Careers and Internships

Responsibilities
• Evaluate incoming requests for new psychiatric services, gather relevant information necessary before first appointment (including external records, objective questionnaires, consent forms, etc.), and schedule according to urgency, consulting when necessary.
• Manage between appointment phone calls with clients including those initiated by clients as well as follow up calls per provider request, including completing suicide risk screenings and assisting with safety planning with high risk clients as needed
• Manage psychiatric provider schedules, including moving appointments when urgent needs arise
• Manage medication refill request process, including reviewing recent prescription and appointment history, reviewing any side effect or compliance issues, screening for risk, passing along information to covering prescriber if own prescriber is unavailable, etc.
• Complete prior authorizations as needed
• Assist with caseload management of psychiatric providers, including monitoring for and assisting with the transition to PCP once stable on medication regimen
• Support clients through referrals to other specialists as needed and ensure that follow up lab work or other needed information is completed as directed by psychiatric providers
• Perform I-STOP review for all clients seen by psychiatric providers
• Manage transitions/referrals between psychiatric team members in consultation with director of clinical services
• Additional responsibilities as assigned by the director of clinical services

Required Qualifications
• Licensed as registered nurse in New York
• Expert knowledge regarding HIPAA and privacy regulations
• Prior experience working with psychiatric providers
• Demonstrated knowledge, awareness, and skills regarding mental illnesses, the psychotropic medications used to address their symptoms, and common issues that arise when managing them
• Commitment to continuing to learn about impact of culture and identity in the healthcare environment

Additional Preferred Qualifications
• Experience working with clients across the age spectrum, from young children to older adults
• Experience working with marginalized communities and the intersecting systems that impact them including those who experience homelessness, food insecurity, poverty, racism, homophobia/transphobia, ableism, etc.
• Experience working with family members of clients, including the permissions and limitations of privacy regulations on family involvement
• Experience working in a facility licensed by the New York State Office of Mental Health

Application Submission Process
Please email a cover letter and resume to: Dr. Alecia Sundsmo, Director of Clinical Services at asundsmo@fcsith.org

Responsibilities:

• Claims Processing: Prepare and submit insurance claims for mental health services, ensuring all necessary information and documentation is included.
• Verify insurance coverage and eligibility for clients and follow up on any claims-related issues.
• Billing and Invoicing: Generate invoices and statements for clients detailing services rendered and any applicable co-pays or deductibles.
• Monitor accounts receivable and follow up on outstanding balances, negotiating payment plans as necessary.
• Coding and Documentation: Accurately assign diagnostic and procedure codes (e.g., ICD-10-CM, HCPCS, and CPT codes) to patient records and claims.
• Review clinical documentation to ensure it supports the services billed and complies with insurance requirements.
• Compliance: Stay up-to-date with relevant healthcare billing regulations and insurance company policies to ensure compliance.
• Ensure adherence to patient confidentiality and HIPAA regulations in all aspects of the job.
• Payment Posting: Post payments and adjustments to patient accounts, reconcile with insurance payments and resolve discrepancies.
• Denials Management: Investigate and resolve claim denials by insurance companies, writing appeals, follow up with insurance reps, and resubmit claims when necessary.  Collaborate with healthcare providers to gather additional information to support claims.
• Reporting: Prepare and maintain billing reports and records for tracking billing activities, revenue, and collections.
• Provide regular reports to management on the financial health of the mental health facility.
• Customer Service: Address billing inquiries and concerns from clients, insurance companies, and healthcare providers professionally and helpfully.
• Available for general client/guest/clinician support.
• Always respect client dignity and confidentiality.
• Maintain HIPAA compliance.
• Maintain a welcoming, professional manner and appearance with all clients—team-based communication.
• Documentation according to established procedures and channels of communication
• Communication with clinicians per established procedures.
• Active participation as an administrative support team member via daily communication and weekly meetings.
• Additional duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications:   

• High school diploma or equivalent (Associate degree in a related field is a plus). Billing/Coding Certification is a plus.
• Previous experience in healthcare billing, particularly in mental health services.
• Proficiency in medical billing software and electronic health records (EHR) systems.
• Understanding of both UB-04 and 1500-claim form and billing regulations.
• Understanding how to read remittance advice, CARC, and RARC definitions.
• Understanding of NCCI and MUE edits.  Knowledge of insurance contracts and expected reimbursement.
• Knowledge of Medical coding, CPT, ICD-10-CM, and HCPCS.
• Familiarity with insurance verification and claims processing procedures.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to interact with clients and colleagues effectively.
• Attention to detail and accuracy in data entry and documentation.
• Understanding of healthcare compliance regulations, particularly HIPAA.
• Problem-solving and critical-thinking skills to address billing-related issues.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Requirements:

• The ability to work well independently and on a team, to collaborate well with other organizations, advisory groups, staff and the public.
• Commitment to an organizational culture that centers the importance of diversity, equity, and cultural responsiveness and that contributes to an inclusive working and learning environment.

Responsibilities:

• Answers and directs all incoming calls into the agency, including, taking messages as
• Engages and directs all incoming traffic; oversees the waiting area and all public facing
• Assists all new clients with intake paperwork; communicates co-payment or private pay
• Directs all benefit eligible and/or clients with delinquent accounts to the billing department for
• Collects and posts cash (co-pay) payments in billing database; reconciles daily
• Accurately enters all clinical appointments into scheduler database; makes follow up calls as
• Sorts and distributes all incoming mail and faxes; aids sending of faxes as
• Responsible for entering all client information into our database in a timely and accurate
• Coordinates internal and external meetings on behalf of clinic staff (e.g., interview scheduling, team meeting scheduling, managing meeting room access, etc.).
• Supports all clinic administrative needs including but not limited to creating and maintaining clinic staff lists and phone numbers for easy access, creating on call rotation schedule, facilitating staff supply orders,
• Supports fellow colleagues by providing back up to other support positions and duties as
• Adheres to professional standards, F&CS policies and procedures, federal, state, and local requirements, and OMH standards, including HIPPA requirements.
• Other assignments and tasks may be added at the discretion of the Clinic Office

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will be friendly and engaging to a diverse staff and clientele, have excellent communication skills (written and oral), be detail-oriented, and able to perform several job functions concurrently. The candidate will have demonstrated skills in remaining calm when in a crisis and with patience and understanding in working with individuals who struggle with mental illness. All candidates must have comfort and facility with electronic communication, databases, and programs. Specific Microsoft office proficiency and electronic medical records experience is highly desirable. Prior experience working in a healthcare setting is a plus. Must have a clear understanding of how to maintain confidentiality and professionalism in the workplace.

Contact Information:

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to asundsmo@fcsith.org, or to the address below. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
Attn: Dr. Alecia Sundsmo, Director of Clinical Services Family & Children’s Service of Ithaca
127 W. State Street Ithaca, NY 14850

Responsibilities:

Candidates must possess a master’s or doctorate degree in a mental health field, with preference given to those with a NY license enabling them to practice independently.  Our ideal candidate would have a minimum of two years of post-master’s experience providing therapy to children and teens in an outpatient setting.   Candidates must be able build rapport with clientele who are diverse in their race, culture, religion, economic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and abilities.

Contact Information: Please email a cover letter and resume to

Attn:  cmccarter@fcsith.org
Family & Children’s Service of Ithaca
127 W. State Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Responsibilities:

Candidates must possess a master’s or doctorate degree in a mental health field, with preference given to those with a NY license enabling them to practice independently.  Our ideal candidate would have a minimum of two years of post-master’s experience providing therapy to children and teens in an outpatient setting.   Candidates must be able build rapport with clientele who are diverse in their race, culture, religion, economic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and abilities.

Contact Information: Please email a cover letter and resume to

Attn:  cmccarter@fcsith.org
Family & Children’s Service of Ithaca
127 W. State Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Responsibilities:

Candidates must possess a master’s or doctorate degree in a mental health field, with preference given to those with a NY license enabling them to practice independently.  Our ideal candidate would have a minimum of two years of post-master’s experience providing therapy to children and teens in an outpatient setting.   Candidates must be able build rapport with clientele who are diverse in their race, culture, religion, economic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and abilities.

Contact Information: Please email a cover letter and resume to

Attn:  cmccarter@fcsith.org
Family & Children’s Service of Ithaca
127 W. State Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Responsibilities

• Conduct a needs assessment of our community in order to determine where our grant funded services of clinically informed outreach, consultation, and education may best contribute to the needs of our 0-5 children and those who care for them.
• Develop a set of clinically informed outreach, consultation, and education services that match the grant funding, the resources allocated, and the needs of our community that the program will deliver, including strategies to monitor performance and impact through these services.
• Prepare quarterly and annual reports on service delivery to demonstrate how grant funding has been spent as well as how it is accomplishing the goals of the program.
• Collaborate externally with community agencies to ensure that information related to program services is disseminated to relevant parties and that services continue to be influenced by what the community is needing for this population.
• Collaborate internally with F&CS staff regarding cross-program referrals, sharing knowledge across staff serving similar populations, and connecting through various meetings and/or trainings to ensure that these programs are not isolated, but have integrations across the organization.
• Provide outreach, consultation, and education services directly to children, caregivers, and other related stakeholders.
• Maintain boundaries between services provided under this program and clinical services, and reinforce with all stakeholders the difference. This is not a clinical diagnostic or treatment service and is not covered under HIPAA, is not billable to insurance, etc.
• Create and maintain a records system for documentation of all services provided under this program.
• Supervise a part-time Consultant within the Zero to Five Project who will assist with providing outreach, consultation, and education services.
• Keep up with professional developments in the field in order to keep knowledge base current with changes in understanding of the needs children ages 0-5 and those who care for them.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a mental health discipline (license to practice not necessary).
• Demonstrated professional experience with children age 0-5 and their parents.
• Proficiency in formal and informal presentations delivering content designed to raise awareness, knowledge, and skills.
• Clear understanding of the systems at play in the lives of children ages 0-5 and their caregivers and how these interact with the cultural identities of the children and their caregivers.
• Demonstrated success in program design, implementation, monitoring, and reporting.

Additional Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with managing grant funded programs including working knowledge of Consolidated Fiscal Reporting (CFR) regulations.
• Supervisory experience.
• Prior work experience in a clinical capacity with children.
• Experience working with families for whom English is not their first language and may have limited proficiency.

Additional Opportunities

Applicants who also hold a clinical license to practice may also be able provide billable therapy hours within the clinic above the program lead 30 hour position to create a full time appointment at F&CS. If interested in this possibility, please mention this in your cover letter and during your interview.

Contact Information:
Please send a resume and cover letter to the address or email listed below:
Attn: Dr. Alecia Sundsmo, Director of Clinical Services
asundsmo@fcsith.org

Family & Children’s Service of Ithaca
127 W. State Street
Ithaca, NY 14850

Responsibilities

• Conduct a needs assessment of our community in order to determine where our grant funded services of clinically informed outreach, consultation, and education may best contribute to the needs of our aged 65+older adults and those who care for them.
• Develop a set of clinically informed outreach, consultation, and education services that match the grant funding, the resources allocated, and the needs of our community that the program will deliver, includingstrategies to monitor performance and impact through these services.
• Prepare quarterly and annual reports on service delivery to demonstrate how grant funding has been spent as well as how it is accomplishing the goals of the program.
• Collaborate externally with community agencies to ensure that information related to program services is disseminated to relevant parties and that services continue to be influenced by what the community isneeding for this population. This may include but is not limited to participating in regular, ongoing meetings in the community with other stakeholders related to the provision of services to older adults.
• Collaborate internally with F&CS staff regarding cross-program referrals, sharing knowledge across staff serving similar populations, and connecting through various meetings and/or trainings to ensure that theseprograms are not isolated, but have integrations across the organization.
• Provide outreach, consultation, and education services directly to older adults, care partners, family members, and other related stakeholders.
• Maintain boundaries between services provided under this program and clinical services, and reinforce with all stakeholders the difference. This is not a clinical diagnostic or treatment service and is not covered underHIPAA, is not billable to insurance, etc.
• Create and maintain a records system for documentation of all services provided under this program.
• Supervise a part-time Consultant within the Older Adult Project who will assist with providing outreach, consultation, and education services. Keep up with professional developments in the field in order to keep knowledge base current with changes in understanding of the needs of Older Adults and those who care for them.

Required Qualifications
• Master’s degree in a mental health discipline (license to practice not necessary).
• Demonstrated professional experience with older adults and their care partners.
• Proficiency in formal and informal presentations delivering content designed to raise awareness, knowledge, and skills.
• Clear understanding of the systems at play in the lives of older adults and their care partners and how these interact with the cultural identities of the older adults and their care partners.
• Demonstrated success in program design, implementation, monitoring, and reporting.

Additional Preferred Qualifications
• Experience with managing grant funded programs including working knowledge of Consolidated Fiscal Reporting (CFR) regulations.
• Supervisory experience.
• Prior work experience in a clinical capacity with older adults.
• Experience working with families for whom English is not their first language and may have limited proficiency.

Additional Opportunities
Applicants who also hold a clinical license to practice may also be able provide billable therapy hours within the clinic above the program lead 30 hour position to create a full time appointment at F&CS. If interested in this possibility, please mention this in your cover letter and during your interview.

Contact Information:
Please send a resume and cover letter to the address or email listed below:
Attn: Dr. Alecia Sundsmo, Director of Clinical Services
asundsmo@fcsith.org

Family & Children’s Service of Ithaca
127 W. State Street
Ithaca, NY 14850

Requirements:
Candidates must possess a MD or PMHNP, with preference given to those with a NY license enabling them to practice independently.  Candidates must be able build rapport with clientele who are diverse in their race, culture, religion, economic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and abilities. Our ideal candidate would have experience treating individual across the lifespan, though there is room for specialization within the child, adult, and/or geriatric mental health segments of the population.

F&CS is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion and, in that spirit, actively encourages applications from members of groups whose exclusion from the mental health field has been longstanding.  No individual will be discriminated against in application, hiring or employment on the basis of race, age, culture, ability, ethnicity or nationality, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, marital status, religious affiliation, and socioeconomic status.

Contact Information:
Please send a resume and cover letter to the address or email listed below:
Attn: Dr. Alecia Sundsmo, Director of Clinical Services
asundsmo@fcsith.org

Family & Children’s Service of Ithaca
127 W. State Street
Ithaca, NY 14850