SLP Teletherapy Interviews

Interviewing for a speech therapy teletherapy position is a different animal, especially for a digital immigrant, like me! The internet has not always been a part of my life, like younger, “digital natives.” None-the-less, I have embraced technology throughout my speech therapy career and I am making the transition from a brick and mortar school to teletherapy. Since I’m working as an independent contractor, (and I want to find companies that are good matches for my needs) I have interviewed with more than one company. I thought it might be helpful to compare and contrast my experiences of interviewing with brick and mortar schools compared to teletherapy interviews. Now, these are “my” experiences…other people may have had different views from their interview processes. Here are some differences I’ve noticed so far!

1. No big table of education professionals staring at you!

Interviews for brick and mortar positions were always stressful to me. Sitting around a large table of 5 or more education professionals lobbing questions my way was the opposite of fun. My teletherapy interviews were with an OT from the company via an online teletherapy platform and the other was with a recruiter by phone. I’d have to say that for me, interviewing from the comfort of my home was awesome! Professional shirt on the top and yoga pants and slippers on the bottom! I noticed that for both interviews, I was asked questions about what I want out of a teletherapy career. This wasn’t a question I ever recall being asked in a brick and mortar SLP interview and it was a breath of fresh air!

2. Different Types of Interview Questions:

Interviews with brick and mortar schools meant at least 10 challenging questions about how you handle different clinical and educational experiences. I didn’t mind challenging questions but I was often left with that “oh, I should have said this instead” type of feeling. My teletherapy interviews consisted of “softer” questions about my general technology skill set, background and experiences. They may want to know if you are willing to get licensed in other states. Teletherapy companies will also ask you questions about your computer so be prepared…know the make and model of your computer, how much storage you have available, do you have a built-in camera etc. They may also ask you questions about your home internet connection, (how often does it go down).

3. Stages of interviews:

For brick and mortar positions, I typically had one big interview. Teletherapy interviews may occur in stages- it depends on the company. One company conducted an interview with me, about me, and then I had a second conversation with a tech representative, which was more about some simple tech skills, my computer and my internet speed. I was all nervous about the tech interview but the questions were very SLP-friendly! There may also be an interview with the teletherapy company and then, another online or phone interview with a school representative, if the position is with a school.

4. Digital Portfolios:

You may bring a portfolio to a brick and mortar interview, packed with letters of recommendation, work samples etc. Teletherapy companies may ask for any of the following during the interview process: copies of your licenses, letters of recommendation, ASHA card. In addition, if you get hired, teletherapy companies will want a copy of your professional liability insurance and may want you to obtain a FBI fingerprint check.

Now, those were the four biggest differences that I observed. There are also personal considerations for you to explore prior to and during the interview process.

Personal Considerations:

There are some things for you to consider as you are considering a teletherapy career.

Do you want to be an independent contractor (no benefits, no guaranteed hours) or are you searching for a full-time position with benefits?
Do you prefer to work within your own time zone or are you willing to see students earlier or later in other time zones? What works best for you and your life?
Where in your home will you see students? The closer you are to your modem, the better the internet connection.
Do you have a newer computer, one that has been purchased in the last three years?
What types of students do you enjoy seeing? Think about age groups, diagnoses. Some teletherapy companies will try to take into account your personal preferences, but of course, this also means you may not get your desired hours too.
Are you brand spanking new to the concept of teletherapy? Check out what ASHA has to say about telepractice: ASHA: Telepractice Overview.
Do you want to start off slow with a few students or jump in to a full caseload? For me, personally, I I committed to a slower start so I could master the specifics of teletherapy.
What is your rate? Check out some facebook groups on teletherapy. Some have documents that share SLP experiences with different companies, including rates.

Here are some thoughts about questions you can consider asking of the interviewer. Some of these questions will also help you get a handle on your financial comittment.

Questions YOU might ask the Interviewer:

What is your policy for cancellations?
Do you have online assessments available or do I provide my own?
Do you provide training and support? Do you offer both clinical and technical support?
What are the specific technology requirements? Does your current computer meet these requirements?
What materials does your company have available? (you might also check out my prior post on Free Digital Speech and Language Resources!). I have personally started curating digital materials in preparation for my teletherapy journey.
Will the teletherapy company want to be added to your professional liability insurance? This will incur you an additional cost.
Is there a requirement to be licensed in other states? Who pays for the application and license?