How to get referrals from employers
A lot of therapists are struggling to get private pay clients right now.
The market for therapy isn’t what it was two or three years ago.
With that said, employers can be a great referral source.
You could join an EAP but the rates aren’t great. I spoke to a group practice owner recently who partners directly with employers. Here’s how they do it.
The employer covers up to four sessions per year for their employees at an agreed upon discounted rate. For example, if the group practice typically charges $120 per session for pre-licensed therapists and $200 for licensed therapists, they charge the employer $90 per session for pre-licensed therapists and $150 per session for licensed therapists.
The practice bills the employer every month for the sessions completed. They don’t disclose which employees completed sessions to protect confidentiality. If the client decides to continue therapy after the four sessions provided by the employer, the practice honors the discounted rate but the employee is responsible for paying.
This model works well with restaurant groups in particular because people in the restaurant industry generally don’t have great benefits and there are high levels of addiction and other mental health concerns.