Admin Staff

Administrative Assistant

What am I looking for? I’m currently looking for one part-time (10-15 hours/week) administrative support staff member to join the team in the new year. The job is a combination of reception, onboarding clients, and billing follow up. You would be working hybrid at least initially (partially remote/via zoom & partially in person in South Richland) Mon-Thur. I am looking for a good fit for the team who is looking to spend some time with the group and gain skills in healthcare industry in a private practice setting. A good fit would be friendly, energetic, compassionate, and affirming and safe for the LGBTQIA2S+ and neurodiverse communities.

What are the hours? The hours initially are set, but as time goes on, you may have the freedom to modify the virtual hours slightly to better fit your needs and the workload. The expectation would be that you are signing on at the start time and that you may sign off early if you complete the daily tasks prior to the end time. That is where the 10-15 hours come into play. In my office, the number of reception tasks and billing work varies week-to-week. It would be impossible for me to name an exact number of hours, but I can guarantee 10 hours and probably will hit 15.

Monday 12PM – 5PM
Tuesday 12PM – 3PM
Wednesday 2PM – 5PM
Thursday (in person): 1PM – 5PM

What is the pay? You would be working on a W9-1099 contract. Pay starts at $22/hour for the first 6 months and then increases by $1/hour every 6 months, reaching $25/hour by the end of year two.

How does this pay compare to similar jobs? Richland, WA local avg hourly pay being offered, at the time I looked (Nov 2023), for similar jobs ranged from $17-28/hour.

How do you determine pay? Pay schedules are re-evaluated for all my team each year and are based on cost of living and increases to the payouts by insurance companies. We all make increases together. The first two years would be guaranteed by contract for you and following that you would get increases any time we all got increases and proportionally to what the rest of the team got. We sign new contracts each year following the initial 2-year term.

Are there benefits? As a part-time, 1099 contractor you do not receive benefits as you are not an employee of the company. You are working as an independent contractor, providing services to my team.

Can I work another job? Of course! As a contractor, you are not bound to work only for my group and are welcome to seek employment or contract work with other groups and companies to meet your needs.

What are the requirements and preferred qualifications for the job?

Unless otherwise noted, the following are required qualifications:

· Bachelor’s Degree in relevant field (preferred); though will accept high school graduate or above with relevant experience

· Computer Skills: Microsoft Office, Google Workspace (Gmail, Drive, Voice), Zoom

· Bilingual. Verbal and written proficiency in Spanish and English

· Medical billing experience – 1 year in a healthcare setting (preferred)

· Current HIPAA certification equivalent to recommended courses, or completion of recommended courses after hire, but prior to beginning work

o Both courses can be purchased and completed here: https://www.hipaatraining.com/hipaa-training-for-mental-health

· Customer service or receptionist experience – 1 year (preferred)

· Excellent interpersonal skills

· Multi-cultural humility and equitable practices

· Competency around various marginalized identities: LGBTQIA, disability, etc.

· Integrity and honesty

· Ability to work on a multi-disciplinary team

· Willingness to work hybrid, including attending meetings on Zoom and in person at a coffee shop.

· Efficient time management skills

· Adaptability and flexibility to changing work tasks and hours

· Knowledge of, and access to, basic office technology: email, online fax, remote voicemail, text, scanner, printer

· Reliable internet connection

· Familiarity with electronic healthcare record system (preferred)

What are the responsibilities of the job?

The following are the regular tasks that will be completed daily as needed:

· Responding to potential client phone calls, texts, and emails in both English and Spanish

· Setting up initial client charts and maintaining up-to-date client information sheets

· Collecting initial informed consent documents and assessments from clients and any ongoing or follow up documents requested via company DocuSign and email

· Managing waitlists for providers

· Screening incoming clients for interns and ensuring informed consent around intern’s work needs

· Maintaining information on company marketing listings

· Invoicing and billing insurances and clients of interns

· Following up on incoming referrals

· Data entry of payments received in the mail from insurance companies or other sources into Company electronic health record (EHR)

· Balance provider accounts in Company EHR

· Following up on any rejected or unpaid claims to determine next steps and completing updates to claims

· Communicating with/supporting providers/clients around all administrative needs/questions

· Completing benefit checks on all incoming client insurances

· Maintaining shared documents around reception and billing tasks/updates

The following are the tasks that come up occasionally or on a less frequent (quarterly/annually) basis:

· Modifying company documents in both English and Spanish

· Drafting and sending company letters to clients

· Credentialing new providers and maintaining their profiles on credentialing sites

· Collecting from all current clients annual updates to demographics, benefits, consents, and symptom screeners to ensure compliance with current laws/ethical standards of care

· Reaching out to, and meeting with, program staff and referral coordinators with other groups to maintain networking and accurate information on their lists related to our group

How can I apply? You can apply by sending a cover letter and resume to admin@lycancounseling.com. NOTE: In a cover letter, I am NOT interested in a detailed run through of how your work experience makes you a fit or how it is applicable to this job. I can read your resume and ask about that if I want to know. What I can’t know from a resume is what makes you personally a safe and compassionate fit for my team. So, talk about that.

Much of what we do with onboarding clients is communicating about their concerns and needs over email or text messages. We need to be able to do so in a way that is both personal and professional. So, consider this a good faith practice. Help me know you as a person and feel safe with you. If I cannot feel you are a good fit or match through an entire letter worth of opportunity, I cannot assume a client will in a much shorter time.

A strong cover letter may include answers to questions like: How have your personal experiences shaped you into a compassionate and safe person for the marginalized clients we see come through the door (LGBTQIA2S+, neurodivergent, BBIPOC, disabled, etc.)? What experiences have you had that made you passionate about working in mental health? What do you see as your role in supporting our clients and our team? What values do you hold that fit with my group’s mission and goals for support of the community and how do you see your values fitting with the work the providers are doing? What shared goals might we have for the community that will make you a good fit for the team?

My team believes that communication and openness in relationships with one another and our clients is what makes us stand apart from other groups. We share our lived experiences with our clients because that is integral in developing trust with marginalized populations. The more you can make me feel you will fit with that vibe, the better. You can learn more about my team below.

About The Team

Lycan Counseling is a 100% online mental health counseling practice serving clients in Washington State. We provide specialized services to youth and young adults via telehealth platforms. Lycan Counseling strives to provide accessible support to clients and works to build a comprehensive and diverse team of providers. 

You will quickly learn that I am not a “traditional” employer. In my practice, I value personal experience at least as much as professional training. My team is screened for lived experience as well as professional experience. I also believe in providing a safe and affirming space for all marginalized identities for both my team and my clients. 

Some people think that politics and personal beliefs “don’t belong at work” or “shouldn’t impact managerial decisions.” To an extent, I agree, and I certainly value differing perspectives and experiences. However, providing safe and effective care to my diverse clients, and providers, requires that I bring this to the forefront of my mind when deciding who will be a good addition to my team. Things like how we treat LGBTQIA+ or BBIPOC folks, is not a matter of opinion in my work; it is a matter of safety and ethics. I believe we are ethically bound to consider our clients safety from the perspective of each team member they may encounter. For that reason, I may ask you questions you have not been asked before. 

My interviews also tend to be less formal because knowing you as a person matters more to me than knowing your professional background. I believe that our own experiences guide the way we provide care. When we overcome hardship, we develop skills that help us to be understanding, resourceful, determined, empathetic, efficient, and more. 

I believe in working to create a diverse team and a cooperative work environment where we all succeed or fail together. You may be surprised to learn that I don’t have any employees in the traditional sense. My provider team is made up of a range of providers who are working to build their own successful practices. Rather than be a “boss,” I provide support that they need to be successful. I provide the business “know how” and the credentials they need to access the world of insurance. My providers run their own businesses and we work together in a cooperative environment and support one another’s success. As a team member, you will work with my entire team, providing services that support several small businesses through one platform. 

You can learn more about my business at lycancounseling.com