Starting My Private Practice
It was 2003, I had a one year old son and I was working part time as a Speech Language Pathologist in Early Intervention. I was suffering from what I like to refer to as “Mom guilt.” I loved my job, I loved my son but I hated dropping him off at daycare. My husband and I decided it was time for a change. We determined private practice was the answer. I could work from home in the evening while my husband watched our son. I put in my notice at work and immediately went about setting up my own private practice. I’m not going to deny that I was a little nervous. How was I going to get clients? How was I going to pay for all the materials I needed to provide adequate services? How would I set up my home environment in a way to allow me to provide therapy for my clients without interrupting my family’s life? How would I handle billing? What about liability?
Over the last few years several SLP’s interested in setting up their own private practices have asked me similar questions. While I am no expert, I am happy to share what has worked for me. Hopefully, those of you interested in working for yourselves will gain some insight as to how you might make it a reality.
My first concern of course was clients. How would I get them? Having worked in early intervention I was fortunate enough to know some people looking for private therapy now that their children were over the age of three. I started with those clients and went from there. Next I made sure my name was on the ASHA web site as a private SLP in my area. After that I contacted the local hospitals and Universities and got my name on the referral list for private speech therapists. I also contacted other private therapists in the area and let them know that I would appreciate any referrals they might have in the event that their caseloads were full. I have also found it useful to share my business cards with local pediatricians and school teachers. Between my efforts to get my name out there, and word of mouth I have always had all the clients I have time to see.
With a handful of clients interested in beginning therapy my next question was how would I afford the materials I needed to get started. After consulting with my husband we decided we’d make the investment in a few key things, my own personal computer, Boardmaker, a copier and a laminator. With those tools we figured I could make what I needed to get started and continue to acquire what I needed as I went. I was armed and prepared (at least I felt like was making progress). Even still the task of making all the materials I needed was daunting so I just took it a week at a time. I prepared what materials I needed in therapy for the upcoming week. As the weeks went on I appreciated how quickly I was able to acquire the materials I needed. Over time, I have been able to acquire some basic assessments for the school age population I work mainly with, as well as other therapy tools and treatment programs. The trick was to not expect to have everything right away, just start with your clients immediate needs and build from there.
Now that I had clients coming, and the therapy materials I needed, my next question was how would I set up my home environment in a way to allow me to provide therapy for my clients without interrupting my family’s life? Well to be honest, when I first started my therapy setup wasn’t ideal but we figured a way to make it work. I tell you this because if you are determined you can find a way no matter what your circumstances may be. At the time I started my husband and I lived in a three bedroom, two bathroom condo on the second floor. We decided to turn the first bedroom into my therapy room. The second bedroom remained my son’s room and the third bedroom was ours. I organized all my son’s toys on shelves in my therapy room. I used the closet for all my therapy materials I didn’t want my son to get into during the week and I put a small table with two chairs in the middle of the room. When I opened my closet doors on therapy day my room was immediately transformed from my sons play room to my therapy room. I had easy access to all my therapy materials.
With my therapy room all setup I had to determine where I would have the parents wait while I did therapy with their children. So I put a video camera in my therapy room that would always be on my client and I. Then my husband connected the video camera to the television in my family room so the parents of my clients could wait on the couch in the other room while they watched what we were doing in therapy. It has turned out to be a great system. The parents love that they can see everything that is going on, and I love that having the parents in the other room reduces client distractions.
Another way I have tried to reduce distractions for my clients during therapy is to put a sign on my front door, like the one pictured above, with my clinic name on it that invites clients to just walk in instead of ringing the doorbell. When the next client arrives they simply wait in the family room until the previous session has ended. This makes for a smooth transition between clients.
When my second child was on the way my husband and I looked for a larger home. While we made therapy work in the condo, meaning my husband and son pretty much hibernated in the back bedrooms while I did therapy, we decided it was time to look for a home that would work a little better. Our goal was to find a home that could have a separate entrance for my clients and a space we could divide from the rest of the house that included a therapy room, a family room/waiting room and a bathroom. With a little patience we were able to find what we were looking for within our budget. And the best part is I can do therapy without it affecting the lives of my family quite as much.
With clients coming, materials ready and a place to provide therapy I knew it was time to tackle the uncomfortable subject of billing. To start with I had to determine how much I would charge for my services. I did this by comparing how much other private therapists in the area were charging before I determined my rate. Then I decided that I would offer therapy sessions in 30 minute or 1 hour increments only. From there I was able to prepare my invoices. I was sure to include my clinic logo and information, the client name, the billing month, the dates of service, the hourly rate for service and the total due. I also include at the bottom of every bill an outline of the payment agreement.
The payment agreement states that the client will pay for services one month in advance, if a client is more than two weeks late in paying their bill a late fee of $10 will be applied to their bill. The client is allowed two free cancellations a year and after that they are charged 50% for every additional cancellation. It also states that if a client misses therapy with no notice that they will be charged the full amount for services. In addition if a client check bounces a $25.00 fee will be applied to their bill.
This type of stuff can be difficult to talk to clients about, but it’s certainly necessary to let them know up front what your expectations are. I simply put it in the parent contract I have the parents sign at my first parent meeting before I begin therapy, then follow up and ask if they have any questions. I have found that having it all outlined for the parents makes it easier on them and me. It helps them realize that my time is important and they seem to be more committed to therapy as a result.
With committed clients, therapy materials, a place to practice and invoices ready I only had one more concern. What about liability? That can be kind of scary for an independent private therapist. First I made sure I got a business license through the city in which I reside. Then I decided to handle this the same way most health care providers handle it. I have my clients sign a contract before therapy begins that essentially releases me from any liability.
In my contract I state that I am an SLP with my certificate of clinical competence through ASHA. I state that I am licensed through my state as well as have a business license with my city. I state that I will provide services that both parties agree on but that ultimately it is the parents’ responsibility for bringing the goals to therapy. It is stated that the parent will not hold me responsible for any claims or damages of any kind, for injury to any person or persons and/or for any damages due to loss of property arising directly or indirectly out of participation in these therapy sessions.
Then I review the payment agreement, which I outlined above. Finally I have the parents sign their name and the date. I’m sure my contract may not be legally air tight, but it gives me a little more peace of mind as I try to do what I love to do. Be a mom and a speech language pathologist out of my home.
With clients, materials, a place to do therapy, invoices handled and less concern about liability the only thing left to do is just do it! I know that everyone’s situation is different and what has worked for me, may not entirely work for you. I hope that sharing this information will at least give you a place to begin when starting your home-based speech therapy business.
Running my own private practice has truly been a joy of mine, and the best part is that I feel like I’m still home with my kiddos. I get to do it all, stay connected to the world of speech language pathology on my own time and never miss putting my kids down for nap or greeting them when they get off the bus. I love it! I hope you will too.
Heidi Hanks, MS, CCC-SLP, lives in Utah with her husband and (soon to be) 4 children. She graduated from Utah State University in 2000 with her Master’s degree in Communicative Disorders. She worked in early intervention for 3 years and has been doing private therapy from her home for the last 7 years. She also writes the blog Mommy Speech Therapy, which is aimed at helping parents take a more active role in helping their children with speech and communication development. Heidi can also be found on Twitter @mommy_slp.
I AM WORKING AS SPEECH THERAPIST IN A HOSPITAL AND RUNNING A CLINIC PRIVATELY
I AM ALSO DOING MS IN SPEECH MATHALOGY WOULD YOU TEL ME WHAT IS CCC-SLP
AND PLEASE DO SHARE SOME IDEAS AND SYLLABUS THAT YOU HAD READ IN YOUR COURSE AS I AM NOW A DAYS STUDING AT ISLAMIC INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL COLLEGE ISLAMABAD PAKISTAN
Javariya,
Thanks for your comment! CCC stands for a certificate of clinical competence from the American Speech Language Hearing Association. SLP stands for Speech Language Pathologist.
Good luck with your studies!
Heidi
How inspiring! Thanks for posting this. Your therapy room is absolutely adorable. I was just wondering, do you have liability insurance? Whenever I have provided private therapy (at client’s homes) I always made sure I was covered. It is only around $100 per year and provides a lot of peace of mind. You can check the ASHA website for companies that provide it. Best of luck with continued success!
Natalie,
Thank you so much for your comment. I agree that liability insurance is a great protection for us, and at $100 I think it is definitely worth the peace of mind.
Heidi
I loved reading your story! I am just finishing my undergraduate at Utah State University~GO AGGIES! Your story makes me very excited to finish school and start working. I was wondering if you deal with insurance at all, and if so how that works? Thanks for sharing your story.
Britnee,
To make it easy on myself I have decided not to deal with insurance companies. I have told my clients if they are interested in seeking reimbursement from their insurance company they are welcome to submit for it themselves and I am happy to provide any information the insurance company might need. That has worked for a few of my clients. I hope this helps.
Good luck with school! USU is awesome.
Heidi
Did you ever have a problem with non-payment since you weren’t billing the insurance companies? Also, I know you mentioned that you called around to find the “going rate.” But who did you compare with? Private practices that saw children only or private practices that saw adults or both? I’m looking to start with seeing young children only. (My background is in the schools). But there are no clinics in my area who see children-only so I don’t know how to get that starting number.
Thanks for any help!
Melanie
Sounds like a great solution! I love the idea of being able to be at home with the kids, but still work (on your own terms). Have you ever had anyone bring up the issue of zoning (e.g., increased traffic coming into a residential zone, client parking, etc), or has it never really been an issue for you? Also, do you do your own accounting or do you work with CPA?
Heather,
Thanks for your comment!
Zoning has never been an issue for me since I only see one client at a time. Also, I have a business license through my city and before I was able to begin my practice they came out and inspected my home and gave me clearance to run my business.
As far as accounting goes, I do all my own billing. However, I do work with a CPA at the end of the year to do all my business taxes.
Thanks for sharing this. My husband and I have often talked about me starting a private practice at some point down the road, and this is a well thought out documentation of one way to do so. Thanks for your input!
I was glad to read this. I am 7 years out of grad school and ready to begin private practice. There seemed to be so many pieces but you highlighted the main ones nicely. I’m finding that other than having my CCC’s the 2 pieces to be able to practice legally and safely are to have a business license and liability insurance. I do not yet have clients or a space to practice in but after reading your post I have confidence that it will all work out. I was pleased to see that you are the author of Mommy Speech Therapy – it is one of few SLP blogs I check in on from time to time.
I am currently working as a Speech Therapist in a public school. Just before working in the schools, I worked in nursing homes with patients exhibiting a variety of disorders such as dementia, CVA, and dysphagia. I am interested in doing private speech therapy after hours and on Saturday. You mentioned payment in your article but never mentioned if you ever bill their insurance, Medicaid or Medicare for your services. I’m not even sure that I can do that but was just curious if you only take payments from the individuals. Do you know what would be involved to be able to take insurance payments?
Rhonda,
I personally do not bill insurance companies. I have never needed to. But, ASHA’s “Model Superbill for Speech-Language Pathology” my be useful to you if you are interested in doing so. Check it out at http://www.asha.org/uploadedFiles/ModelSuperbillSLP.pdf.
Thank you so much for posting this. I am a mommy to two little ones and have been working part-time in the schools for four years. Its been really strong on my heart that I need to do private so I can spend more time at home with my kids while they are so young. My husband and I sat down to run the numbers and pray about it and are trying to get it kick started. Your article was just what I needed to read! Thank you so much!!
I am helping out a friend and seeing her son (volunteer time) I told her she did not have to pay me. Is this ethical and allowed or should there be some sort of contract/paperwork?
Nancy,
That is a good question. I guess it depends on what kind of relationship you have with your friend. If you are at all concerned I would have her sign a Release of Liability just to protect yourself. I am sure she won’t mind especially considering she is getting the services for free.
I am looking for a speech therapist that can help my child this summer. She will be going into kindergarten in the fall and we have been doing speech for 2 years. I live in Santaquin Utah. I am not sure where you are or if you know someone that does private speech in south utah county but if you have any advice I would love to hear from you. Thanks!
Katie,
I was just scrolling through the asha website and I saw your post. I am a speech therapist and I run my own private practice in Payson, UT. I would love to help you and your child out this summer. You can check out my website for more information about my practice or contact me at anytime. I would be happy to meet with you to answer any questions you have.
Thanks so much!
Alissa Holloway MS-CCC, SLP
Utah’s Communication Connection LLC
http://www.utahspeechtherapy.com
801.369.8369
I love this!! I am almost done with my CFY and would love nothing more than to have my own private practice! It’s so scary, though!!!
I currently work in a school system (with special needs and gen. ed. children ages 3-21) and we just found out we aren’t getting a raise until 2016…..
I don’t know how much longer I can “afford” to work in the schools! To be at home and do what I love sounds amazing. Plus, it’d be great considering my husband and I are about to start a family!
Do you limit your therapy to a specific population? Just wondering how much has changed since you wrote this article.
Thank you!!
Joscelyn,
My advice would be to take the clients that come in the beginning. And then as your practice grows you will have the freedom to choose the population you work the best with.
I am wanting to start my own private practice, but more like home health where I go to the client’s home. I am clueless when it comes to billing and all. Can you send any help or advice on the initial steps that I need to take to do this??
Beth,
Check out the “Model Superbill for Speech-Languge Pathology from ASHA at http://www.asha.org/uploadedFiles/ModelSuperbillSLP.pdf. It is a great guide to get you started with billing.
I am also interested in starting a private home health practice. What licensure did you need? I know you need to be a licensed therapist by the state, but is there anything else? I know that you mentioned a business license. I have an LLC..is this similar? Thanks!
Holly,
I also have a business license with the city I live in. So to sum it up, I have my state license, my city business license, my ASHA credentials and I set up an S-Corp for tax purposes. I think the S-Corp and the LLC accomplish the same thing. Good luck!
This is awesome, thanks for this post. I work in a different field and have just purchased professional liability insurance. My question is about taxes. Did you start out creating a company (like, an LLC) or did you do something else? I am not at the point where I think I need to officially own my own company, but I don’t understand the workings in terms of how to file with the IRS in 2012. Any tips, pointers, etc? Thanks!
Katherine,
I started out by talking to an accountant I trusted. I am sure an LLC would work great. I was advised to start an S-Corp. It is supposed to save me money on my taxes I think. The truth is I just meet with the accountant at the end of the year and do whatever she tells me to do.
I would much rather spend my time in therapy than on taxes!
This was a wonderful article! I don’t even know you, but I’m so proud of you for going for it! I graduated with my MS in Speech Therapy last May (just got my Cs!) and have been working for a school district for the last year. I would LOVE to start a private practice. I love organizing things and completing paperwork (weird, right?) and I just love the idea of owning my own practice! I am thinking of maybe starting out with just servicing a few clients on the side in the evenings. It’s the insurance that terrifies me. I can’t understand how insurance works for the life of me! Thanks for this awesome article and the tips you provided! Maybe I will start getting serious about this and go for my dream!
Hi. I’m very interested in doing private speech therapy in my home. I wanted my clients to pay me up front and go through their insurance company to see how much they could get reimbursed. How does the client do this exactly? Does the insurance company need to see an evaluation before deciding on reimbursement? Also, since I will build my caseload slowly and I do not have materials in my home, what standardized tests would you recomend me to buy for artic and language starting at 3 yrs +? Do you use any online sites for therapy? Favorite therapeutic materials? I have to spend my first few hundred dollars wisely in the investment. I’ve been working in the geriatric population since gradschool and want to work with pedes again and it’s been awhile! Thanks, Lisa
Lisa,
Because I am not doing private therapy full time I have never worked with the insurance companies. I simply have my clients pay me the first session of every month. The clients I have worked with have had no problem doing this.
The assessments I purchased to get started are the Goldman Fristoe Test of Articulation 2, and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test. I don’t think you need the PPVT right away. I would probably go with the PLS-4 and or the CELF4 for older kids. The Functional Communication Profile from LinguiSystems also looks like it would give you a good idea of a child’s language skills for a much more affordable price.
I access the worksheets on my site mommyspeechtherapy.com from my ipad in almost every therapy session. I also have other sites I enjoy on my links page at mommyspeechtherapy.com. Good luck with your private practice! You will love it!
Hi Heidi. How do you handle insurance reimbursement/billing?
Jeanine,
I don’t deal with insurance companies. All of my clients are self pay. In my contract I state that if the client is interested in insurance reimbursement it is up to the client to coordinate it. Then I provide any information that the insurance company requests. So far it hasn’t been a problem.
Hi Heidi ~
That way, my clients won’t miss crucial therapy time. I realized you haven’t added on to your own practice, but wondered if you have ever considered it. I’m just not sure what the next step(s) would be – how to reimburse her, how to make certain the “business” remains mine, how to best incorporate her…so many questions! 
Also, I utilize our guest room to complete paperwork and have that closet at my disposal. How did you best organize all of your fabulous toys/materials/paperwork, etc. I love your photos, but selfishly, want more details! 
Again, thank YOU!
You are such an inspiration. Thank you!
I am an independent provider who services kiddos from 0-5 years of age. I travel between private daycares and schools. I have no physical space at this time, though a car load of toys/materials, assessment tools, audiometer, etc. All of my clients are private pay. Currently there is an SLP who is interested in learning from me and being incorporated into the mix in some capacity. I will be taking maternity leave for my second peanut in February. It might be a great time to integrate someone into my wee little practice.
Hi Nikki,
Congrats on your business. It sounds like it is going really well. And Congrats on your second little peanut! That is very exciting!
You’re right, I haven’t added onto my own business but I have talked with some other SLP’s running their own private practice and gotten some feedback on what they do when they’ve added SLP’s to their practice. If you are providing the clients, materials and training then I would consider paying the SLP half of what you charge the client. I would also be sure to type up the terms of your working relationship as far as what you will provide and what she can expect and vice versa.
As far as my closet goes, well I had my brother-in-law build me shelves that would fit my plastic drawers for articulation and PECS as well as all my notebooks with my language programs in it. To be truthful, I am using apps on my ipad more and more and all those bulky materials less and less. I may be doing some reworking in the future.
Good luck with all you are doing! It sounds exciting!
Hello Heidi,
WOW! You inspired me tremendously with your story. I definitely jotted down notes. I am currently still a little new to the field. Do you think it is too soon to open up my own practice?
Also, I have a specific population I would like to work with. In your opinion, do you think focusing on a particular group of individuals would bring less business to me?
Your advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again.
Elizabeth
Elizabeth,
If private practice is something you want to do, now is as good a time as any. To get started all you need is one client. As you plan activities and collect materials to meet the needs of that client your materials will begin to accumulate and your confidence will grow. From here you will be able to take on more and more clients.
In regards to your question about targeting a specific population, I think targeting a specific population is a good idea. It is more cost and time efficient to do it that way.
Wishing you success!
Heidi
Great Story! Thanks for sharing. I have been working in public schools for the past 18 years and am considering doing private therapy. I am thinking of starting up slowly over the summer (possibly with kiddos whose parents don’t want to see regression). I am planning to travel to client’s homes/daycares but was also wondering about the possibility of renting space from a local church for a couple of hours per week. Have you ever heard of this? Not sure what liability insurance, etc I would have to carry! Thanks so much for sharing your story!
Thank you for the article. It’s great to see that such a big jump in our career paths is feasible.. step by step you can do it! (e.g. buying a few products at a time, etc.). I just set up my LLC, facebook page, this week website, business cards, advertisement in the papers next month … researching daily about the necessary paperwork (e.g. billing, HIPPA, etc.). It’s scary but it’s great when you read stories like this. I’m always concerned about the billing but I think everyone’s journey will be slightly different (take insurance vs. don’t take insurance; no shows pay versus pay 1/2 or nothing … showing up late ..? then what? etc.).
Thanks again for sharing your story!
Kristy
hi again. i’m still trying to figure all of this out. i wrote a few months ago. i recently got my LLC and i want to do private pay and have the client submit for reimbursement. so, if the patient wants to get reimbursement from their insurance company, what will they need??? cms 1500 form, my eval, dr’s order??? does the patient fill out the cms form? do you have any standard HIPPA or consent to treat forms that you could possibly share with me? i feel like i’m getting closer to begin but yet so far away. there’s so much to figure out! thanks so much.
Hi Lisa,
I apologize. I don’t know how to answer your questions. All of my clients are private pay. I have only had one client over the last 8 years that tried to get reimbursement for speech services through their insurance company. That client communicated with their insurance company directly. Then their insurance company sent me some forms to fill out but I never heard if they ended up getting reimbursed for their services since they were seeking reimbursement after the client had already completed services with me.
I don’t have any standard forms to share with you. I am sure however that there are a lot of other Speech Pathologists with the same questions about insurance you have. I hope that if you find the answers to some of these questions you would be willing to share them here. Or if anyone else has some ideas for Lisa please share.
Good luck!
We can all learn a lot from each other!
Heidi~
Thank you for this article…it is clearly helpful to so many of us! I currently work in early intervention and frequently recommend your blog to my families as I think it is so well done and user-friendly.
I am planning to begin seeing clients privately and wondered if you think it is possible to start out without owning any standardized tests? I was thinking of advertising to families who already have an IEP in place and working off of the goals that are already established. Any thoughts on this? Also, do you provide the families with written progress reports, and if so, how often?
Thanks again for being willing to share!
Dana
Hi Dana.
I started my practice with no assessments at all. I simply had the client bring a copy of all the assessments and IEP goals that had been done in the schools. Even now, if there is an assessment I would like done that I don’t own I have my client request it from the schools. All of my clients have been happy to comply.
As far as written reports go, I have explained to all my clients that I am happy to provide them with written reports if they request them. I do charge my same hourly rate to write the reports. As a result, I very rarely have a request for a written report.
Good luck with your practice. You’ll love it!
Hi there,
I just started my business and all of my clients are private pay too…I am curious how you came up with a contract for them to sign? Do you have a “sample” I could look at so I know how to build my contract? I also contract with facilities and then sub-contract to other therapists…any chance you have advise for those contracts between me and the facility? I have a 1099 contract between me and the sub-contracting SLP already.
Thank you so much!
Maddy
Hi Maddy,
I’m sorry I don’t have a contract I can share with you but when creating your contract I would recommend you consider including the following:
1-Contact Information
2-Your expectations of the responsible party.
3-What services and/or materials you will be responsible for providing.
4-Terms for payment.
5-Release of liability.
6-Arbitration clause.
After you have created your contract I would recommend having a lawyer look over it for you just to make sure you have covered all your bases.
I hope this helps.
Is it possible to start a private practice before earning your ccc?
Hi Jackie,
I don’t know if there is any rule against it but I wouldn’t recommend it.
Hi Heidi!
It was great to read your article. I will be soon getting my ccc’s at the end of this year, as well as having a second baby in February, so I would love to start working with birth-3 in a home health setting, I just dont have the room to do it out of my home at this time. How would you recommend building a caseload initially and what are the numbers on your caseload to maintain a decent income working part-time? I currently work 3 days a week, but like you hate dropping my daughter off at daycare, just curious how many clients I would need to maintain my current income.
Thanks so much,
Brooke
Dear Jackie: Congratulations on your private practice ambitions. A recommended caution on private practice before you acquire your CCCs: As I understand it, the ASHA Code of Ethics explicitly requires members to restrict their practice (as an employee or as a private practitioner) to only those areas of practice for which they are QUALIFIED by both training and experience. A person, before they have acquired their CCCs, would, by definition, not be qualified yet, as they still practice under direct supervision. In my experience, clients are usually (but not always) willing to be treated by a newly certified therapist, or a student or resident/intern who is supervised by a certified colleague, but would understandably be less than confident in a solo therapist who has not yet competed his/her certification. Good luck pursuing your ambitions. In the meantime, be sure to work under supervisors who are experts in the clinical areas you want to pursue for your own practice!
Hi Heidi- I feel very lucky to have stumbled upon your article. I am a fellow “speechie” who has worked in both school and home settings for nearly 15 years. Currently, I am beginning the process of developing a private practice out of my home office for the very same reasons that got you started
. I am realizing that just making that setting change from “their” home to “my” home brings great convenience but some concerns as well, which you addressed in the article. Did you consult with anyone/anything (e.g. lawyer, website) to help put together a parent/liability contract? In addition, as a sole-proprietor, I am unsure if I am required to have parents sign a HIPPA release form? I have a few students whom I have begun to see which has been very fulfilling, not to mention, it’s wonderful to just walk to my office! Any direction you can provide with these questions would be greatly appreciated.
Heidi- I first want to tell you how much I love the Little Speech Bee app. We received an IPAD for Christmas and I loaded it immediately. I work in an elementary school and a couple of daycares and my students love it!!! I am definitely interested in starting something afterschool in my home. It would be great especially for the summer . What is the name of your business and how often do you see a client. Also, do you allow for vacation/breaks or do you follow the school calendar?
Hi Kelly,
I am so glad to hear you are enjoying Articulation Station! The name of my business is Little Bee Speech. I started Little Bee Speech so I could be home with my kids and still have some supplemental income. When starting your own private practice you’ll have to determine how many hours a week you have to give to it just as I had to do. I started with once a week but ideally twice a week would be best. That way if you have clients with more severe needs you can see them twice a week. I have followed the school calendar in my area with the exception of summers.
I wish you the very best in starting your own business. I am sure you will find it rewarding!
Hi Heidi
I’ve had a private practice for years. I was recently contacted by a local school district to provide services for children who have IEPs but are in private school. I was looking for a sample contract for the district. Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Terri
Hi Terri,
That sounds like a really great opportunity. I wish I had a sample contract for you. Has anyone else contracted with their local school district that would be willing to help Terri out with a sample contract? Please share.
To start your own private practice do you have to have your masters degree or a doctorate degree?
Hi Maribel,
To start your own private practice you have to be a certified Speech Language Pathologist which does require a masters degree and a clinical fellowship year. It does not require a doctorate degree.
Hi Heidi,
Your story was inspiring. I am in the process of starting my own private practice in home care (pediatrics). I also do not want to accept insurance. In terms of my billing form do you recommend putting DSM -IV codes and CPT codes directly on the form even though I am not going through insurance? Also regarding your business license did you have to get that for your place of business? I formed an S-corp, have liability insurance, but wasn’t sure what else I needed if anything? I appreciate any info you can provide. I learned just from your article. Thank you!
KathyAnn
Thank you for sharing your story. I am graduating in August and I have been thinking about starting a private practice here in Fairbanks Alaska. However here we have so many cancellations: weather, sicknesses, vacations etc. I would be worried about not getting enough income and think it might be worth it to work salary job in the schools. You said you charge for no shows but is this ethical? Only because we recently discussed this in my ethics class am I aware of Principle 1- O: Individuals shall not charge for services not rendered… I am assuming what you are doing is ethical by having them sign the contract ahead of time, but can you explain what the difference is between what would be unethical?
Hi Carma,
That is a very good question. As I understand it including a clause in your contract that states you charge for “no shows” is not charging for services not rendered. It is charging a fee (that is agreed upon by the therapist and the client before services begin) for not showing up to a scheduled appointment without prior notification. There are always of course circumstances that come up that may cause a client to miss an appointment for reasons outside of their control. I handle those situations individually and will not charge for a missed appointment I feel could not have been avoided.
Advantage Speech Therapy Services has a good example of a contract between their therapists and their clients online you may be interested in looking over. They charge 50% for no shows or cancellations made within 24 hours of the scheduled appointment. You can find this contract here: http://www.advantagespeech.com/billing
In my estimation including a clause like this in your contract is ethical because it protects both the therapist and the clients. However, if the “no show” terms are not discussed and agreed upon before services begin and then you charge for a “no show” I think that would be considered unethical.
I hope this helps. Good luck with whatever you decide to do. Whether you are in the schools or in private practice I think being a speech pathologist is the best job ever!