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White Deer Run - Allenwood·Allenwood, Pennsylvania
Utilization Specialist
The Utilization Specialist acts as a liaison between managed care organizations and clinical staff to monitor service utilization and optimize reimbursement. They are responsible for conducting medical necessity reviews, managing the appeals process, and ensuring accurate documentation for patient stays.
Proactively monitor utilization of services for patients to optimize reimbursement for the facility. Pleasant and important work helping people in their journey towards recovery.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: Act as liaison between managed care organizations and the facility professional clinical staff. Conduct reviews, in accordance with certification requirements, of insurance plans or other managed care organizations (MCOs) and coordinate the flow of communication concerning reimbursement requirements. Monitor patient length of stay and extensions and inform clinical and medical staff on issues that may impact length of stay. Gather and develop statistical and narrative information to report on utilization, non-certified days (including identified causes and appeal information), discharges and quality of services, as required by the facility leadership or corporate office. Conduct quality reviews for medical necessity and services provided. Facilitate peer review calls between facility and external organizations. Initiate and complete the formal appeal process for denied admissions or continued stay. Assist the admissions department with pre-certifications of care. Provide ongoing support and training for staff on documentation or charting requirements, continued stay criteria and medical necessity updates. OTHER FUNCTIONS: Perform other functions and tasks as assigned.
EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE/SKILL REQUIREMENTS: Required Education: High school diploma or equivalent. Preferred Education: Associate's, Bachelor's, or Master’s degree in Social Work, Behavioral or Mental Health, Nursing, or a related health field. Experience: Clinical experience is required, or two or more years' experience working with the facility's population. Previous experience in utilization management is preferred LICENSES/DESIGNATIONS/CERTIFICATIONS: Preferred Licensure: LPN, RN, LMSW, LCSW, LPC, LPC-I within the state where the facility provides services; or current clinical professional license or certification, as required, within the state where the facility provides services. CPR and de-escalation and restraint certification required (training available upon hire and offered by facility. First aid may be required based on state or facility requirements. ADDITIONAL REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS: While this job description is intended to be an accurate reflection of the requirements of the job, management reserves the right to add or remove duties from particular jobs when circumstances (e.g. emergencies, changes in workload, rush jobs or technological developments) dictate. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants for employment regardless of an individual’s characteristics protected by applicable state, federal and local laws. WHDRUN
Candidates must have a high school diploma, with a preference for a degree in social work, nursing, or a related health field. Clinical experience or at least two years of experience with the facility's population is required, along with relevant professional licensure.
Market context
Behavioral health employers in Pennsylvania often seek candidates with direct patient care experience, and roles can be more competitive when applicants also bring phlebotomy certification or experience in crisis, detox, or acute psychiatric settings. This posting requires a high school diploma or GED plus at least one year of patient care experience, and the listed requirements and benefits are AI-summarized from the original job description to save you research time. If you’re considering applying, review whether your experience matches the setting and be ready to highlight any behavioral-health or phlebotomy background.