Mental Health Practice Support

Be sure to check your scope of practice, granted by your license, against the rules and regulations of the State Department of Health in particular the Substance Abuse division. In Wyoming, private practices as well as agencies need a Substance Abuse certification issued by the state in order to actively treatment substance abuse disorders. In some states, if your practice has a national accreditation such as CARF or JCAHO, state certification is not also required. Professional licenses that may require additional agency certification in the private sector are Licensed Addiction Therapist (LAT) Certified Addiction Practitioner (CAP) Certified Addiction Practitioner Assistant (CAPA) Substance abuse certification is a process that often includes an application that focuses on your  understanding of the following areas of practice Adherence to state standards of care Documentation Treatment plan requirements HIPAA compliance Levels of care Assessment Programming re...

The mental health licensing board in each state not only oversees the professional and ethical expectations of counselors but it typically outlines which professional licenses can and cannot own own private practices. For instance in the State of Wyoming, mental health licenses that require temporary or ongoing supervision are not allowed to own a private practice. This includes Certified Social Workers Provisionally Licensed Clinical Social Workers, Professional Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists Certified Mental Health Worker Clinicians that have full licenses (LCSW, LMFT or LPC) typically have fewer restrictions in owning a private practice. If you are uncertain if you can own a private practice, review the rules and statutes posted by the mental health licensing board in your state. Call or email the board directly with any questions not outlined within the state statutes. 

It is important to understand and adhere to the regulations of the Federal Government, State and City as you begin your practice. Most cities require a license to open a new business. The licensing process often include inspections, fees and acknowledgement of the rules and regulations for the city and state. Business licenses expire; so if your area requires one, be sure to plan accordingly for its renewal. In Cheyenne, Wyoming, clinicians do not need a business license to begin a mental health private but each city is different. The establishments below are helpful in researching requirements in your city to establish the new business. Office of the Secretary of State City Clerk Department Regional Branch of the Small Business Administration Chamber of Commerce

It is important to seek advise from professionals before you formally establish your business. There are various types of business structures, accounting processes, tax elections and retirement planning techniques. It is easiest to formulate the business correctly from the beginning. Lawyers An attorney knowledgeable about the formation of businesses can assist you deciding the structure of your practice.  Each business structure has a different set of legal and tax considerations. Common forms of businesses include: sole proprietorship partnerhsip corporation S corp C corp Limited Liability Company (LLC) An attorney can also assist you in creating various documents such as Articles of Incorporation, Articles of Organization, Buy/Sell agreements and By-Laws some of which will be required by the Secretary of State when you file for the initial business entity. Different forms of businesses also have varying requirements for members, meeting minutes and shareholder...

As you begin setting up your private practice, it is important to remain realistic about the time it takes to become fully operational. Typically new practitioners will need  6 months to 2 years to establish their own practice. The difference in set up time will vary with how many referral sources you acquire and how much marketing is completed.  Here are three basic rules to help you get started. Rule #1: Don't quit your day job Start seeing private clients after hours from your current job. If there is a non-compete contract in place at your agency, try to negotiate different terms possibly by seeing clientele that varies in diagnosis from clients served in your current agency. You may need to consult an attorney if you cannot negotiate new terms to the non-compete agreement. Many states will only enforce trademark or proprietary information sharing and not actual work restrictions. Meeting with a few clients a week in the beginning will allow you to sample private pra...

If you have ever dreamed of starting your own successful mental health practice, you are not alone. Many clinicians have taken the leap and started seeing private clients with varying degrees of success.  This begs the question: How can I succeed in a new private practice? Equality Connections in Cheyenne, Wyoming helps clinicians of many experience levels realize this dream and we have found some key areas that clinicians need to consider when they start a new practice. Survive the cash flow challenge Accountants, lawyers and financial advisors, Oh My! Business licenses State rules and regulations Obtaining certification  Choosing office space Business insurance  Getting your name into the community Letting people know you are taking new referrals Scheduling clients Billing considerations Ongoing advertising for small practices State tax payments Federal tax payment Retaining clients Over the next several blog entries, I will be ...