Expanding Access: Enhancing School-Based Clinical Staffing with Teletherapy Solutions
Benefits of the Hybrid Work Model A hybrid work model, where a clinician is onsite for a portion of each week or month, and services are otherwise provided remotely, can allow for school districts to be introduced to teletherapy services more gradually, while also allowing the clinician to complete some of their work from home. This model does require that the clinician be able to travel to the school district for the required onsite days, so there is a smaller percentage of clinicians able to do this. However, it can be a very successful model. In some hybrid models, the clinician delivers therapy services remotely, but is onsite to complete evaluations (note: evaluations can be delivered remotely, but some districts choose this portion of work to be completed onsite). In other hybrid models, the clinician delivers a portion of the evaluation and therapy services remotely and completes the remainder of the required work onsite. Associated Costs Many school districts have budget challenges and the cost of implementing teletherapy services is therefore a key consideration. The primary associated cost of implementing teletherapy (outside of the cost of contracting or hiring a service provider) is typically the cost of onsite support personnel, such as a paraprofessional or e-helper. Schools may be able to mitigate this cost by leveraging existing classified staff rather than hiring additional staff for this need.
Areas of Support To ensure the successful implementation of teletherapy services, there are three primary areas the school must support:
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Appropriate internet access and equipment (dedicated desktop/laptop and headset for each student joining an evaluation or therapy session).
Appropriate space (separate room or area of a larger room with privacy screen) that allows for students to participate in evaluation and therapy sessions.
Onsite support personnel provided at a level that is appropriate to the needs of each student. At a minimum, line-of-sight supervision must be provided, but depending on the student’s ability to participate in virtual sessions independently, the onsite support person may need to sit with the student throughout each session to facilitate the process under the guidance of the treating clinician.
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