Position Summary: A discharge planner is a core member of a NBHS’s patient care-facilitation team. Discharge planners work to coordinate the patient's transition to life after the hospital.

Discharge planners work closely with physicians, nurses, utilization-management specialists and associated clinical professionals to help patients in the acute setting transition to a lower level of care or a higher level of care that meets the immediate clinical needs. In practice, the discharge planner helps to remove barriers to the patient's timely discharge from the acute-care environment. The discharge planner is often called upon to resolve clinical, psychosocial and financial barriers on the patient's behalf.

Discharge planners often join the daily rounds with the treatment staff. In addition to rounding with physicians, the discharge planners will meet with patients and families to discuss placement options, works with the treatment team to organize medical records for transmittal to another treatment facility or service provider, provides feedback to the treatment team about the availability of resources, and makes referrals or linkages to services that a patient may need to follow-up with after discharge. Sometimes, a discharge planner will overcome minor barriers, such as a lack of transportation from the hospital to home.

Minimum Qualifications:

Education: High school diploma

Experience: at least two years of mental heatlh experience