On 13 Insurance Panels And The Phone Isn’t Ringing

Dec
20
2011
by Tamara Suttle

Sometimes in trying to get a practice started, Image of On 13 Insurance Panels & the Phone Still Isn't Ringingit’s easy to overlook logical steps.  Last month, I received a couple of emails from a reader that I’ll call “Stephanie.”  Stephanie wrote . . .

I am on 13 insurance panels, have been doing everything possible (since April) that I know how to do and have not received one call.

I would do anything to accept private pay.

My unemployment benefits ran out in September and I applied for food stamps yesterday.

I am revising my website for the third time to focus on clients who are ________ and are non compliant in hopes I can market to and get referrals from physicians.

I never thought it would come to this. I am trying not to panic”

And, in a follow up email she wrote . . .

I have not built a referral base. I’ve been working in agencies with clients who are ________. Not my ideal clients. I only recently returned to the city and know few in private practice. I have been working on marketing 8-12 hrs a day, but not getting ‘out there’. I don’t know how.

I am changiing my niche to aging and dementia using CBT. Not many therapists do this.

I am 55 and have also tried for 2 years to get a job to sustain me.

I sound pathetic but am not. I am determined to make this private practice work. All I need are five clients to start so I can survive.

I hate the idea of insurance panels but I have no choice. I am desperate.

You can use my note but not my name.

I value any advice you can give and thank you for your kind words.”

I thought this might be a good opportunity for you to help Stephanie out.

What is she doing well?

What might be her strengths?

What seems logical to you that she might be missing?

Wiithout any magical solutions, without making anything up, and without adding any information that you have not been given – can you comment on what Stephanie might need to hear and focus on to get her practice on track?

And, what is the logical step that you are missing in your own marketing efforts?


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Filed under: Grow Your Practice, Inspiration, Insurance | Managed Care, Networking, Referrals, Stress Busters, Technology, To-Do's Tagged with , , , , ,
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9 Lessons On Nicheing From a Rehabilitation Counselor – Evaluations And Assessments

Oct
26
2011
by Tamara Suttle

Rehabilitation Counselor, Jennifer Houck’s comments caught my eye on one of my favorite discussion lists when she wrote:

In my counseling program I had a Image of Trees on a Green Fieldfantastic assessment class . . . . I graduated with the credentials to order, administer and interpret a wide variety of testing instruments. My private practice is mostly doing evaluations.” [My emphasis, not Jennie's.] (Lesson #1 – When choosing a graduate program, look for one that will let you do the maximum number of of things related to your profession.  Jennie’s program prepared her to order, administer and interpret assessment tools.  Not all programs do.)

I can’t imagine a counseling masters without an assessment course! Now in my particular case I fell head over heels in love with assessment so went on the take assessment courses in education, special education and psychology.”  (Lesson #2 – Trust that what you love is part of the equation to building a strong referral base.  It worked for me and it worked for Jennie!)”

Now that is definitely a niche!  So I contacted her to learn how she ended up in a private practice focusing primarily on assessments and this is what she said:

Contacts I made in graduate school via internships and field works!” (Lesson #3 – It’s never too early to start networking.  Who to network with in graduate school?  Your peer and professors, of course!)

In my rehab counseling masters I had two field work experiences, one with a state agency and one with a community college. I split my 600 internship between a different department in the same state agency and a federal agency. ” (Lesson #4 – Graduate school is the perfect time to sample different things – different work sites, different populations, different theories and interventions. By changing things up, you’ll be better able to mix and match contacts, work experiences, and clinical skills later on. This flexibility will pay dividends when you decide to reinvent yourself in private practice.)

From these four experiences I received a state contract, a federal contract and a part time job with the college upon graduation.” (Lesson #5- Those who are willing to diversify their practices are the very ones that thrive.)

I began attending the state annual conference in my second year of graduate school – nearly 20 years ago.  I met people and because I had an unusual niche interest people noticed me.” (Lessons #6 and #7 – Smart counselors get involved at the state level in their professional associations and the ways you are different are the ways matter.)

Over the years I’ve made contacts at various conferences and training opportunities which have led to more contracts and referrals . . . . “  (Lesson #8 – The strategic never stops . . . and when you’ve got all the clients you want, that’s when you need to tout your services most heavily.)

I actually do no marketing. It’s a failing of mine. Everything was so easy in the beginning that I never needed to market myself. Counselors within the agencies compare notes so word spread that I produced a quality product . . . . “  (Lesson #9 – Jennifer Houck knows how to seed, nurture and build a private practice!)

Jennifer is an excellent example of how to “listen” for your own calling to a particular niche.  She kept her eyes and ears open – to both her own heart’s desire during her graduate training and also to the opportunities that presented themselves once she had graduated.

If you are having difficulty figuring out your heartwork and niche, consider hiring me or another professional to help you focus your work and your message.  The results really do pay off in private practice!

[ Jennifer Houck, MS, MSE, EDS, CRC, CVE, LMSW (IA) is the Director of Lyric Counseling Services where she is a Vocational Evaluator and Rehabilitation Counselor.  You may contact her at PO Box 21248, Des Moines, IA. 50321-9405 or JennieAdagio@mchsi.com.  Her phone number is (515) 974-1415]

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How To Get On Insurance Panels As A Preferred Provider – Part 2

Oct
6
2011
by Tamara Suttle

This is the second of a 3-part series to help ease your way to getting approved as a preferred provider with insurance companies. The series began here.How to Get on Insurance Panels - Part 2

Managed care companies receive hundreds of applications from licensed mental health professionals every year who are wanting to become preferred providers.  That’s why it’s important to make your application stand out in a positive way to the professionals in Provider Relations that will be evaluating your credentials and experience.  Here’s a few tips that I’ve learned over the years that may help you rise to the top of the pile.

Tip #1 – Focus on your own efficiency and your ability to save on costs. Managed care came into existence as a reaction to offset the rampant financial abuses in health care.  As such, the primary goal of these companies is to reduce costs of health care.  The care of clients comes second. Make sure that your application speaks to managed care’s concerns and not just your own.

Tip #2 – Location makes a difference. (And, not just for the reasons I stated here.) If you can provide services in an under-served area, you are more likely to be admitted to a preferred provider list.  If you currently provide services in a therapist-saturated market, you may want to consider adding a second site to your practice.  By indicating that you are available to provide services in an under-served area for just a few hours each week, you make yourself much more desirable to managed care companies.  (And, the good news is that once your are “in” on the panel, you can typically relocate your services without losing your place on the provider lists – even across state lines!)

Tip #3 – Highlight second languages that you are fluent in. Your unique expertise is what will get you on the list so don’t forget to highlight an ability to speak a foreign language every chance you get.

Tip #4 – Special hours can set your practice apart. Most therapists work 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.  If you can offer late or early hours or are willing to work on weekends, mention them on your application. Those “special” hours can be a way to expedite your entrance into the world of preferred providers.

Tip #5 – Special populations require special knowledge. Don’t indicate that you “work with everybody.”  That’s not what managed care is looking for.  Instead, if you have advanced training and experience working with a specific population or two, emphasize this. Populations such as geriatrics, children, GLBT, deaf clients, etc. can open doors for you with managed care.

Tip #6 – Advanced training and credentials count. Although experience definitely counts, proof of skills via advanced training and credentialing make you much less of a risk to insurance companies and much more desirable to them, too.  Track your professional development and flaunt it in your application.

Do you have other tips that can help other licensed mental health professionals get on insurance panels?  If so, I hope you will leave them below.

And, on Monday, I’ll wrap up this series by sharing a couple of thoughts for those who have had their applications denied. 


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How To Add Consulting Services To Your Private Practice

Aug
8
2011
by Tamara Suttle

Ask Tamara . . .

Every successful practitioner that Image of Red Question MarkI know has diversified her practice.  S/he offers a variety of services that usually include some combination of clinical work, education / training, consulting, supervision (either clinical or administrative),writing and publishing, and some other mishmash of a project or two.  I do this and I want to encourage you to do this, too.

For those of us that have a lot of different interests, it feeds our spirits.  It keeps us interested in our work and interesting to others.  For those of us who deal with very serious or chronic issues in our clinical work, that same variety helps us maintain balance for our own (and our clients’) well-being.  And, for all of us in private practice, this diversity of income helps us weather the financial ebb and flow of clinical practice.

Stephanie Adams of College Station, Texas, is considering adding consulting as one piece of her business and has written in to inquire how to go about this . . . . She writes,

. . . I had a question about how you decided to add consulting to your business as well. I know diversifying your services can often lead to the ability to reduce fees for individuals, as has been mentioned in previous comments.

I have just received my LPC and I’m thinking about starting a small business (as you recommended in another article, starting as small as possible and then build from there!)

I am wondering how you decide when and if to add consulting services, and if you have to have any special licenses to practice legally.

Thanks for your always-insightful articles!”

Consulting services are generally provided by those who have an advanced body of information to share with a specific population to meet a particular need.  I realized (after just about starving to death) that over time I had acquired a unique perspective and wealth of information that could help other therapists  lay a strong foundation for building their own private practices.  That’s how Private Practice from the Inside Out started.

If you are thinking about offering consulting services, you too need to be perceived as having had significant success in the area in which you are offering your consulting services before others will be willing to hire you.  There are no hard and fast rules for when you have “enough” success but here are some guidelines (based on what I look for) to help you gauge when it’s right for that transition in your practice . . . .

  • Establishe yourself as the “go-to” therapist for a particular issue for five or more years before moving into an area of consultation.  Once your community recognizes that you have the information and experience they want and need, you will be able to diversify into the role of consultant.
  • Create a niche for your area of interest in order to establish the perception of credibility.
  • Be different.  If no one else in town is offering consulting in your chosen area of interest, your chance of establishing your services as  worthy of  consideration is significantly increased.
  • Obtain excellent post-graduate training in your area of interest in addition to your own self-study.  By doing so you will stand a greater chance of positioning yourself in your community as a valuable consultant.

Are you already offering consulting services?  If so, why not take a minute to toot your horn right here by leaving a link to your website and a little bit about what you are doing . . . . And, if you are just thinking about adding consulting services to your practice, do you have any questions for us here?

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An Opportunity To Make A Difference And Grow Your Practice – Borderline Personality Disorder

Jun
9
2011
by Tamara Suttle

How Much Longer?

I was listening today as one of the news shows Iimage of Time Spiralwas continuing to talk about the courage that actress Catherine Zeta-Jones has exhibitd by publicly acknowledging that she has Bipolar Disorder.  (Approximately 5.7 million adults in America have that same diagnosis.)  Here’s a list of some other famous individuals who have shared that diagnosis.

And, it got me to thinking . . . . How long is it going to be before we have someone famous come out as being diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder?  How much longer before we have an actual list of individuals who can courageously say “that’s the diagnosis I have” without stigma and shame?

I know . . . that’s not really the direct focus of this blog.  Still . . . it got me to thinking and wondering . . . in this lifetime . . . in my lifetime . . . how we as mental health professionals can make that happen . . . .

OK, so that’s me on my advocacy tangent and here’s what you landed on this page for . . . .

Do These Describe You?

  • Highly qualified to treat clients with a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder?

  • Up to date with current research related to Borderline Personality Disorder?

  • Aware that the Borderline Personality Disorder is a biological, medical disorder that will need therapy as a follow-up after the client is treated medically?

If you answered “yes” to all three questions, then you may want to check out the website, BPD Sanctuary where you can be listed as a service provider for individuals who have been diagnosed as having Borderline Personality Disorder.

[Update Jun 09, 2011 -  OK, gang, so this is a first for me . . . . Julie in Virginia was kind enough to leave a comment below letting me know about the problem with the link above.  Indeed, it appears the link has be re-routed to a different website and I am unable to locate the opportunity that I just referenced above.

Given this glitch, I'm wondering if this might be a good opportunity to ask you guys . . . . Do you know of any online directories or lists that are specifically for service providers who work with individuals who have been diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder?  If so, I hope you'll share the information by leaving a comment below.

Again, so sorry for the bad link!]

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