Mental Health Practice Support

Time management in private practice is more flexible then in agency or school settings but it is not without structure. In private practice, there is a 15- 20% cancellation rate each week. So this means if you want a full schedule, plan on booking 15-20% more clients then you wan to see. Know that some days the cancellation rate will be higher and others lower. You can then use the time from cancellations to complete progress notes, treatment planning, return phone calls, etc.

Continuing education credits are required to maintain your mental health license (LCSW, LPC, and LMFT). Consider using your mandated CEUs to specialize in the populations you want to serve. This approach will speed you along your path of specialization and allows you to complete your renewal requirements. In Wyoming, clinicians currently need 45 continuing education hours for every two years this typically renews on their birthday. There are many ways to earn the credits you need without breaking the bank. Local trainings offered by companies such as PESI Online training many offer unlimited CEUs for a fixed price Webinars National conferences  Travel to trainings offered in other cities (tax deduction for private practices)

Depending on your graduate school specialty area, you can find Wyoming mental health provider application materials and requirements on the following websites: For bachelor or master level social workers, licensed professional counselors and psychotherapists, marriage and family therapists, you can obtain the needed application forms from the Wyoming Mental Health Professions Licensing Board at  http://mentalhealth.wyo.gov/ For doctoral level psychologists, school psychologists, post-doctoral psychology interns, and specialists in school psychology, you  can visit the Wyoming Board of Psychology at  http://psychology.wyo.gov/ School psychologists or Specialists in school psychology who wish to pursue a license as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) should contact the Wyoming Mental Health Professions Licensing Board at  http://mentalhealth.wyo.gov/

Networking with professionals in your community helps you to stay connected to potential referral sources as well as become an active member of the professional community. Getting out and talking to others as you become the face of your business will assist in confidence building for referral sources. Remember when networking to be social, friendly and approachable as you are constantly representing your company. There are several ways to begin networking with others immediately while others take time to develop. Allow community partners to begin associating the name of your business with trust, positivity and advocacy.  Various opportunities to network include Volunteering for Causes- Special Olympics, Homeless Shelter Joining Kiwanis, Rotary or the Red Carpet Committee via the Chamber of Commerce Sponsor a youth T-ball team or bowling team Attend lunch workshops offered by other community members Host an Open House at your business and invite other professionals in the

Not every client will be interested in participating in animal assisted sessions. In these cases, you need to have a safe, quiet place for your animal to go where other people cannot access them unsupervised. Be sure to bring items to the office that are comforting to your animal and needed to maintain their emotional and physical wellness such as crates, beds, water and food dishes, toys, vaccine tags and records, treats, etc. Bringing an animal onsite also requires additional expenses as well as paperwork: Bite/property destruction insurance for the animal Disclose about the animal's involvement in services to clients Disclosure about the animal's level of training if appropraite Allowing clients to consent to animal assisted sessions Animal health insurance if appropriate Post a picture of your animal in the waiting room so clients know an animal is onsite