Therapist's Professional Will

Getting Started, Tips, and Updates

The best way to create your own Professional Will, as I describe in detail in the Therapists's Professional Will™: Managing Planned and Unplanned Absence, in the downloadable version, as well as in the online CEU course, is to put together a trusted group of colleagues who want to be on each other's Emergency Response Team, or E.R.T. These handpicked therapists will help you and your clients when you are unavailable. It is best if your group orders copies of The Professional Will and agrees to meet regularly to cheer each other on in the process. (Please see Order Products page for information re group discounts.)

If you already are part of a consultation group you might want to schedule time during your meetings to work on the Will with them. Or pick colleagues to simply get started thinking about taking the first steps to form a small group. The 6-hour Online law and ethics courses I offer, The Therapist's Professional Will: If Not Now, When? Honoring Your Ethical Responsibility and the downloadable Therapist's Professional Will™: Guidelines for Managing Absence, each include suggestions for how to do this. You can start now by finding a few colleagues you trust and respect to begin talking with about doing your own Professional Wills.

For therapists who don't have a group of colleagues whose treatment values are compatible, The Therapist's Professional Will™: Guidelines for Managing Absence includes suggestions for how to select your Emergency Response Team (ERT). It also outlines essential qualities for selecting your Bridge Therapist, the person who will serve as the main contact person and coordinator of your Emergency Response Team when you are unavailable. For now, start thinking of colleagues you would be comfortable inviting to work with you on your Professional Will.

CHECK BACK for information about my forthcoming manual, The Therapist’s Professional Will: An Interactive Workbook and Planning Guide !

TIPS

This page will be updated with tips, new information and recommendations for how to keep your Professional Will current. Please check back for updates and suggestions. If you would like to be notified of major updates, please join my mailing list. While I am updating the downloadable Therapist's Professional Will™: Guidelines for Managing Planned and Unplanned Absence, here are the most important issues that are being added to the next revision:

Tip #1: Ways to notify clients that you will be unavailable temporarily:

If you are out of the office temporarily or for an uncertain amount of time change your cell phone or answering machine's outgoing message to include information about who to contact in the event of an emergency or for information about your expected date of return. Until you set up your Emergency Response Team you can use the same person who covers your practice while you are on vacation.

Tip #2: Another way to notify clients that you will be unavailable temporarily:

Use your computer's "Out of office auto reply" message for emails. For example:

"Hello, I will be out of the office until (date). During my absence, my colleague, (name) is covering for me. You may contact (name) at (area code and phone number).

Kind regards,
(your name)

Tip #3: Make it easier for your Emergency Response Team, ERT:

1. Keep a folder in your password-protected Word documents called EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM

2. In your locked file drawers, segregate your open and closed cases. If you haven't started to keep current patient summaries, it will help if you note the date first seen and date the case was closed.

3. Separate out or have a system for identifying clients who are high profile or might be known by members of your ERT so that those patients can be followed up by someone who does not have a dual relationship.

4. Consider writing essential information on the outside of the hanging file for each patient.

5. Add a line at the top of each patient summary and in each patient chart, indicating when to destroy/ shred the chart. For example: Date to destroy/ shred this chart (Date)__________Tip #4: Keeping Your Website Up-To-Date

Tip #4 Have a plan for updating your social media in your absence:

Many therapists have websites and blogs, Twitter, Linked In and Face Book accounts, etc. Remember to write out directions for your Emergency Response Team about how to update this information. If you know that you will be out of the office for a specific period of time consider posting contact information on your website that includes the name and phone number of the colleague who has agreed to cover for you.

NOTE: Since most therapists have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by moving their practices to online teletherapy, please either add an addendum to your current Professional Will, or make these changes to your copy of your downloadable Therapist's Professional Will™: Guidelines for Managing Planned and Unplanned Absence document:

Tip #5 In the section that includes the template for patient summaries, add this information:
Name of teletherapy company/provider:________________________
Contact information for teletherapy company/provider: ________________________
Password(s): ________________________ (Page 48, Section VI. My Professional Premises of the Therapist’s Professional Will™: Guidelines for Managing Planned and Unplanned Absence.)

Tip #6 In the section that includes patient diagnoses, update DSM diagnoses using the most recent ICD-10 diagnoses. (Page 28 of Therapist's Professional Will™: Guidelines for Managing Planned and Unplanned Absence.)

Tip #7 In the Memo to my Emergency Response Team, or in an addendum:
Name of teletherapy company/provider:________________________
Contact information for teletherapy company/provider: ________________________
Password(s): ________________________ (Page 54, in the Memo to ERT of the Therapist’s Professional Will™: Guidelines for Managing Planned and Unplanned Absence.)

Tip #8 In the section about listing therapists to refer to, the language is being updated to acknowledge the importance of intersectionality. To be more comprehensive, I recommend that along with your summary statement about your theoretical orientation, you include whether you share your sexual orientation and socio- cultural location. I also encourage you to think about and add, where appropriate, recommended sexual orientation and socio- cultural location for each patient and to your list of preferred therapists to replace you either temporarily or permanently. Pages 55 and 12, respectively, of the Therapist's Professional Will™: Guidelines for Managing Planned and Unplanned Absence.

Reminder: Check back! I will continue to update this page.

Note to Media: As mentioned elsewhere, this section was written for use by trained, licensed mental health providers. The issues discussed are of a highly sensitive nature. If you are interested in writing about this topic please feel free to contact Dr. Steiner directly at (925) 962-0060. Please do not reproduce the information on this website for distribution or publication without the author's written consent.

Disclaimer: The information in this page is intended for educational purposes for licensed mental health providers.