You started a solo private practice and it is going well. Your current clients are happy with the services you provide, referrals are steadily rolling in to the point where you are turning people away because your schedule is full, you are confident you have the basics down (you are up-to-date with documentation, have an intake and billing process that is working, and have selected HIPAA compliant technology that is scalable), and you feel ready to take on more responsibility. The idea of expanding your practice by hiring more clinicians in order to help more people and work in collaboration is appealing to you. What are the next steps in order to expand successfully?
1 – Review the Purpose of Your Business and Desired Outcomes
What is the purpose of your business? Get clear on the “why” and “how” behind the work you are doing. Set SMART business goals. SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Understanding how to set these goals and how to determine what makes your business breathe and live will help you plan out your business. Review the business plan you created when you started your practice and if you did not complete one, take some time to do so. Getting clear on the purpose and desired outcomes will help you during the hiring process, with your marketing, and serve as a reminder of what contributed to your decision to expand when you face challenges.
2 – Do the Math
Before hiring your first clinician, you want to ensure you have a clear sense of the financials of your practice and determine a compensation model that will be sustainable. We created a Clinician Cost Spreadsheet to include the revenue generated as well as expenses per clinician as well as taxes to help you determine the minimum number of sessions as well as the reimbursement rate that will ensure profitability. If you are opting to pay clinicians a flat fee, we would recommend having money on reserve. If you are opting to pay clinicians a percentage, they will likely be paid when the practice is paid which results in less financial risk to the practice owner. Once you have done these calculations you will be able to determine if offering benefits is a possibility and if not, at what stage you will be able to do so.
3 – Establish Clear Roles and Expectations
Before hiring your first clinician get clear on expectations and be prepared to explain verbally and also put in writing. This includes things like documentation (time frame for completion, template, and quality), session numbers, compensation, attendance at meetings, and completion of tasks beyond the clinical hour. By having these things in writing, such as in an employee handbook and an operations manual, you will have a resource employees can reference if they are unsure. It will also help promote consistency across your team. It also covers you if an employee does something against company policy. Define individual roles and responsibilities and assign outcomes as opposed to just tasks. You want to make sure that your employees understand and feel responsible for the roles they have been given.
4 – Foster Collaboration and Encourage Growth
Determine how you plan to communicate with your team. Will you provide team meetings? If so, how often and will you meet in person or virtually? Will the meetings be required and will attendees be compensated for that time? Will you meet with your clinicians one on one and if so, how often? What is the best way to communicate between meetings? We recommend multiple touch points including in person and in writing. We developed a Clinician Engagement Survey to obtain feedback on all aspects of our practice. It is important for the members of your team to know that they are valued and their feedback matters. Also consider additional opportunities for clinicians to expand their knowledge (trainings and certifications) as well as explore other facets of the practice (providing groups, assisting with marketing, community networking, blogging, social media, newsletter).
5 – Encourage Diversity and Inclusion
Embrace different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives and create an environment where everyone feels valued and respected. Provide trainings, establish diversity policies, facilitate ongoing feedback, create an inclusive culture by using inclusive language, focusing on diverse recruitment, engage in transparent leadership, and foster a psychologically safe environment.
6 – Monitor and Review Progress
Regularly review performance and provide coaching and support as needed. We recommend a dashboard to track the metrics for each clinician including documentation completion and quality as well as session numbers (how many were scheduled, attended, and canceled). Remain flexible and adaptable when needs are identified and continuously evaluate and refine processes. Micromanagement is less likely when expectations are clear, progress is monitored, and clinicians are provided what they need to be successful.
Consider Us
The consultants at Compassionate Consulting Company are licensed independent clinical social workers located in Massachusetts who have been running successful counseling practices for years. Here are testimonials from clients that have worked with us. We enjoy working with entrepreneurs that are starting their business, expanding and hiring team members, as well as those who are considering diversifying and adding different income streams. We are able to assist with everything described above and would love the opportunity to assist you in expanding successfully. Schedule a free consult so we can learn more about your business goals and share how we can help.