Behavioral Health Telephone Triage Services

The vendor is required to provide telephone triage should assure that communication with each caller will be handled in a professional and tactful manner.
- Customer service
• Respond to patient and provider requests for referral assistance professionally and ethically, demonstrating the ideals of good customer service
• Obtain and verify patients’ insurance status and/or ability to pay for mental health services.
• Assess patient’s need for level of care, specialty area for referral, and risk level in the process of identifying appropriate providers for patient to choose from.
o Provide a copy of their proposed assessment they wish to use along with their response. 
• Obtain, verify, and maintain confidentiality when managing personal patient information. 
• Use standardized methods for evaluating patients’ ability to pay where sliding scale fees are available. 
• Refer patients to community resources throughout the greater phoenix area to ensure successful support and referrals wherever possible.
- Technology requirements
• Contractor shall host a website which shall serve as the primary source for information and access to the referral requests. the web site should be made available to providers to enroll in the network of providers to whom referrals will be made. 
• A community phone line should be available as an additional method for making a referral request and responding to all patient requests. the telephone should be an important aid in this service as it serves the community members with challenges using internet-based resources.
• A secure database should be used to store patient and provider information
o Providers who enroll in the network will complete an application that attests to their training and experience, conduct an interview to verify and confirm and validate their practice and availability. 
o Providers will be identified in the network based on area of expertise and training, insurance panel participation, private pay fees and sliding scale options, geographic location, treatment modalities, gender and cultural identities.
o Patient referral requests shall include information on the identified patient including presenting concerns, insurance, ability to pay, age, gender, and preferred modality for treatment. 
o The patient by phone to verify their profile and requests and to further assess level of risk, intensity of need, and verify modalities appropriate to the presenting condition prior to matching the patient to providers
3. confidentiality and compliance
• Document all communications in the secure database including tracking of referrals and provider enrollments. 
• Communications should include the initial contact through the confirmation of a first mental health appointment. 
• In addition to using written protocols for clinical decision-making, all employees conducting telephone triage must be licensed and use sound clinical and professional skills in conducting the assessments and referrals. 
- Provider profiles shall be reviewed biannually to keep the referral base current to ensure patients can be connected within a reasonable time frame.
• Community-based crisis services and service entities will be used as support for urgent and emergent referrals whenever necessary. 
• Contractor and its employees must ensure the confidentiality and security of patient information in compliance with act and applicable state regulations.
- Staffing
• Provide licensed therapists with relevant experience in mental health triage and crisis management.
• Ensure all staff are trained in telephone communication, de-escalation techniques, and cultural competency.
• Maintain adequate staffing levels to meet the call volume and ensure timely responses.
o Contractor shall have one (1) trained and licensed therapist on site during the hours of 8:00am to 5:00pm, Monday through Friday at all other times an on-call therapist shall be available.
- Contract Period/Term: 1 year
- Questions/Inquires Deadline: July 8, 2025