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Therapeutic Recreation. PRIVATE PRACTICE. 5 Steps to Starting a Private Practice Starting a private practice involves taking some initial steps and asking yourself some hard questions. #1 What population will I work with ?. Ask yourself :
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PRIVATE PRACTICE • 5 Steps to Starting a Private Practice • Starting a private practice involves taking some initial steps and asking yourself some hard questions.
#1 What population will I work with ? • Ask yourself : - What population do I want to work with and have experience working with? Think about your assets/your skills. - What type of environment would I like to work in? Outdoors/Indoors, Hospital, Care Home, Community Outreach, etc. - What types of services will I provide? - These questions will help you to realize where your passion truly is and your clients will benefit substantially.
#2 Your Company Name • Thinking about a name for your company. • Picking a name for your company is very important and requires great thought and research. • Your name is your brand and will catch the attention of the population you work with. • It is very hard to change your name later on and will only create stress.
#3 Your Logo • Your LOGO is how you want your name to be displayed. • Take time to research what is already out there because you don’t want to find out 3 years down the road that your logo is already being used and looks too closely like another company’s, which will cause complications.
#4 Register Your Name • Registering your name with the BC Business Registry. • Once you have 3 name choices you need to register them through BC Business and they will perform a name search for you. • Once you have confirmation that your name is accepted you can go from there and design a logo. • The BC Business Registry website is full of information to help guide you through this process.
#5 Support • Gaining valuable support while you are building your company is very important. • Keep a file of all your contacts, research and ideas so you can use them later on in the process. • Having your loved ones’ support will set you up for success. • Surround your self with positive people. • Bring up your courses about self-awareness to help you engage yourself in this process of starting your own company-(Stress Management)
Why I Started Lifetime Leisure • As I started my career in Therapeutic Recreation I found that my passion is truly working with older adults and those with chronic health conditions. • Ever since I was a little girl I found myself instilled with values and beliefs that led me a life of always including people in conversation and activities no matter age, race, abilities, or health.
Why I Started • My best friend had Cystic Fibrosis and passed away at 18 years old. I was always around and helping her with her condition. • I have a huge fitness background in both competitive and recreation sport and love showing people a new leisure activity. • I coached basketball, volleyball, and track and field for many years.
Why I started • The Douglas College program in Therapeutic Recreation is truly what helped me in my path to private practice. • I have had some major injuries in my life that I have successfully rehabilitated from which helped me in starting my company. • While in school I had a biking accident in which I thought I was not going to make it. I had a hair line fracture in C1 and fractured 3 ribs on the left as well I had a concussion. I was incapacitated for 14 days and had school work to complete.
Why I Started • If it were not for me learning coping techniques and self-awareness through this program I am not sure how I would have rehabilitated so well. • The faculty and their positive nature and delivery of course content helped me in so many ways to rehabilitate.
Why I Started • I figured if Therapeutic Recreation can help me recuperate the way I did then I can help others too. • I also use my skills in TR to help me help my son who has Type 1 Diabetes. • As I began thinking of how I could develop a company I started to assess where, how, and which population I wanted to work with.
Why I Started • My love for the outdoors and leisure helped me in my decision to help those that are elderly or have a chronic health condition access our beautiful BC no matter their abilities. • I saw a gap where community dwellers in this population are socially isolated and with the help of Lifetime Leisure they can increase wellness in all 5 domains of health.
Growing Pains • Frustrations are inevitable and it is how well you deal with the stress that will help you overcome these frustrations. • Taking advice from people is great but make sure you double check before just acting on the advice. Ask lots of different people questions. • When hiring a lawyer for your business interview a couple and ask lots of questions and do not give up until you find your answers.
Insurance: • This was my main growing pain amongst others that took a great deal of time and lessons learned. • We as TR’s have no way of accessing insurance through our association yet. So you need to acquire private insurance which is very expensive-depending on the population you are serving. • Make sure you interview more than one insurance company/broker and ask tons of questions.
Insurance: • Other health care professionals have access to insurance through associations like BCAK, CSEP, and other Associations, etc • Private Practice will soon be more wide spread in the Therapeutic Recreation field and hopefully we will start to discuss insurance options.
Registering my company: • In terms of GST and HST I learned a valuable lesson that cost me a lot of money. • I did not research enough and ask the proper questions as the excitement tends to take over of opening up your own company. • So I ended up having to pay a large portion of HST that I was not charging my clients only because I registered for GST when I did not need to. There is a certain amount of money your company can make HST exempt before you need to register for HST but if you register you will pay.
Injuries • During my start up I injured myself and broke my ribs. I did not give up and was honest with my clients. • I find that your honesty will take you a long way. • Maintaining the drive and passion for the field of Therapeutic Recreation is just what I did and this helped me through.
A Real Example of The Rewards • Nina, 96 years old. • Upon assessment Nina could only sit, lay in bed and walk with aids and supervision. • She had breast cancer 5 years ago and a stroke that impaired her left side. • Heart Disease, artificial heart valve, hypertension • 176/100 when normal is 120/80.
A Real Example of The Rewards • I met Nina 3 months ago. • Currently her blood pressure is 139/68 and she is now off medication for hypertension. • Physically Nina can now get out of a chair on her own which was one of her #1 goals - To increase muscular strength. • She has improved her balance substantially and can now walk with minimal supervision. • Nina has a wonderful attitude on life and is grateful to have improved her quality of life.
“Recreations purpose is not to pass time but to make life, not to keep a person occupied, but to keep them refreshed, not to offer an escape from life but to provide a discovery of life!” Author Unknown
LIFETIME LEISURE LIMITED ACTIVE LIFESTYLES FOR HEALTH & WELLNESS