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The Independent Clinician Jena H. Casbon, MS CCC-SLP

Free Chapter

www.IndependentClinician.com

All Rights Reserved. No Copying Or Distribution Allowed.

All Rights Reserved. No Copying Or Distribution Allowed.

http://www.IndependentClinician.com


Intro to Treating Private Patients

Hello! My name is Jena H. Casbon, MS CCC-SLP and I am a Speech-Language Pathologist.

In 2008 I founded The Independent Clinician as a means to empower other rehabilitation professionals to work for themselves in order to reap the professional and monetary rewards that come from working independently.

As PT/OT/SLP clinicians, business skills are probably not your primary area of expertise. However, if you’re interested in developing a private patient business, you need to learn some basic business skills.

From early on I knew I had a calling to be a helper. I had no idea that I would end up helping both patients and clinicians to reach their goals.

Founding The Independent Clinician After several years of working in the Outpatient Department of a large rehabilitation hospital, I began to realize that many of my colleagues were seeing private patients. Although on one hand they discussed it freely, there was also an air of hush to the topic. Two of my colleagues took me under





their wings and showed me the ropes. When I looked to the American Speech, Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) there wasn’t much information. Similarly, I couldn’t find many guidelines or advice in the physical or occupational therapy associations. The “how-to” guide that I desperately wanted didn’t exist.

I continued to work full-time for my job at the hospital and saw my private patients after work hours and on weekends. All the while I kept diligently searching for information to make sure that I was running my private patient business ethically, legally and in an organized manner.

In 2009, I decided to start creating materials for fellow clinicians that I had wished was available for me when I first started out:

A “How-To” Guide to Seeing Private Patients A Guide to Online Marketing

I knew that I was not the only rehabilitation professional who was interested in new professional challenges and extra income associated with seeing private patients! I knew that there were thousands and thousands of PT/OT/SLP’s




who would love to start seeing private patients, if they had the knowledge and confidence to start.

“But I’m Not a Business Person!” Very few people who classify themselves as “helping professionals” also consider themselves to be “business-minded people.” Looking at the allied health field as a whole, we’ve got a bunch of nice people who love to help others. We work hard and do not get paid enough for all of the time and stress that come with our jobs. We either have the mindset or are taught to think that our fields are so rewarding, it makes up for the money that we don’t make. Don’t get me wrong, I would never trade my job as a Speech-Language Pathologist to become an Investment Banker, but it wouldn’t hurt to get paid like one!

Most clinicians who see private patients charge between $75 and $125 per hour depending on their level of experience and geographic location. Some helping professionals feed badly for charging patients for their services.

Remember, it is not bad to charge someone for what they want:

Patients are willing to pay money in order to improve their current level of functioning. You are helping them by giving your knowledge and expertise. You have a graduate degree and your skills are worth money. If they are willing to pay for the progress, then you should be willing to exchange your time for their money. Simple.


You Are Exchanging Your Skills for Their Success



Many patients/families who hire private therapists do so because their insurance is no longer covering treatment. For some patients, this is due to reaching a plateau but for others, it could be due to exhaustion of benefits. Another similar situation includes students who are having a hiatus of treatment over the summer. Either way, these patients are looking to continue receiving therapy and you can help them.

How You Can Become An Independent Clinician The decision to become an Independent Clinician is a big one and should not be taken lightly. You already have the experience of graduate school and treating patients under your belt. In order to see patients privately, at a minimum, you must know about the following:

• How to protect yourself and your patients legally

• How to get new patients

• How to document your patients’ treatment

• How to keep track of the money you make and file your income taxes accordingly

While you are welcome to spend hours researching everything you need to know about those areas, I have already done that and have compiled the Chapters containing the information that you need to see private patients in an organized and confident way.




How Seeing Private Patients Can Change Your Life As I’ve expressed, there are many professional and monetary benefits to seeing patients privately. No matter what you primary motivator is for seeing private patients, it is an excellent new challenge to undertake.

When I started to see private patients I saw several changes in my life. I was more confident in my clinical and professional skills. I was more disciplined about increasing my professional knowledge and to becoming an expert in my field. I was re-energized about the field of Speech-Language Pathology; and yes, I was excited about the extra income that I was earning.

The surprise benefit that I did not anticipate was the personal feeling of satisfaction that came with taking charge my professional life and my earning potential. We all know that we are overworked and underpaid. Seeing private patients allowed me to feel, for the first time, that I was truly earning my income - not being a slave to it.

Book Chapters The Independent Clinician Guide to Private Patients chapters are broken down into different sections that will increase your understanding of the rules, regulations and practices associated with seeing private patients.

Each chapter contains detailed, step-by-step blueprints to teach you all of the necessary information to be confident in your abilities both as a therapist and a businessperson.

As a special bonus, many of the chapters contain templates, worksheets or examples from both my private practice and your fellow clinicians. This


https://www.independentclinician.com/guide-to-private-patients.html



invaluable information will help decrease your anxiety of “making a mistake” while keeping you organized and confident about your business.

They are written for therapists by a therapist (me!) and are based on my personal experiences, research and discussions with many successful private practitioners, who have paved the road for your success.

Here’s a Sneak Peek at The Chapter List 1. Professional Liability Insurance

2. Documentation 101

3. Marketing Your Private Patient Business

4. Business Skills and Mindset

5. Money! Set Your Hourly Rate & Track Your Income

6. Becoming a Health Insurance Provider

7. Taxes and Tax Deductions

8. Promote Yourself Online - For Free!

9. Remember, you already have the clinical skills to be a certified physical, occupational or speech therapist; you just need the tools to become an Independent Clinician.




Quiz: Are You Ready To See Private Patients?

Give yourself one point for every “yes” answer

1. Do you have a few extra hours per week to devote to seeing private patients?

2. Do you have an ideal kind of patient or disorder that you like to treat?

3. Are you comfortable enough in your clinical skills to see patients on your own?

4. Are you interested in making more money as a physical, occupational or speech therapist than you make at your primary position?

5. Are you organized enough to keep track of documentation, patient forms and information?

6. Are you interested in a new professional challenge?

7. Are you ready to have more flexibility in your schedule?

8. Does the thought of having more control over your caseload excite you?

9. Have you always been interested in seeing private patients but just wished you knew how?

10. Are you ready to be an Independent Clinician?




7-10 Points

You’re well on your way to being an Independent Clinician! You have the desire and motivation to start seeing private patients. Whether it’s the professional challenge, the drive for increased flexibility or the monetary rewards, being an Independent Clinician is in your future! These Chapters will make sure you have all of the tools and resources to start seeing private patients with confidence. Click here to purchase “The Guide” today!

3-6 Points

It sounds like you have a budding interest in becoming an Independent Clinician. While you may not have the time or confidence in your abilities right now, this is something to consider for the future. The Independent Clinician Guide to Private Patients gives you all of the tools and resources you need to get started. Whether your start next month or in three years, the information it contains will be very valuable for you to know.

0-2 Points

It sounds like you’re not quite ready to become an Independent Clinician. Maybe you’re new to the field of rehabilitation or recently graduated from graduate school and are interested in future clinical options. Or maybe making extra money or having more flexibility are not issues you face. The information that the Independent Clinician Guide to Private Patients contains is invaluable for PT/OT/SLP’s who want to start seeing private patients. When you’re ready, we’re here for you.





The Decision Is Yours If you have made the decision to start seeing private patients, the following resources are available as you begin to plan and start your private patient business. The Independent Clinician Guide to Private Patients will help you do this in a way that promotes education, organization and both ethical and legal practice. You are already skilled in helping your patients. Now it is time to help you.

Once You’re Ready… If you’ve decided that you’re interested in seeing private patients, the best way to get started is by learning more about professional liability insurance, documentation and marketing. These are the essential aspects of groundwork that you need to understand before you start to see patients.

Once you have your first private patient, you need to learn more about what to do with the money you earn, how to establish a business mindset, how save money while building your private patient business and how to get even more referrals.

Seeing private patients is an extremely challenging and profitable career move for clinicians looking to expand their professional practice.

“The only work that will ultimately bring any good to any of us is

the work of contributing to the healing of the world.”

-Marianne Williamson





BONUS

Life Purpose/Goals Worksheet

Whenever embarking on a new challenge, it’s a good idea to analyze your goals, motivations and hopeful outcomes. This worksheet will help guide you towards realizing what it is that you want to achieve regarding your private patient business.

1. What is your life's purpose?

Most people believe that life has a purpose. Within that, many believe that they themselves have a role to fulfill or a specific job to do. For some people, this comes easy. For others, much time and effort is spent contemplating their purpose in life. This worksheet is designed to help you re-evaluate your goals and purpose in life, both professionally and personally.

Jena's Life Purpose

A. Freedom

• Freedom to live on my own terms (work for an employer and/or be my own boss)

• Freedom of making my own schedule (I can work as much or little as I want)




• Freedom to treat patients with therapy methods and frequency that I feel are the most effective for them

What freedoms do you seek?

B. Fulfillment

• Helping patients and families achieve their goals post illness

• Helping fellow clinicians succeed financially by starting their own private patient businesses

• Creating a legacy of teaching others how to succeed

• Have a means of creative output

What fulfills you?

C. Inspiration

• Knowing that I am making a difference in peoples lives

• Making a difference in the lives of people who have survived medical hardship/tragic event

• Seeing fellow PT, OT and SLP therapists succeed in staring their own businesses

What inspires you?




D. Recognition

• Have patients show progress and express gratitude for their improvement

• Be thought of as both a clinical and business expert in my field

• Have a loyal community of clinicians who benefit from and trust the value that I offer them

How do you want to be recognized?

2. What are your strengths as a clinician?

Are you a good teacher? A good listener? Have you done research or training to become an expert in a particular treatment or diagnosis?

3. What are your patients able to achieve with your help?

For example, what value do you offer your patients and their families?

4. What motivates you about the work you do?




5. Why do you want to have a private patient business?

6. How many hours per week are you available to see private patients?

7. What would you like your annual income to be from both your regular job and with private patients?

The Million-Dollar Question If you had a million dollars in the bank right now, how would it change your life?

What three things would you buy this year? How would you live differently?

What are the first things that you would pay for with your private patient business?

Ex. Credit cards, student loans, a new house, a family vacation, eat out more often or have more luxuries.

What are three things you want to do before you die?

If you were approaching the end of your life, what are three things you'd be sad if you hadn't experienced?




Whenever you start a new challenge it's good to think about what your goals and motivations are. You will be able to work harder if you feel that your efforts will result in you achieving your dreams and helping to better your life.

Empower Yourself.

Treat Private Patients.

Click here to purchase

the only guide

that teaches SLP’s, OT’s and PT’s

to successfully change your life as well as

the lives of your private clients and their families.





Book Reviews from Clinicians Just Like You

“Your website and book have provided me with a wealth of information! Thank you so much. I'm excited to get started with my new business. I do have 1 client already and she's a doll! Just trying to wrap my brain around the business side of it all. But got my first paycheck today!! So that's encouraging!! Thanks again for sharing your business ideas with us. Great help!!!”

- Debbie C., Speech-Language Pathologist

“Hello Jena,

I purchased your book. It has taken me to a new dimension in my private practice as an occupational therapist. I cannot believe how your book answered a prayer that I was repeating all summer."

- Cheryl D., Occupational Therapist

“Hi Jena,

I have successfully started treating clients as part my business Superior Kids LLC. I do feel that I owe you a big thanks for putting my best foot out there and giving it a try. Currently I am seeing private pediatric clients in their home. I do also have a full time school based job on the side! Thank you for your encouragement and resources!!”

Sincerely,

- Michele J., Occupational Therapist





"I received my book in the mail today. It appears to be extremely helpful; providing answers to questions I would have spend countless hours researching!!!!! THANK YOU FOR DOING WHAT NO ONE ELSE HAS!!!"

- Stephanie B., Speech-Language Pathologist

"I just read the guide and it is great. It has really made seeing private clients seem manageable to me! It's so great to have templates for documentation too. Thanks for putting together this great resource.

I am asked probably 3-4 times per year by parents and staff if I do private therapy, and have always said "no," thinking it would be too much of a hassle, and feeling like I'm not aware enough of all that is involved; but now I feel like I can say "yes" instead!

What a great way to earn some additional income while doing what I really enjoy, and having some increased autonomy when it comes to making decisions about my clients and their treatment!"

- Megan P., Speech-Language Pathologist

“In the past two months I opened up a private occupational therapy practice for myself to run. So far I have four kids who come to see me and am getting calls to see more. Your book is my bible in getting started and I am still referring to it.”

- Shaila S., Occupational Therapist at Mindful Movement



http://www.mindfulmovement.info/



“I just read the guide and it is great. It has made treating private clients feel manageable to me! It’s to great to have the templates for documentation too. Thank you for putting together this great resource!”

Julia R., Speech-Language Pathologist

“Hi Jena,

I looked at your website/blog. Wow, could I have used all that information a few years back when I was setting up my own private practice. I will definetly keep your blog as a resource.

Thank you!”

- Annie R., Speech-Language Pathologist


What will

YOUR

testimonial say?



Are you ready to start treating private patients?

There has never been a better time to get started treating private patients. It’s time to stop procrastinating and start your new life.

Here’s to your private practice success!

Jena


Your Next Steps 1.) Click here.

or visit:


2.) Purchase The Guide to Private Clients

3.) Gain knowledge and confidence

4.) Change your life








free chapter - d2vvqscadf4c1f.cloudfront.net...resources are available as you begin to plan and...

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