HR for group practices

Human resources management is vital to the success of therapy group practices. With therapy group practice comes the need for staffing, compensation, benefits, enforcing workplace policies, and more. Luckily, understanding what human resource processes are needed and tools like EHRs can help you manage HR for a group practice.

Let’s dive into what you should know about managing human resources in group practices.

Staffing and recruitment for group practices

It’s crucial to accurately determine therapist staffing needs when planning for a group practice. To do this, practice owners should assess the expected volume of clients, determine the appropriate caseload per therapist, and consider any unique areas of expertise required by therapists. This allows practice owners to better identify potential candidates.

Using the most effective recruitment strategies can attract qualified therapists to provide group therapy within a practice. Practice owners can leverage online platforms (websites, social media), professional networks (such as LinkedIn) and partnerships with educational institutions.

Publishing well-written job descriptions, offering competitive compensation, and building a comprehensive employee benefits package can attract employees.

Conducting thorough interviews is critical for assessing a candidate’s interpersonal abilities, clinical skills, and how he or she aligns with the practice’s values. Presenting case studies and incorporating role-playing scenarios can provide insight into the candidate’s skills and whether they may be the right fit for the therapy group practice.

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Onboarding and orientation for group practices

A streamlined onboarding process can set a positive tone for the therapist's role within the group practice. Not only can a well-structured orientation take care of completing administrative tasks, but it can also help in welcoming the therapist to the workplace culture of the practice.

During this introductory phase, the therapist can be introduced to the culture, values, and expectations of the practice. Providing a new hire with the necessary resources and information can help them easily integrate into their new role.

Employee development and training

By investing in ongoing professional development, practice owners can enhance the competence of therapists and contribute to the success of the practice as a whole.

Practice owners should train therapists on processes such as documentation, and scheduling, as well as clinical aspects. This includes any specific curriculum, testing, or materials that will be used to provide group therapy.

Compensation and benefits

Offering competitive, fair compensation is important for attracting and retaining well-qualified therapists. Research has shown a direct correlation between employee compensation and benefits, and motivation and empowerment within the workplace.

To ensure that the compensation offered is in line with that of therapists in your area with the same years of experience, your practice may choose to hire an HR professional to conduct regular market analyses.

Offering a comprehensive benefits package that includes health insurance, retirement plans, and wellness programs can attract top-tier therapists and reinforce the practice’s commitment to their employees’ wellbeing.

Workplace policies and compliance

A practice should establish clear workplace policies in order to maintain a professional, ethical environment.

Areas such as confidentiality, maintaining HIPAA compliance, adherence to an employee code of conduct, and outlining professional boundaries (such as a social media policy) should be communicated to therapists by the practice’s human resources.

Practice owners should stay up to date on legal and ethical standards to ensure that the group therapy practice operates within these frameworks.

Conflict resolution and employee relations

In any workplace environment, conflicts are inevitable. Having a plan in place for resolving these conflicts allows practice owners to be prepared when they occur.

Group therapy practice owners should consider establishing a clear, confidential process for conflict resolution. This allows issues to be addressed in a prompt, impartial manner.

A strong, positive employee relations system can foster a healthy work environment for therapists. This allows them to focus on utilizing their professional skills to provide quality client care.

Workforce planning and succession for group practices

Workforce planning can be approached strategically by anticipating future staffing needs and developing plans for growth of the practice.

A proactive approach to succession planning involves identifying and preparing employees for possible future roles within the practice. In a group therapy practice, this may involve identifying certain therapists as potential leaders for roles within the practice. For example, as clinical leads or as supervisors of therapy assistants, graduate interns, or new clinicians.