Job Description

ISTA Personnel Solutions is a dynamic and fast-growing BPO company. We are not a recruitment agency. We partner with international US clients and integrate our staff members directly within our clients' operations. We focus on long-term placements where you contribute directly to the client's success.

We are seeking a Patient Intake Specialist on behalf of our US-based client, a leading provider of innovative mental health and wellness treatments, including FDA-approved ketamine infusion therapy and Spravato (esketamine) treatments. The clinic serves patients struggling with treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, PTSD, OCD, and chronic pain, offering compassionate, medically supervised care.

Each clinic visit is a substantive 2-hour appointment, and the team is deeply committed to patient care. As our client's COO puts it: “You can literally change their lives — and we have so many stories.”

The Patient Intake Specialist is the warm, empathetic first voice that prospective patients encounter. This is not a traditional call centre role: the person in this seat must balance genuine human connection with clinical awareness and operational efficiency. The intake department is the critical first point of human contact for prospective patients — many of whom are in genuine distress — and plays a pivotal role in the clinical journey.

The role is the bridge between a patient in need and life-changing treatment. The Intake Specialist is responsible for converting inbound interest into scheduled consultations with the right patients, while ensuring every caller feels heard, valued, and supported.

PLEASE NOTE:

• Working Hours: You will be working EST Hours which converts to Monday – Friday | 00:00 AM – 9:00 AM SAST South African time – subject to change in accordance with daylight savings in the United States as well as the operational requirements of the Company
• Salary Range: This position offers between R10 000 - R23 000 GROSS (before deductions), depending on experience. Please note that there is no additional company benefits such as Medical Aid, Provident Fund, etc.
• You will be required to work on both South African and U.S. public holidays (compensation for SA public holidays in accordance with the BCEA).
• Internet Requirements: A fixed fibre line with a minimum speed of 25 Mbps (upload & download) and the ability to support a wired Ethernet connection is mandatory. Applicants without a fixed fibre line cannot be considered.
• Power Backup: A reliable power backup solution is required to manage load shedding and power outages. Applicants without a power backup cannot be considered.
• Work Environment: This is a fully remote working role.

Key Responsibilities:

Patient Communication & Intake

• Handle inbound calls, texts, and messages from prospective patients, many of whom are experiencing depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, or crisis.
• Conduct empathetic, structured intake conversations with a target duration of 6–11 minutes — long enough to build rapport and gather key information, efficient enough to maintain throughput.
• Identify appropriate treatment pathways (Spravato, IV Ketamine, or TMS) based on patient history, insurance status, and clinical eligibility criteria.
• Schedule evaluation consultations and onboard patients into the clinic management system.
• Manage existing patient calls, including rescheduling, follow-up appointments, and re-engagement of lapsed contacts.

Clinical Screening & Qualification

• Gather essential pre-qualification information (e.g., prior medication history required for Spravato eligibility, insurance coverage).
• Identify red flags that would indicate a patient is unlikely to convert, and handle those calls professionally without wasting clinical resources.
• Work closely with the clinical team to ensure only appropriately qualified patients are scheduled for consultations.

CRM & Workflow Management

• Utilise the clinic’s patient management and CRM system to log interactions, set tasks, track follow-ups, and manage milestones.
• Maintain an organised, up-to-date pipeline of leads and patient contacts.
• Proactively reach out to prospects who previously expressed interest but did not convert.

Quality & Continuous Improvement

• Participate in quality assurance reviews of calls and interactions.
• Contribute to post-visit follow-up initiatives (e.g., checking in with patients after their first appointment).
• Identify process improvements and raise them constructively with the supervising team.

Requirements

• Customer service or client-facing experience (minimum 1 year); experience in healthcare, social work, counselling, or mental health settings is a strong advantage.
• Excellent verbal communication in English — clear, warm, and professional.
• Computer literate with the ability to navigate CRM/patient management systems.
• Comfortable managing a high volume of interactions while maintaining quality.
• Experience with inbound/outbound phone-based roles is beneficial but not essential.

Essential Qualities:

• Warmth and genuine empathy — patients must feel cared for from the very first hello.
• Strong active listening skills, including the ability to pick up on keywords, emotional cues, and unsaid concerns.
• Ability to hold a conversation with dual intent: emotional support and clinical qualification, simultaneously.
• Confidence to gently steer conversations toward an outcome without ever making a patient feel rushed or dismissed.
• High emotional resilience — regular exposure to patients in distress, including those expressing suicidal thoughts.
• Self-motivated and able to work independently in a remote environment during evening/night hours.

Attributes That Will Make Someone Excel:

• A natural night owl who is energised and sharp during evening hours.
• Someone who finds deep meaning in helping people access mental healthcare.
• Organised, detail-oriented, and reliable.
• Able to set and maintain professional boundaries, even with emotionally demanding callers.
• A long-term thinker who sees this as a career, not a stepping stone.

What Success Looks Like In This Role:

Quality Indicators

• Patients feel heard and cared for
• High conversion rate (intake to booked consult)
• Correct patients scheduled (clinical fit)
• Call duration averaging 6–11 minutes

Volume Indicators

• 5–7 calls handled per hour
• Follow-up pipeline kept current
• CRM tasks and milestones up to date
• Minimal “dead on arrival” consultations

If you are not contacted within 14 working days, please consider your application unsuccessful.