Ok, seriously, Katie over at Playing with Words 365 couldn't be more of an inspiration. She is a mommy to her kids (who are super cute!), an SLP, an advocate for Juvenile Arthritis, and just happens to also be an amazing blogger. Her blog is FULL of great information and I am always feeling like I learn from her. I am SO excited to have her on CSW to share with you!
First of all, I have to thank Jenn for having me here. When she asked me be a part of her blog anniversary, I was seriously thrilled. There are a LOT of SLP bloggers out there now a days, and I can honestly say that Jenn is one of my favorites and I have loved getting to “know” her over this last year with you all! If you don't know me, I am Katie and I blog over at playing with words 365. I started my blog with the intention of providing parents and other professionals information about speech and language development and disorders as well as tips and ideas on how to work with children with delays. Over the last 1.5 years that I have been blogging, my blog has morphed a bit into a place that really brings together people of all backgrounds in the same of speech and language development. Today, I am going to write something a little different then I usually do on my own blog. In case you don't know me, I recently made the decision to resign from the schools and work privately. Because I am always getting asked, I am going to share with you all the pros and cons of working for myself, and why I did it.
Going Private was Always my Plan
I have been working as a speech language pathologist for 8 years, mostly in the schools. But when I graduated, I knew that I would one day work for myself. Which is why, year after year I stocked up on materials using my own money, so that I would have a good “stock” when I decided to go private. I never really had a plan as to when I would go private….I thought maybe when my kids were all in school. But you know how life doesn't exactly work out as you plan right? When I was 9 months pregnant with my son (I am talking like days before my due date) my daughter, then two, was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that was attacking her joints. She was having a very hard time walking and had inflammation in a knee and some fingers. At the time, I was on maternity leave from my part time (40%) position at a school district. Suddenly, my daughter needed procedures and therapies and blood work and doctors appointments. My district allowed for staff to take an additional year of “child rearing leave” while saving your position, so I took that next year off to focus on my daughter and my new son. When the time came to decide if I was going to go back, my husband encouraged me to just work for myself. I decided if my district couldn't give me the position I wanted (preschool) I would resign. And sure enough, the preschool numbers were not high enough to need me. I'd be at a new elementary school. So, I thanked them for the time I was there and resigned. And was on my own.
Why I Wanted to go Private
There are a few reasons I wanted to work privately:
- I felt it would allow me to be home the most with my family
- Job flexibility….again to go along with being home with my family
- A less stressful work environment
- Less paperwork, more actual THERAPY and helping children and families (30-40+% of my job in the schools was paperwork and meetings)
- Ability to connect with families and really have the time to educate them so they can best help their child
The Pros of Going Private
I've been working for myself now for almost as long as I've been blogging, 1.5 years. I currently only work 1 day a week and have kept my caseload very small.
I LOVE IT!!
There are SO many pros to working privately. Here are some:
- You are your own boss. You don't have to “report” to anyone else, except yourself.
- Job flexibility. You make your schedule. You work when you want, and take off when you want.
- You don't have to deal with some of the red tape that comes from working in the schools. You don't have to PROVE to some nameless face that a child needs therapy the way I know some SLPs have to do in the schools. I was very fortunate enough to work for EXCELLENT districts where I never had to do this, but I know this can be an issue for many SLPs. Though the educational model and the private model ARE different, it is nice to know I don't have to justify my professional judgement.
- The money you earn is 100% yours (except of course, taxes and such).
- You can make more money privately (*can* but not always when you include benefits and retirement).
- You are able to make some amazing connections when you work directly with families. I feel like my clients make great progress because of the simple fact that the family has me all to themselves for so-many-minutes a week and I can really focus on parent involvement/training which REALLY helps with carryover and progress. If you read my blog, you know how passionate I am about parent education. It was a lot harder (though not impossible) to to when I was in the schools.
The Cons of Going Private
As much as I LOVE being a private SLP now, I can't sit here and pretend that there are no cons. There are. No job is “perfect” just maybe perfect for that individual. Here are some cons:
- You are your own boss. Yup…this is a pro AND a con. You have to be responsible enough to keep yourself on track. You are in charge of billing, collecting money, and providing receipts. You are responsible for paying your own taxes and social security. It is ALL you and that can be stressful.
- There is a start up cost. Even if you are like me and have a lot of materials, I doubt you have all the assessments that you were using in your last job. And those assessments are expensive. I shelled out quite a bit in the beginning on assessments and then added as I went. (And this is where, having a speciality is a good thing…if you are the SLP who will see adults AND children with ALL speech issues, you will need a LOT of assessments! Being only pediatric allows me to stay focussed on the little ones and keeps my costs down as opposed to seeing adults as well).
- There is still paperwork when you are private (though to me it beats IEPs!!). Don't think going private means you no longer have paperwork. You still need to document and provide receipts/statements and write reports. But you won't have to deal with IEPs!
- You don't have colleagues to bounce ideas off of in person. It can get a little lonely. BUT….I am part of several wonderful online groups for SLPs (including some just for private SLPs) and this is a GREAT way to get ideas and brainstorm. I also keep in touch with SLPs I have worked with in the past.
- You don't have benefits or retirement. Now…when I was in the schools, I had a GREAT benefits plan at one district, but TERRIBLE ones in another…so even in the schools you aren't guaranteed great benefits. BUT, you are given decent retirement. That said, you can invest your income into retirement accounts and still have a great nest egg when you retire…it is just a different way of doing things.
- No paid sick days. If you are sick, you don't get paid.
- It isn't always a steady income. I think this one can be the scariest part of working for yourself, regardless of your profession. If a client cancels, you don't get paid. When a client graduates….you stop getting paid (unless you have a waiting list).
Why it Works for Me and My Family
Going private simply isn't the best decision for everyone. You may have noticed there were actually more cons listed above, but for me, the cons were weighted much less in importance than the pros. But the level of weight YOU put on a pro or con will be different from me, and different from the next SLP. We all live different lives with different needs and priorities. For me, the connection I have with my clients and their families far surpasses any of the cons.
Will I Do it Forever?
I have to say, that I cannot imagine not working privately at least part time in the future. At the same time, there ARE things I miss about the schools. Someday, I think I can see myself doing a little of both. But for now, it works for me. So that, in a nutshell, is a little about why I went private and the pros and cons I have found with my experience working private vs. in the schools. Have YOU thought about going private? Why or why not?
Katie is a a mom to two little ones, E (4.5) and Ev (2.5) and a licensed and credentialed pediatric speech-language pathologist (when she finds the time). She blogs over at Playing With Words 365, sharing information about speech and language development, intervention strategies, therapy ideas and tips, and shares a little about her family and their life too. You can follow along on Facebook or Pinterest for more speech and language ideas and tips.
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I have worked in public schools, a private school, foe a rehab company, and for the last three years for myself. The past three years have BY FAR been the most rewarding of my career. The reduction of paperwork (compared to public schools) is huge. I now have about 10 SLPs that work for me (NEVER thought I would have anyone working for me), and the true friendships we have formed have been absolutely amazing! They ate are precious girls! Like you, the cons have been minimal compared to other settings. The ability to truly invest in families and the centers where we work has been incredible. Cheers to you in your own practice!
REWARDING. I agree 100%!! Love hearing your story!
Thanks for sharing this information. I too am in private practice but still contract out to schools. Having the flexibility to set my hours and days as well as take what I need for time for my own children has been an asset. I have done this for 15 years…I make every minute count in the school so I get paid for the whole time I am there..working lunches,etc.
Love it! I am thinking I may contract to schools on the future as well…once my kiddos are older.
I have worked in the schools for 12 years but just decided not to renew my contract. I’v picked up a contract through a pediatric home health company and see my first kid tomorrow. I’m so excited that I get to focus on just a few kids, I feel like I’m in grad school again. I’m looking into becoming an insurance provider so I can bill on my own but I’m not there yet. Thank you so much for sharing your pros and cons, your list could not have been timed more perfectly. I love both your blogs!
You will LOVE IT!!!! Good luck!!
Katie, I feel like your shadow…making the same decisions you made about 6 months after you. I also worked in the schools for years and years but I felt I was missing out on my son’s life so I decided last summer, I would go private and be mom the way I wanted to be mom. I have never regretted it and I’m not sure I will ever look back. All of your pros and cons are right on for me as well. I do miss the comradery of working with some great SLPs and teachers but the red tape and paperwork is such a hassle I actually feel like this year I could breathe for the first time in years. Also, sidebar, my older brother suffered from juvenile arthritis for many years. The Ronald McDonald house was an amazing place for my mother to say the many weeks it took for diagnosis and treatments. A lot of that is a blur to me but I will tell that you although he had terrible flare ups, he also had periods of exceptional health and was able to play basketball in elementary and middle school and football in high school. Now he is in remission (I guess with the correct word) and has had no other issues after high school. So as much pain as your poor daughter may be in at times, there is always hope for the future! My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family!
P.S. Jenn, as you know I love your blog and all your ideas and love all your guest posts for your blogiversary! Congrats on your 1st year!!!!
I am so happy to hear you are living being private too. It felt very freeing to get away from the paperwork, do you agree?
I am sorry to hear about your brother and his JA, but I hope his stays in remission for GOOD!!!! Right now, my E is doing GREAT! Fingers crossed 🙂
I just made the jump from school based to private. This has been my first week, and so far so good 🙂 Thanks for this great post Katie!!
Kristin Cummings, Simply Speech
http://kcummingsslp.blogspot.com
Yes Kristin, I’ve been thinking of you on your new transition! I bet you’ll love it. Good luck!
Wonderful article! Like you, I always “knew” I would work for myself one day too. It was a lifelong dream once I started in speech therapy. I took the leap in March of this year and could not be happier with it all! I have found you can focus 110% on your clients and be as creative as you want when working on goals which I LOVE! My biggest Con right now is what you mentioned….there is NO ONE to bounce ideas off of. I do miss that. If you have any recommendations of online groups, please send them my way. Thanks so much!
Kelly, are you on Facebook? There are a few SLP groups there, and one specifically for those of us in private practice! if you drop me an email I’ll send you links to them! katie@playingwithwords365.com.
Great post! I currently work in the schools full time but manage to do private therapy after school and during the summer (now!) I’m just soooo close to retirement with the school that I have to stick it out a couple more years but I’m slowly building up my private clients. I feel so much more effective with my private clients- no interupptions and the autonomy to do what I know is best for them with no red tape!! Love that!! Plus, my caseload never gets out of control like it does in the schools because I CONTROL my private load! When we are not overloaded, the kids get our best and reap the benefits!! I do worry I will slack when I go full-time, however. Do you still send your parents written progress reports, Katie? I do -even though I talk to them every session, but I’ve been wondering if it’s really necessary. Not even sure if they read them but I feel like it’s a nice summary of the results they’re paying for! Would love to hear more about the details of your private practice sometime 🙂
Mia
Great post!! Thank you Katie and Jenn. I’m a big fan of both of your blogs! I’m in my 12th year working in the schools, after spending 18 yrs in various medical settings. The lure of private practice has always been there! For me, staying with the school district is the right thing right now, and I suspect there are other SLPs in similar circumstances. I have two primary reasons. First, finances. Another start-up cost that didn’t make your list is finding space to run your practice. If you don’t have an extra room in your home that can become your office, you may be looking for space to rent and furnish. As a single parent I have never felt that I could take the financial risk of start-up costs, an uncertain income, or having to buy my own medical, dental, life, and malpractice insurances. Others may have a higher tolerance for these risks! Second, I’ve fallen in love with the population of kids I work with in my school district. About 90% of the kids at my school live below the poverty level. They have all kinds of needs related to deprivation, and their families are so anxious to learn how to help their children. These kids have so much potential! I am blessed (and stressed!) with a job that is allowing me to make a big difference in the lives of children and their families. So for now, private practice remains a dream for me. Maybe someday!
This is a very honest assessment of what private practice is. I like the pro and con of you are your own boss. My wife and I own 2 pediatric clinics and there are days when I would like to pass my title off boss to someone else.
The idea that Katie had from the beginning of owning her own private practice is very important. If you think you would like a private practice one day then a therapist should start taking very good notes and reading good business books and checking out good websites that help you achieve that goal.
If you need another resource please check out my website at http://www.StartaTherapyPractice.com
Thank you
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Great post! Where did you end up finding most of your assessments? Which assessments did you find were your staples to get you off the ground and running?
Thank you for posting your story. I currently work in the schools and have thought about starting a private practice. However, I loooove spending the summer with my boys. Do you take summers off? Do you know of any private practice SLPs who have been successful while taking summers off? Thanks.