How Can I Use My Intake Form for Marketing?

by Rose Piper LaCroix

Question

How can I use my intake form not only as a clinical tool, but as a marketing tool as well?

Answer

From a business point of view, most of the intake forms that I evaluate in my consultations with mental health professionals are missing pieces of information that are vital to good clinical care in the "short term therapy" environment we work in.

One significant factor in gathering and using this information is that it will help your client in the quickest possible way. It also is helpful in introducing you to a variety of potential referral sources.

While most therapists tell me that they feel awkward about making "cold calls" to new potential referral sources, many find that contacting a professional, or someone who knows the client well quite easy. It's an important part of the treatment process. The clinical information you gather this will help to provide you with a better understanding of your client before the second visit.

You can also spend a few extra minutes, on the phone, building rapport with a new potential referral source, uncovering needs that they might have for your services.

Place this section in an area set apart, (perhaps by a border) in an area that you will look at every time you review the chart.

Here is an example of how this area might look:

       The Referral Source ____________   phone _______________
       "Significant Other" ____________   phone _______________
       Clients Family Physician _______   phone _______________
       Minister or Rabbi ______________   phone _______________
       The School Contact _____________   phone _______________
       MCO ____________________________   phone _______________
       Other __________________________   phone _______________

Some Points to Consider:

You will need to have a separate release signed for each person you are going to contact you will note (right on the intake form) that you have received the release using the check box.

Now that you have a method of gathering valuable information, do you have a system of tracking and following up with those referral sources? It is easy to develop a simple form to track your efforts.

Plan to have several face to face meetings (three is a normal average) before a new contact will begin to refer.

Get creative. Try to combine your efforts with those therapists in your community, whose specialties, and energy levels complement yours.

If you aren't following up with your current referral sources one of your "colleagues" will. It amazes me how many people in private practice don't bother to acknowledge a referral with a simple handwritten thank you note after a meeting with a potential referral source.

Read Private Practice Handbook by Charles Browning Ph.D. and Beverly Browning Ph.D. (If you would like to order this book, please write to our Amazone Bookstore Catalog). It is filled with wonderful nuts-and-bolts ideas that will stimulate your thinking.

Do you know where your clients work? If you are not billing a 3rd party for your services, you may not be asking for this information. It is essential to know where your clients work and which employers are attached to which Managed Care Organization (MCO). Many of the MCO will send Providers (that's you) a list of their employer clients if you ask for it.

Have you created a diagram of those employers covered by the MCO you are a provider for?

Have you targeted those MCO whose panels you aren't on yet? An easy way to do this is to make a copy of the new client's insurance card, even if you won't be doing the billing. This card has the phone number and the address you will need to make the first contact.

Which physicians seem to be doing the most work with managed care? Depending on the type of managed care companies they work with you may want to meet with them. This type of information is easy to get on your first phone contact.

Collecting this data and following up on it can be the easiest marketing you will ever do. If you will get this information from every client, call each one of these important people in their lives (when appropriate after getting a separate signed release for each person you plan to contact) and then keep in touch with them on a regular basis (follow up) and you will never have to do any other type of "marketing" again.

About the Author:

Rose Piper LaCroix has 10 years of marketing experience in building private practices for mental health professionals. You won't get a lot of philosophy about marketing because she believes in a nuts and bolts approach to building and maintaining a private practice. You can reach her at (909) 989-7006 PST.