Having an Attendance Policy

The best policy to have is an attendance policy! Those of us in private practice or university clinics know the difficulty of scheduling clients. We also know the difficulty with client attendance. At least in schools and hospitals, students and patients are often held captive for SLPs to go and find.

Regular attendance is an essential part of successful and effective therapy. It’s important to have an attendance policy so the client knows what is expected of them and to respect your time. Here is what I put in my attendance policy. For scheduling tips, check out my blog post Scheduling Clients and Tips

Cancellations

A client should give you 24 hours’ notice for any cancellation except in the case of an emergency. This is pretty standard in any setting.

My wording:

Clients are expected to attend all scheduled sessions with their clinicians. Clients should notify their clinician 24 hours in advance if they are unable to attend the session. Otherwise, this is considered a no-show session. No-show sessions are subject to an additional $25 no-show fee, regardless of the session rate for the appointment, that will be added to the following appointment’s fee.

Promptness

Having a policy about being on time is a good idea too. I have had many clients keep me waiting for 10-15 minutes before arriving to the session. It needs to be clearly stated that if the client is late, that time will not be made up.

My wording:

Clinicians will wait up to 15 minutes after the appointment time for the client to arrive for their appointment or they will be considered a no-show and subject to the no-show fee. The missed time will not be made up.

Attendance

Things happen! People get sick, families go on vacation, and sometimes things pop up. I give my clients 3 cancellations in a certain amount of time. More than 3 cancellations will really impact progress made. Additionally, that is also time that you have carved out for a client that you could schedule someone else in.

My wording:

If a client misses any three (3) sessions during a three-month period, including informed absences, the clinician may use their sole discretion to determine if and to what extent the continuation of treatment will occur. This determination is final.

Engagement

Being engaged in the session is just as important as attending. I have had numerous adult clients check email, text, and even answer calls in the session. I have a statement about this, more so to make a point that engagement is critical for progress.

Clients are expected to be attentive during their sessions. We ask that you refrain from checking emails, answering calls, or being on your phone while your appointment is in session.

 Payment

The uncomfortable but necessary piece! It’s common practice everywhere that if you don’t pay, you don’t stay.

My wording:

Clients are expected to adhere to their signed payment agreement and pay for services accordingly. If the client does not pay for services of more than two (2) appointments without a previously signed agreement upon change in billing practices (evidenced prior to the second missed payment), the clinician may use their sole discretion to determine if and to what extent the continuation of treatment will occur. This determination is final.  

Add a place for signatures from the client or caregiver and the clinician as well as the date signed. Voila, you have an attendance policy! You can also use my template here Attendance Policy Template Just be sure to add in your company name.

What is included in your attendance policy? Let us know in the comments below.