Remote Administrative Assistant-Behavioural Health

Job Description This is a remote position. Job Title: Remote Administrative Assistant – Behavioral Health (U.S.) Location: Fully Remote Employment Type: Full-Time, 40 hours per week Working Hours : 8:00 AM–5:00 PM Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, including a one-hour break Contract Term: 12–18 months, based on organizational needs, performance, and mutual fit Position Summary The Behavioral Health Administrative Assistant will support the day-to-day administrative operations of a busy behavioral health practice. This is a hands-on remote administrative role involving electronic health records, patient information, data entry, payment processing, pharmacy prior authorizations, insurance-related follow-up, telephone and electronic communication, and general administrative support. The successful candidate will regularly interact with: ● Patients. ● Therapists. ● Psychologists. ● Psychiatric providers. ● Pharmacies. ● Insurance companies. ● Healthcare institutions. ● Internal administrative team members. Because of this regular communication, the person must have excellent written and verbal English communication skills, clear and easily understandable spoken English,professionalism on the telephone, patience, and strong customer-service skills. The ideal candidate has 3–5+ years of administrative experience in a healthcare environment, understands the sensitivity of protected health information, is comfortable using electronic health record systems, and can work independently while following established clinical and administrative procedures. Key Responsibilities 1. Administrative & Data Entry Support ● Enter and update patient, demographic, billing, insurance, clinical-administrative, and other required information accurately within the electronic health record. ● Maintain complete, accurate, and organized electronic patient records. ● Review information carefully for missing, incomplete, inconsistent, or potentially incorrect details. ● Follow up appropriately when additional administrative information is required. ● Complete routine data-entry and administrative tasks accurately and efficiently. ● Maintain organized electronic documentation and filing systems. ● Ensure information is entered into the appropriate system and patient record. ● Follow established workflows when updating or modifying healthcare information. ● Escalate questions requiring clinical or professional judgment to the appropriate clinician. 2. Electronic Health Record Support ● Work confidently within the practice's Electronic Health Record (EHR) / Electronic Medical Record (EMR) environment. ● Enter, update, organize, and retrieve patient administrative information. ● Maintain accurate patient demographic and insurance information. ● Upload and organize relevant administrative documentation. ● Review records for completeness. ● Ensure documents and information are associated with the correct patient. ● Follow practice standards for EHR documentation and information handling. ● Protect patient information at all times. Prior experience with an EHR or EMR system is required . Experience with behavioral-health-specific systems is an advantage. 3. Pharmacy Prior Authorizations ● Submit pharmacy prior authorization requests on behalf of psychiatric providers. ● Retrieve required clinical, medication, insurance, and patient information from the electronic health record. ● Complete electronic and written prior authorization submissions accurately. ● Verify that required documentation is included before submission. ● Monitor the status of outstanding prior authorizations. ● Follow up with pharmacies and insurance companies as required. ● Communicate approvals, denials, requests for additional information, and outstanding requirements to the appropriate provider or administrative team member. ● Maintain accurate records of prior authorization activity. ● Support appeals-related administrative documentation when requested by the clinical team. ● Follow open requests through completion rather than allowing them to remain unresolved. 4. I nsurance & Healthcare Organization Communication ● Communicate professionally with health insurance companies, pharmacies, healthcare institutions, and other external organizations. ● Contact insurance companies when information, authorization status, eligibility details, or administrative clarification is required. ● Document relevant information received during telephone calls or electronic communication. ● Route information promptly to the correct internal team member. ● Follow up on unresolved administrative matters. ● Maintain professionalism even when dealing with complicated, delayed, or repetitive requests. ● Never provide clinical advice or make decisions requiring licensed professional judgment. 5. Patient Communication & Telephone Support ● Communicate professionally and compassionately with patients by telephone and approved electronic communication channels. ● Respond to routine administrative questions within the scope of the position. ● Obtain or clarify demographic, insurance, payment, pharmacy, scheduling, or other administrative information when required. ● Route clinical questions to the appropriate licensed professional. ● Maintain a calm and respectful tone when communicating with patients who may be frustrated, anxious, confused, or experiencing difficult circumstances. ● Clearly document relevant telephone conversations and required follow-up. ● Protect patient privacy when discussing sensitive information. ● Avoid discussing protected information where conversations could be overheard. Because this position involves regular telephone communication, clear, fluent, and easily understandable spoken English is an important requirement. 6. Payment Processing ● Process patient payments accurately and securely. ● Follow established procedures for handling payment information. ● Respond appropriately to routine payment-related questions. ● Maintain accurate payment records. ● Protect financial information and payment details. ● Never store financial information outside approved systems. ● Escalate billing disputes or questions outside the scope of the role to the appropriate team member. 7. Google Workspace & Communication Support Use Google Workspace extensively for day-to-day communication and administrative work. The successful candidate must be comfortable using: ● Gmail ● Google Calendar ● Google Drive ● Google Docs ● Google Sheets ● Google Meet ● Google Chat ● Google Voice Responsibilities include: ● Responding promptly to internal Google Chat messages. ● Using Google Voice for approved business telephone communication. ● Managing and organizing electronic information in Google Drive. ● Creating and editing documents through Google Docs. ● Entering and organizing information in Google Sheets. ● Participating in virtual meetings through Google Meet. ● Maintaining professional written communication through Gmail. ● Using Google Calendar as required for coordination and scheduling. 8. Clinical & Administrative Team Support ● Work collaboratively with therapists, psychologists, psychiatric providers, and administrative staff. ● Respond promptly to internal requests. ● Keep relevant staff informed about outstanding administrative matters. ● Communicate when additional information is needed. ● Escalate clinical questions appropriately. ● Support providers by reducing the administrative burden associated with patient care. ● Follow through on assigned tasks until they are completed or appropriately transferred. ● Maintain clear communication when delays or obstacles arise. 9. HIPAA, Privacy & Confidentiality Because this role will involve access to Protected Health Information (PHI), strict compliance with privacy and security requirements is essential. The successful candidate must: ● Understand and comply with HIPAA privacy and security requirements. ● Access patient information only when required for an authorized work purpose. ● Maintain confidentiality regarding all patient, clinical, insurance, financial, and practice information. ● Never discuss patient information with unauthorized individuals. ● Use only approved systems for storing, accessing, or communicating PHI. ● Maintain a secure, private workspace where confidential conversations cannot be overheard. ● Follow required password, device, access-control, and cybersecurity procedures. ● Immediately report suspected privacy, confidentiality, or security incidents. ● Complete required HIPAA and data-security training. Requirements Required Qualifications ● Bachelor's degree in one of the following or a closely related field: ○ Health Information Management / Health Records & Information Management ○ Healthcare Administration / Health Services Management ○ Public Health ○ Health Services Administration ○ Business Administration with a healthcare or health-services focus ○ Health Informatics ○ Another relevant healthcare-administration or health-information field. ● 3–5+ years of administrative experience in a healthcare setting. ● Demonstrated experience supporting healthcare professionals, clinics, medical practices, hospitals, behavioral-health organizations, insurance organizations, or similar healthcare environments. ● Previous experience using an Electronic Health Record (EHR) or Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system. ● Strong understanding of healthcare administration and patient-information workflows. ● Understanding of HIPAA, patient privacy, confidentiality, and appropriate handling of protected health information. ● Strong computer and data-entry skills. ● Excellent attention to detail and accuracy. ● Strong organizational and prioritization skills. ● Ability to independently manage multiple administrative responsibilities. ● Excellent written and spoken English. ● Clear, professional, and easily understandable telephone communication. ● Strong interpersonal and customer-service skills. ● Ability to communicate effectively with patients, pharmacies, insurance companies,healthcare institutions, clinicians, and administrative professionals. ● Ability to recognize when an issue requires clinical judgment and escalate it appropriately. ● Strong proficiency with Google Workspace, including Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs,Sheets, Meet, Chat, and Google Voice. ● Ability to work independently in a remote environment. ● Ability to consistently meet deadlines and follow established workflows. ● Reliable high-speed internet access. ● A professional and private workspace suitable for handling confidential healthcare information. Preferred Qualifications ● Previous administrative experience in a behavioral health, mental health, psychiatry, psychology, therapy, or counseling practice. ● Experience supporting psychiatric providers. ● Experience submitting and tracking pharmacy prior authorizations. ● Experience communicating directly with pharmacies. ● Experience working with health insurance companies. ● Experience verifying or managing insurance-related information. ● Experience supporting prior authorization appeals or follow-up. ● Experience processing healthcare payments. ● Experience working remotely for a U.S.-based healthcare organization. ● Familiarity with U.S. healthcare terminology and administrative workflows. ● Experience using Google Voice for professional telephone communication. ● Experience working with sensitive behavioral-health information. Software & Tools The successful candidate should be experienced with or able to quickly learn: ● Electronic Health Record / Electronic Medical Record systems ● Google Workspace ○ Gmail ○ Google Calendar ○ Google Drive ○ Google Docs ○ Google Sheets ○ Google Meet ● Google Chat ● Google Voice ● Pharmacy prior authorization portals and systems. ● Insurance company portals. ● Secure healthcare communication systems. ● Online payment-processing systems. The candidate does not need prior experience with every specific platform used by the practice but must demonstrate strong overall technical proficiency and the ability to learn new healthcare systems quickly. Ideal Candidate Profile The ideal candidate is: ● Dependable ● Highly organized ● Detail-oriented ● Accurate ● Professional ● Patient and compassionate ● Responsive ● Trustworthy ● Discreet ● Comfortable with technology ● Strong in verbal communication ● Clear and confident on the telephone ● Able to work independently ● Comfortable following established procedures ● Able to recognize when an issue should be escalated ● Adaptable and comfortable learning new systems This individual should enjoy administrative work and understand that accuracy, confidentiality,timely follow-up, and professional communication directly affect the quality of the patient experience. Because behavioral healthcare involves sensitive situations, the successful candidate must demonstrate maturity, empathy, discretion, and the ability to communicate respectfully with people from a variety of backgrounds and circumstances. Working Hours & Schedule ● Full-Time — 40 hours per week. ● Monday through Friday. ● 8:00 AM–5:00 PM Eastern Time, including a one-hour break. ● The successful candidate must be consistently available during these hours because the role involves live communication with U.S.-based staff, patients, pharmacies, insurance companies, and healthcare institutions. ● Occasional scheduling adjustments may be made based on practice needs. Success in This Role When this role is functioning effectively: ● Patient records remain accurate and organized. ● Prior authorizations move forward without unnecessary delays. ● Pharmacies and insurers receive timely responses. ● Patients receive professional and compassionate administrative support. ● Payments are handled accurately and securely. ● Clinicians spend less time managing administrative follow-up. ● Internal communication remains clear and responsive. ● Sensitive healthcare information remains protected. ● Administrative tasks are completed without staff having to repeatedly follow up. Ultimately, the successful candidate will help the clinical team remain focused on providing excellent behavioral healthcare while knowing that critical administrative details are being handled accurately, professionally, and confidentially. Benefits Compensation & Benefits ● Competitive Salary commensurate with relevant experience, qualifications, demonstrated expertise, interview performance, and the scope of responsibilities. ● Performance-based salary reviews and raises ● Remote work flexibility