This content is provided by zynnyme, an affinity partner of AAMFT. This information is not necessarily the view of AAMFT and should not be interpreted as official policy.
We recently received a question from a group practice owner in practice since 2013. They are known in their community as one of the top private practices in their county and in the past never had an issue with finding and retaining great clinicians. Yet recently they have noticed a change in the landscape for employment options for therapists and they asked “Since you are in the of the ‘business’ of mental health, am I the only one seeing this or are other brick and mortar therapy offices struggling as well? I fear that if places like mine go out of business what will there be for therapists to return to if they tire of the online platforms?”
Many years ago, therapists who wanted to work in private practice settings had the option of either starting a private practice themselves or joining one. Fast forward to today where therapists can now work for online mental health tech companies, creating a work-from-home option usually as a contractor but sometimes as a W2 employee. To acquire therapist labor, they offer sign-on bonuses, promises of providing clients and working as little or as much as you would like, and do some of the administrative work of being on insurance panels.
So now that there are more options than ever before, how do you as a group practice owner stand out, hire and retain great staff so you can continue to provide great clinical outcomes to your clients?
First, we want to say that this group practice owner is not alone. Many group practice owners have found hiring to be more challenging because of the landscape of multiple options for clinicians. We want you, the group practice owner to be more agile so you can continue serving your community, clients, and staff. Being a group practice that offers clients to a clinician is no longer enough of a draw for hiring. Let’s look at what you want to be clear about when showing what you offer to potential new hires so you can create a private practice that truly thrives.
Stand out In WHO you serve
Many tech companies take a serve-all approach. We believe that group practices that serve within their scope and expertise, will find they get better clinical outcomes, reduce the burnout of their staff, and be known for the good work they do. Group practices that stand out in who they serve have not only a great benefit to the client but also to the clinician.
The focus on who you serve will influence trainings, supervision, and overall culture of the group practice. For example, one of our coaching clients is highly specialized in divorce and mediation. They focus on hiring therapists interested in working with couples and those who want to gain special training in divorce and mediation. Their therapists benefit from the specialization and can really hone their skills in this area.
Stand out in HOW you serve
Some group practices choose to stand out in how they serve their communities. Again, this is a benefit to the clinicians they hire because the clinicians get a more specialized approach in their supervision and trainings. We know of practices that focus exclusively on IFS or EMDR. You appeal to clinicians who want to really develop their skills with the modalities that are of focus in the group practice. Other options for clinicians don’t typically offer this kind of focus. They provide the clients, but not necessarily expert case consultation or training.
Stand out in WHAT you offer to your staff
To run a group practice, you need to pay your staff well. As one of the lowest-paid master's degrees, group practice owners have an opportunity to shift the narrative and value their staff’s well-being. When you take care of your clinicians, you are also taking care of their clients. We would much rather see a well-rested, low-stressed therapist than one that is overrun with clients and burning out.
So, what are some things to consider offering clinicians who you want to hire beyond just paying them? Let us help you stand out even more as the best option for therapists when it comes to choosing their private practice setting options.
Health Insurance - This is beyond what many tech employers offer clinicians, but it is necessary for your clinician’s well-being that they have access to health care.
W2 vs 1099 - By the federal definition of what constitutes a 1099, it is very rare that group practices can hire a 1099. If you do hire a 1099 contractor, you are outsourcing your business to another business. What does this mean for you? It means you have no say in how the therapist provides treatment. You cannot provide anything for them to do their job either, think about laptops or office space. As a 1099 contractor, the therapist is responsible for using their own resources to take on the work you provide. But with a W2 you do have more control, and not in a sense of abusing power, but to work together to create better clinical outcomes for clients. W2 status protects the therapist with labor laws and is in that therapist’s best interest.
Vacation & PTO - We all need breaks, but often if you are a therapist, taking a break means you don’t get paid. If you aren’t saving up for vacation or sick leave, it can be financially disastrous for many. This is why so many therapists never take time off even though that leads to massive burnout. As the group practice owner, you can support your staff by setting aside part of their pay for vacation and sick leave. It can be such a relief for clinicians to not have to worry about how they will cover this expense. This means your clinicians are more likely to take time off and your clients benefit too, because again, we love a well-rested therapist.
Supervision and Training - In other private practice settings you will not find this offered to clinicians. Clinicians are expected to seek out these things on their own. Value your knowledge and the collective knowledge of your team by offering supervision and training. Not only does this improve clinical outcomes, but it can improve group practice culture, clinician confidence, and satisfaction as well.
As a group practice owner, you aren’t here to create a practice that just churns people through the therapy door. You genuinely care about the outcomes of the clients and the satisfaction and joy of your clinicians. It may take some financial planning and support, but standing out from other options is your best bet to attract the right kind of clinicians who value the work that you do.
Need more support on your group practice? Check out our free training library where we have training exclusively on group practice financials.