> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.officeridge.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Intake

> Referral pipeline from first contact through eligibility, assessment, and admission.

Intake is the referral pipeline from first contact through eligibility, assessment, and admission.

It is where members come from. A referral worked here becomes a member record in
[Members](/members).

## Who can use it

Organization Admins, Location Admins, Clinical Managers, and Client Coordinators.

## The referral board

Above the tabs, a kanban board shows referrals by stage. Use it to see where the pipeline is stalling
— a column that keeps growing tells you which step needs attention.

## Tabs

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Referrals" icon="inbox">
    Intake referrals moving from first contact through eligibility, assessment, and admission.

    **Columns:** First Name · Last Name · Source · Referred · Stage · Eligibility · Assessment ·
    Member

    | Field           | What it tracks                               |
    | --------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
    | **Source**      | Where the referral came from                 |
    | **Referred**    | Date of first contact                        |
    | **Stage**       | Position in the pipeline                     |
    | **Eligibility** | Whether payer eligibility has been confirmed |
    | **Assessment**  | Whether the clinical assessment is done      |
    | **Member**      | The member record created from this referral |

    A populated **Member** column means the referral converted.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Synced Referrals" icon="refresh-cw">
    Patient referrals synced from external sources with acceptance status.

    **Columns:** Patient · Source · Status · Date

    These arrive from outside OfficeRidge rather than being entered by your staff. **Status** shows
    whether your agency has accepted the referral.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Working a referral through to admission

<Steps>
  <Step title="Log the referral">
    Record the person's name, the source, and the referral date. Speed matters here — referral
    sources notice how quickly you respond.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify eligibility">
    Confirm the prospective member's payer eligibility before investing in assessment.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Complete the assessment">
    Carry out and record the clinical assessment.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Convert to a member">
    Create the member record. The **Member** column links the referral to the record it produced.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Obtain the authorization">
    The member cannot be scheduled for billable service until an authorization is in place. See
    [Authorizations](/members/authorizations).
  </Step>
</Steps>

The full cross-module walkthrough is in
[New member admission](/guides/new-member-admission).

<Tip>
  Not every referral should convert. Closing one as `NON_ADMIT` or `DISREGARDED_REFERRAL` keeps your
  pipeline honest and your conversion reporting meaningful.
</Tip>

## Troubleshooting

| Problem                           | What to check                                                                                   |
| --------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| A referral has no Member link     | It has not been converted yet, or the member was created separately and never linked back.      |
| Synced referrals are not arriving | External referral sync depends on an integration. See [Integrations](/account/integrations).    |
| Eligibility keeps failing         | Confirm the Medicaid ID and date of birth are exactly as the payer holds them.                  |
| The board looks empty             | Check your active organization and location, and whether referrals have been filtered by stage. |

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Members" icon="users" href="/members">
    Where converted referrals land.
  </Card>

  <Card title="New member admission" icon="route" href="/guides/new-member-admission">
    Referral to active member, end to end.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>