient with callers who are struggling, even on a busy day. Sustained comfort spending the majority of the workday in phone conversation. At least 1 year of experience in an office or customer-service environment that included substantial phone contact. Excellent phone presence and customer service skills and the ability to listen actively while documenting. Comfort walking a caller through basic technology troubleshooting, such as a patient portal password reset. Proficient computer skills in using spreadsheets, email, and word processing software. Strong organizational and time management skills. Detail-oriented, with a high importance placed on accuracy. Ability to work independently. Strong respect for the confidentiality and privacy of clients. Willingness to pitch in wherever help is needed. Excellent communication skills both with clients and clinicians. Preferred Qualifications Experience in a high-call-volume setting, such as a call center, scheduling or appointment line, help desk, or crisis/warm line. Experience verifying insurance benefits or eligibility. Previous experience working in a mental health setting. Previous experience with Medicaid services; knowledge of OHP services in Oregon. Experience with electronic health records or patient portals. Microsoft Office experience. Physical and Other Demands Ability to speak and listen on the phone, typically wearing a headset, for the majority of the workday. Ability to type and document in the electronic record while carrying on a phone conversation. Ability to sit or stand for extended periods during work hours. Capacity to manage multiple tasks, switch between very different kinds of calls, and prioritize effectively in a fast-paced environment. Ability to perform light physical tasks, such as sweeping, taking out trash, and climbing stairs. To apply, please upload your Resume or CV.

Pay:

$20.58 - $21.91 per hour

Benefits:

Dental insurance Flexible schedule Health insurance Life insurance Paid time off Vision insurance Application Question(s): 1. This role requires just ONE of the following — any single one is enough: (a) a bachelor's degree in psychology or a social-services-related field, OR (b) at least 3 years of education and/or work experience related to social services, OR (c) meeting Oregon's QMHA requirements. Do you meet at least one of (a), (b), or (c)? 2. How many years have you worked in office or customer-service roles where talking on the phone was a substantial part of your day? 3. Which best describes your experience with phone-heavy work — roughly half the day or more on calls? (a) I've done it for a year or more and liked it (b) I've done it, and it was fine — but not my favorite part of the job (c) I haven't done sustained phone work, but I have years of face-to-face customer contact (d) I haven't done much of either yet 4. In any work or volunteer role, have you asked people questions about sensitive topics such as suicide risk or substance use? (a) Regularly — it was part of my role (b) Occasionally (c) I've been trained in it but haven't used it much yet (d) Not yet — but I'm willing to learn, with the training and supervision you provide 5. This job mixes 20-minute screening interviews with rescheduling calls, benefits questions, and password resets. Which sounds most satisfying to you? (a) The screening interviews — longer, deeper conversations (b) The small wins — a frustrated caller who hangs up relieved (c) The variety itself — switching gears all day 6. Which of these have you used or done in a work setting? Report all that apply. (a) Electronic health record (EHR) or patient-portal systems (b) Scheduling or appointment software (c) Multi-line phones or a call queue (d) Insurance, Medicaid/OHP, or benefits verification (e) Worked in a mental health or social-services setting (f) Spreadsheets, email, and word processing (g) None of these yet 7. With or without reasonable accommodation, are you able to perform the physical aspects of this role? These include wearing a headset and speaking on the phone for most of the day, sitting or standing for extended periods, climbing stairs, and light physical tasks such as sweeping. 8. A caller has spent ten minutes telling you how hard it was to finally reach out for help. As you talk, you realize the service they need has a months-long waitlist. In 100 words or fewer, write what you would actually say to them — your words, as you'd say them on the phone.

Work Location:

In person