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How to open a private practice?

I am a Social Work major that plans to open a private practice one day, how can I plan for my future today?

  • I am a 20 year old Social Work Major that plans to open a private practice and/or clinic of my own one day. This is an extremely taboo topic at my school, is there any advice one would be willing to share?

  • Answer:

    The above answers are all good ones to follow. Here are a few other items which helped me in my path to private practice. 1) If you get a chance try to land a position in a community mental health center. You will get the opportunity to work with a diverse base of clients, see how other social workers operate, put off any guilt trips you may get from colleagues, and possibly qualify for loan repayment programs. 2) Join and be active in any professional organizations in your area, particularly NASW. This helps in the networking Ellen mentioned. It also qualifies you for discounted liability insurance. 3) Make sure to take some accounting and business related courses along the way, especially if you goal is to operate a clinic. While often overlooked, these skills will help your private practice prosper.

Myke Selha at Quora Visit the source

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Make sure you have the right business entity structure in place. This article leaves out PLLC, but you should look at that too: http://blog.theranest.com/blog/what-is-the-best-business-entity-for-a-private-therapy-practice Learn to market yourself both online and offline. Many people will search for you online before they call you up. Get a website up. Build your pipeline - similar to number 2, but also think referral pipeline and track it effectively. Our software http://www.theranest.com can help with that. Get the right tools and I think TheraNest is a great tool, get the right knowledge from the right people including mentors, and friends. Just remember private practice is not just helping people anymore, it's also running a business.

Shegun Otulana

As with opening a private practice or clinic in any field, you will want to make sure you are well-networked in your field before venturing into your own practice. Make sure you are making good impressions with all the internships or field practice that you do, and that you are truly learning from those more experienced then you. Opening a private practice immediately out of school is often not recommended, as you will not have the guidance and learning experience of working with veterans of the field, nor will you have the reputation necessary to make your private practice successful.

Elle McClain

I am not sure on your school curriculum but you should ensure you take a lot of courses focusing on clinical counseling skill development, as many many social work programs focus a lot on theory and social policy.  Also ensure your field placement is in an environment where you can learn and practice your clinical skills.  A mental health team is usually a good place to learn clinical counseling skills.  You will most likely need to get your Masters before you set out on your own.

Anonymous

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