Patient Support Specialist (Remote)

Salary: $20.00 Hourly Patient Support Specialist (Remote) At Author Health, we’re revolutionizing how mental health care is delivered, and we want you to be part of it! Our mission is to bring compassionate, high-quality care to people with serious mental illness, substance use disorders, and dementia, including older adults. We don’t just treat symptoms. We treat people — fully, holistically, and with heart! Through our virtual-first, innovative care model, we deliver community-based wrap-around outpatient mental health care inclusive of psychiatric, psychotherapeutic and care management services. We partner with primary care providers, hospitals, families, and caregivers to keep patients out of the hospital and empower them to live healthier, more connected lives. At Author, inclusivity isn’t a checkbox. It’s how we build trust and drive better outcomes! We honor the unique cultures, identities, and stories that shape every patient’s experience, and we’re creating a workplace where team members can show up as their full selves, too. If you’re driven by purpose, ready to shake up the status quo, and eager to make a real impact in people’s lives, we’d love to meet you. Let’s build the future of mental health care together! Summary/Objective The focus of this role is helping individuals schedule and attend health care services by forming meaningful connections and relationships. This position requires strong interpersonal skills, the ability to build trust quickly, and a relentless drive to help patients and their caregivers access the care they deserve. This role serves as the primary, empathetic, and knowledgeable point of contact for all incoming patient inquiries. The specialist ensures a uniform, high-quality patient experience and maximizes First Call Resolution (FCR) by managing inbound inquiries regarding appointment times, rescheduling, urgent needs, and billing, while documenting interactions thoroughly and providing seamless handoffs to our clinical team. Essential Functions Handle all incoming patient inquiries with professionalism, efficiency, and compassion, serving as the primary point of contact for every patient. Adhere strictly to the Inbound Call Procedure and Scripting, including the Standard Greeting Script, for consistent and empathetic communication. Triage and resolve common inbound call reasons, including initial scheduling, re-scheduling, appointment troubleshooting, insurance/billing questions, patient feedback/complaints, medication status questions, and urgent patient needs Provide support for appointment management, including verifying appointment times and rescheduling appointments. Handle emergency calls requiring urgent visits as needed. Assist patients with questions about medication status, re-sending scripts to pharmacies when needed. Execute core inbound call procedures using essential Author software tools. Document in CRM tools to log all call details (type, resolution, duration) and ensure data accuracy and HIPAA compliance. Work collaboratively with care teams to ensure a seamless transition from initial contact to ongoing support. Maintain availability to receive inbound patient calls throughout the entire scheduled shift, outside of designated break and meal periods. Provide feedback on engagement strategies to improve and evolve our approach, ensuring that we remain patient-focused and effective. Competency Strong ability to initiate conversations and build connections quickly, especially with individuals with vulnerable health care needs. Experience in healthcare, social services, or mental health services, with an understanding of seniors' needs and challenges. Proficiency in critical thinking, time management, and multitasking. Able to work independently and meet goals successfully. Basic proficiency in Google Suite and video conferencing platforms. Excitement for working in an innovative, fast-paced startup environment. Profound commitment to adherence to HIPAA regulations and internal company policies to ensure compliance. Strong tech proficiency and comfort using technology in daily work. Demonstrated ability to de-escalate emotional or high-stress patient situations with empathy, and effectively guide conversations toward a positive resolution or clear next steps. Required Education and Experience 2+ years of experience in customer service or customer-facing roles 2+ years of experience in healthcare Fluent in English and Spanish Preferred Education and Experience Experience in a high-volume inbound support or customer service environment. Experience working with mental or behavioral health patients Work Environment Employees will work from their homes, utilizing virtual tools and software to manage tasks and communicate with team members, patients, and other stakeholders. They will also complete administrative duties on a computer provided by the company. Physical Demands This role requires sitting for extended periods of time in front of a computer screen. The role must be able to lift up to ten pounds. Position Type and Expected Hours of Work Full time, a minimum of 40 hours per week, Monday-Friday. Travel Limited travel as required for team meetings and company events. Other Duties Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice. Employees may also be eligible for retention bonuses at 6 months and 1 year, with additional opportunities for pay growth based on performance and tenure. Author Health is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. It is the company’s policy to comply with all applicable equal employment opportunity laws by making all employment decisions without unlawful regard or consideration of any individual’s race, religion, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expressions, transgender status, sexual and other reproductive health decisions, marital status, age, national origin, genetic information, ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, veteran or family status or any other basis protected by applicable national, federal, state, provincial or local law. The company’s policy prohibits unlawful discrimination based on any of these impermissible bases, as well as any bases or grounds protected by applicable law in each jurisdiction. We are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible experience for all applicants. If you require any accommodations at any stage of the process, please let us know. The company is pleased to provide such assistance and no applicant will be penalized as a result of such a request. In accordance with applicable legal requirements such as the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance Author Health will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.