What is a Psychotherapist’s Professional Will?
A psychotherapist’s professional will is a crucial document that spells out a practitioner’s wishes for the continuing care of their patients during the therapist’s absence due to vacation, unexpected emergencies, illness-causing absence, or closing of the practice.
Dr. Steiner’s Professional Will System provides an organized plan for handling your practice, including contacting and caring for your patients, co-workers, and family in the event of your absence. This system specifies an Emergency Response Team (ERT) consisting of colleagues you have chosen to serve as a backup team, along with a system to document the information the ERT will need.
By creating your own professional will and establishing a backup system of trusted colleagues, you can rest assured that you have done your very best to ensure continuity of care for patients while also complying with your profession’s ethics requirements.
Benefits of a Professional Will
Having a professional will system can help patients cope with the emotional pain of missing their therapist.
- Enables your trusted, hand-picked team of colleagues to contact patients and to follow your wishes for handling your practice when you are unavailable
- Provides patients with immediate care and minimal treatment disruption
- Manages office matters and records as you specify
- Allows practitioners to focus on their recovery if they are ill or injured, or to rest and enjoy their vacations or retirements — rather than worrying about patients’ well-being or other crises
The e-Workbook
The Psychotherapist’s Professional Will: Workbook for Managing Planned and Unplanned Absences takes the critical issue of providing continuity of care for patients from concept to practical application. With its easy-to-follow worksheets, which simplify the process, using this system is like having a coach who helps you set realistic goals using timelines and documents that make it easier to take your professional will from your To-Do-List to your first draft. The forms may be filled in online or printed and filled in by hand.
Dr. Steiner introduces the concept of the Emergency Response Team (ERT), trusted colleagues you hand-pick to take care of your practice in your absence.
This clear, informative guide walks you through the process of putting your plan in place and helps you decide how your patients and treatment plans should be handled in the event of a temporary, prolonged absence, or permanent absence.
It includes a wide selection of worksheets and templates, including:
- How to select your Emergency Response Team, (ERT)
- Sample Farewell Letters to be sent to patients
- Patient Contact Information List
You will find a system to organize all the documentation needed to customize a backup plan for your practice, and much more.
By making a document that spells out your wishes for the continuing care of your patients in your absence, you will have done everything possible to assure continuity of care for your patients, and peace of mind for yourself.
Getting
Started
Find out more about how you can get started creating your own professional will.
Speaking Engagements
Learn more about Dr. Steiner’s Professional Will workshops and keynotes.