Here is a professional job description you can use for an outpatient mental health clinic. A suitable title would be Medical Administrative Assistant / Behavioral Health Office Coordinator.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Medical Administrative Assistant / Behavioral Health Office Coordinator

Position Summary

The Medical Administrative Assistant / Behavioral Health Office Coordinator provides administrative, clinical documentation, and operational support for an outpatient mental health clinic. This position assists with patient communication, appointment scheduling, insurance prior authorizations, correspondence, electronic health record documentation support, website maintenance, and social media activities.

The employee is expected to maintain professionalism, accuracy, confidentiality, and compliance with HIPAA and clinic policies at all times.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

1. Patient Calls and Communication

• Answer incoming telephone calls professionally and courteously.
• Respond to general patient questions within the scope of the position.
• Take accurate messages and forward clinical concerns to the appropriate provider.
• Contact patients regarding appointments, paperwork, medication-related administrative matters, and provider instructions.
• Route urgent or clinical concerns promptly to the appropriate clinical staff.
• Maintain confidentiality when communicating by telephone, email, text, or electronic systems.

2. Appointment Scheduling

• Schedule new patient evaluations, medication-management follow-ups, therapy appointments, and other clinic services.
• Confirm, reschedule, and cancel appointments as needed.
• Send appointment reminders and telehealth information.
• Maintain accurate provider schedules.
• Assist with reducing missed appointments by following clinic procedures for appointment reminders and follow-up.
• Coordinate appointments based on provider availability and clinic policies.

3. Letters and Administrative Correspondence

• Prepare and format letters as directed by providers, including work, school, treatment verification, accommodation, and other appropriate correspondence.
• Prepare forms and other administrative documents for provider review and signature.
• Ensure that letters containing clinical information are reviewed and approved by the treating provider before release when required.
• Maintain copies of correspondence in the appropriate patient record.

4. Email and Electronic Communication

• Monitor and respond to clinic emails as assigned.
• Route clinical questions and medication concerns to licensed clinical staff.
• Send approved forms, letters, appointment information, and other correspondence.
• Maintain professional and HIPAA-compliant electronic communication practices.

5. Clinical Documentation and AI-Assisted Note Preparation

• Assist providers with preparation and organization of clinical documentation using clinic-approved AI documentation tools when authorized.
• Transfer, format, and organize AI-generated documentation into the appropriate clinical note format.
• Review drafts for obvious formatting, demographic, transcription, or organizational errors.
• Ensure AI-generated content is treated as a draft and submitted to the treating provider for clinical review, correction, approval, and signature.
• Do not independently add diagnoses, medications, clinical findings, risk assessments, treatment decisions, or other clinical information that was not provided or approved by the treating provider.
• Maintain confidentiality of all patient information used with approved technology.

6. Insurance and Prior Authorizations

• Submit and follow up on medication prior authorizations.
• Obtain necessary insurance information and supporting documentation.
• Communicate with pharmacies, insurance companies, and patients regarding authorization status.
• Notify providers when additional clinical information, peer-to-peer review, or medication changes require provider involvement.
• Document prior-authorization activities and outcomes appropriately.
• Assist with insurance verification and administrative eligibility issues as assigned.

7. Electronic Health Record Support

• Maintain accurate demographic and administrative information in the electronic health record.
• Upload and organize documents, laboratory results, forms, correspondence, and other records.
• Assist with obtaining outside medical records and releases of information according to clinic policy.
• Support providers with administrative EHR tasks while maintaining appropriate role-based access.
• Protect usernames, passwords, and patient information from unauthorized access.

8. Website Management

• Assist with routine updates to the clinic website.
• Update approved information regarding services, office hours, locations, contact information, and announcements.
• Identify outdated or inaccurate website information and report it for correction.
• Ensure that clinical or promotional content is approved by clinic management before publication.

9. Social Media and Marketing

• Assist with maintaining the clinic's approved social media accounts.
• Create and schedule approved educational, informational, and promotional content.
• Assist with flyers, announcements, clinic updates, and community outreach.
• Ensure that no patient-identifying information, photographs, testimonials, or protected health information are posted without appropriate authorization.
• Follow clinic policies regarding professional boundaries, confidentiality, and social media use.

HIPAA and Confidentiality

The employee must maintain strict confidentiality regarding all patient, employee, and business information. Protected health information may only be accessed, used, or disclosed as necessary to perform assigned job responsibilities and in accordance with HIPAA, applicable laws, and clinic policies.

Scope of Position

This is primarily an administrative support position. Unless separately licensed and authorized, the employee may not independently:

• Diagnose or assess psychiatric conditions.
• Provide medical or psychiatric advice.
• Recommend, initiate, discontinue, or change medications.
• Interpret laboratory or diagnostic results for patients.
• Make independent treatment decisions.
• Sign clinical documentation on behalf of a provider.
• Approve AI-generated clinical documentation without provider review.
• Represent themselves as a licensed healthcare provider.

All clinical decisions and final clinical documentation remain the responsibility of the appropriately licensed treating provider.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required; associate or bachelor's degree preferred.
• Previous experience in a medical, psychiatric, behavioral health, or healthcare office preferred.
• Strong telephone and customer-service skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organizational and time-management abilities.
• Comfortable using computers, electronic health records, email, Microsoft Office, AI-assisted documentation systems, websites, and social media platforms.
• Experience with insurance prior authorizations preferred.
• Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information appropriately.
• Knowledge of HIPAA and patient confidentiality requirements preferred.
• Ability to work independently while recognizing when matters must be escalated to a clinical provider.

Professional Expectations

The employee is expected to demonstrate professionalism, dependability, confidentiality, respectful communication, attention to detail, appropriate boundaries, and timely completion of assigned duties.

Reports To: Clinic Administrator, Practice Manager, Medical Director, or designated supervisor

Department: Outpatient Behavioral Health / Mental Health Services

Position Type: Full-Time. 8:30 AM to 6 PM