Group practice solutions

Group practice solutions that make the job of the private practice professional easier are a welcome addition. No matter how you view it, running a group mental health practice is a difficult job. Helping other people with their problems can bring on anxiety, compassion fatigue, and sleepless nights. Not to mention the red tape of starting and maintaining a business.

Luckily, we live in an age of group practice solutions. Apps and online resources can help immeasurably with both the administrative and therapeutic aspects of psychotherapy. Let’s consider some of the ways group practice solutions can create a more productive environment for the business and the client

Administrative Tools

The following group practice solutions can help with the business side of private practice:

Website development

A group private practice must have a website. You simply cannot survive without an internet presence. A website acts as a point of contact for the consumer and contains everything from therapist information to client forms and educational blogs. Being that most therapists are not developers, the prospect of creating a website might incite some anxiety. Fortunately, you don’t need to have a computer science degree to make one. Group practice solutions like Squarespace and Wordpress make constructing a website easier than ever before. Besides, if the thought of creating your own website still causes panic, you can always hire someone to do it for you.

Practice management software

Practice management software has been a game changer for mental health group practices. Think of one resource that takes care of all the minutiae of running a private practice. These software programs are HIPAA compliant and assist with scheduling, billing, documentation, and client communication all in one place. Plus, they offer video conferencing for therapy sessions and can link with other products, such as e-mail and accounting apps. If you want one practice management platform that does it all, Theraplatform has everything you need.

Telehealth Platforms

For those practitioners who don’t utilize practice management programs, a telehealth platform is a must. Virtual therapy - motivated greatly by the restrictions of the coronavirus - shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, more than half of mental health appointments are now conducted virtually. Zoom for Healthcare, Google Workspace and TheraPlatform offer HIPAA-compliant video conferencing that every therapist needs if they hope to build and maintain a full caseload. See a list of the best telehealth platforms here.

Accounting

Another group practice solution which is accounting software is a necessity. Practice management software might assist with billing and payments but it is no replacement for the intricacies of accounting and taxes. Plus, software like Quickbooks and Xero are easily linked to practice management platforms.

E-Prescribing

This doesn’t apply to all practices, but many employ a psychiatrist or nurse practitioner (or a psychologist in certain states) to prescribe medication to clients. Those practices need group practice solutions that can create and electronically send a prescription. E-prescribing software also contains informative drug information that makes it easy to select the appropriate medication for your clients. MDToolbox and iPrescribe are two of the most popular e-prescribing services.

HIPAA-secure Email

Although some practice management tools allow secure messaging within the platform, it is still necessary, at times, to communicate with professionals and clients with good old-fashioned e-mail. Needless to say, e-mail must be HIPAA-compliant. Services such as Hushmail and the aforementioned Google Workspace offer secure e-mail and other products.

Watch Your Free On-Demand Webinar: 9 Admin Tasks to Automate In Your Private Practice

Therapeutic Tools

Several group practice solutions have been developed to assist therapists with the treatment of various disorders:

Mental health apps

Apps can help therapists make tedious tasks, such as homework and monitoring, a little more interesting (and more likely to be completed). Here are a few examples:

Meditation/Relaxation

Mindfulness meditation is an integral part of many therapies, including dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). However, helping clients learn to meditate on their own can be a daunting task. Apps like Calm and Headspace make it easy to access materials and start a meditation practice at home. Plus, they offer assistance with sleep issues and relaxation techniques.

CBT

Many mental health apps center on Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) resources to aid numerous disorders, including depression and anxiety. CBT easily lends itself to self-help and its tools can be simply delivered in an app. Instead of a workbook, therapists can have clients use an app for thought journals, mood tracking, and affirmations. Mindshift and Sanvello are two of the best.

Addiction

One of the most difficult pieces of addressing addiction is continuing the work outside of therapy and meetings. Apps like I am Sober and Quitzilla are primarily sobriety trackers, but they also offer motivational messages and support by connecting users with other people trying to tackle addiction.