Teletherapy can certainly be a viable option for schools who struggle to locate in-person candidates to fill important positions. Research has proven that virtual services are just as effective as face to face given the right technology and support.

However, there are problems and challenges associated with the delivery model. Especially when contracting with for-profit companies, like Lighthouse Therapy. 

In our experience, here are 5 things to consider when contracting for teletherapy services for your school:

 

1) Not ALL students are good candidates for an online delivery model.

If you meet with a company or organization and they tell you every student on the caseload can be successful, regardless of their challenges or disabilities….beware. While virtual services can certainly be effective for most students, it may not be a fit for students with unique challenges, such as vision impairments, hearing impairments, or those with low-incidence disabilities.

While each situation and child is unique, it’s important the company you choose understands the ethical responsibility in delivering appropriate, quality services. At Lighthouse, if we feel a student is not progressing, or not able to properly benefit from our services, we start a discussion. We may explore other methods of support, or perhaps, work alongside your on-site team to redistribute caseloads. Ultimately, as therapists ourselves, it’s our ethical responsibility to ensure the students we serve are able to access and prosper from our services. 

 

2) Virtual services often require the use of a facilitator

This can add additional costs to your bottom line. It’s important that a qualified, experienced adult be present to troubleshoot technology issues, monitor student behavior and attention, as well as deliver students to and from sessions. Here at Lighthouse, we know that use of a facilitator is best practice. However, we will work alongside you to come up with creative solutions if use of a facilitator is limited. Our goal is to keep students safe, as well as delivery quality services so students succeed.

 

3) Teletherapists aren’t on-site

Teletherapists don’t have the benefit of being on-site to build rapport and engage daily with all staff members. This is important to team-building, and being absent from staff lunchrooms, department meetings, and general “watercooler” sessions can put online therapists at a disadvantage. However, the beauty of contracting online services is that schools have the autonomy to get creative here!

Therapists at Lighthouse can participate in as much, or as little, school-based events and meetings as you want them too. We’ve attended Back-To-School Nights, Parent-Teacher conferences, team meetings, MTSS discussions, and more! With the right support, and encouragement from on-site staff, this barrier can be reduced.

 

4) Contracting can be confusing.

There are rate sheets, fees, minimums, and sometimes, hidden costs associated with contracts. It can feel overwhelming to read through legal jargon, and truly understand WHAT you are paying for with each invoice. It doesn’t help that there are several different structures to contracting. Are you charged by the hour, or by student seat? Are assessment charges variable or fixed?

Here at Lighthouse, we really try to demystify this process. With specific caseload information, we are able to generate an estimate for your daily, weekly, and average monthly cost. We also transparently lay out what factors drive your costs UP, versus what drives them DOWN. It’s our mission to ensure there are no surprises each month when you receive your bill. If you do have questions, you’ll have the direct contact number of our invoicing department and our CEO. 

 

5) Buy-in from stakeholders

Buy-in from stakeholders, including parents and staff members, can be challenging. During COVID, teletherapy got a bit of a bad reputation. Therapists, teachers, and administrators were thrust into online services without the proper knowledge, support, and resources to be successful. This led to the belief that “online doesn’t work”, which carries over to the present day in some communities. It’s important to contract with a company that understands this, and works alongside you to slowly implement a change in perspective.

At Lighthouse, we aren’t offended that you’d prefer in-person services. In fact, as much as we believe in what we do, we understand that in-person is preferred. However, we’ve developed creative solutions to help combat and educate stakeholders on the benefits of our services. We’ve provided newsletters to parents, held webinars, provided resumes, and even invited others to observe sessions. Lighthouse Therapy considers you a partner. That includes your entire community, not just your school.

Consideration of these 5 problems can make a huge difference in the success of your contracting experience. If you’d like more information about teletherapy, or the use of our services, we’d love to meet you. Click here to book a short meeting, or here to request a customized quote.