Just the term “middle management“ would be enough to send me on a rant. This is a tough job and dealing with legal and ethical issues and overall organizational planning is part of why psychologists should get paid and be involved in the decision making. Bean counters making decisions that affect treatment could send me on a whole other level of ranting. Keep on ranting and fighting for the professional practice of psychology is what I would say. Also, they should pay you more. I don’t even know how much you get paid, but I think all licensed psychologists should get paid more.
I make 100500 a year. I find it just enough to keep me from starting my own thing... I share salary info freely.
whats your clinic setting?
I’d say you are making nowhere near enough to justify what you’re experiencing.
I also get 6 weeks pto, plus a week of cme and sick time... insurance is pretty good too. My wife just got a 20% raise today.
I'd had my doubts, but I'm much happier thus far in PP. I work more, and harder, but I'm happier. I was definitely becoming burnt out previously, although we'll see if the same happens here in a few more years. Healthcare systems are stressful for pretty much all healthcare providers, but my take is that they can be especially so for psychologists, for a variety of reasons.
This piece really stands out for me. For some of us, our patient population is likely both a protective factor (accomplishment, purpose) while also adding significant stress in our life that might even promote suicidality in some cases.
Employed by a Western VA system while living physically elsewhere but I think these burdens are spread pretty equally nationwide. Some systems may emphasize different particulars where there may be some national ambiguity (should notes be completed within 24 or 48 hours?) and apply pressures uniquely but the overall burden has likely gotten worse since whenever you last worked in the VA in terms of clinical things to complete (treatment plan, clinical reminders, suicide risk evals and safety plans) and timelines to get notes in by, both of which have increased in emphasis even in the few years that I’ve been a trainee and now staff psychologist.
cerner is great. The VA is switching to cerner? I think cerner powerchart is actually pretty sweet
I don’t work evenings. Right now I’m barely working mornings. 16 patients next week and that is enough to pay all the bills. I don’t know if the market can support all of us going all cash, but it’s working for me so far. When you have the experience and skills, patients recognize it and if they can pay they will pay. I have a few strategies to help increase access for people that have less resources and this involves some sliding scale flexibility and training other clinicians which also is something I enjoy doing. If I could do 20 hours of direct billable contact and have interns doing their thing for 5 to 10 hours apiece, that would probably work. I see interns as needing less than ten hours a week of my time, but even with that number, that puts me at only 30 hours.
Never been exposed to Cerner but mainly I just worry about the nationwide transition since the pilot site rollout is going absolutely terrible (I had also heard from colleagues prior to this blowing up and becoming national news that it was bad): Tech Glitches at One VA Site Raise Concerns About a Nationwide Rollout
It varies significantly on region and population but this is from 2015: 2015 salaries in psychology
I know I'm speaking from a vantage point from which I don't feel the pressures those looking at such jobs would feel, but still:
Same. I'm never going back and I'm never going to work for anyone else but myself.
If just doing therapy, 20-27 therapy hours a week is full time.
Not in my mind. If all I am doing is therapy, which I did for almost 5 years straight, I booked a solid 40 hour week, Of course, not all would show but I was also on-call one week out of four which added to the workload. It was a heavy workload, but completely doable and I was well-compensated.
Over the years these CBOC positions would pop up. I think w. the right kind of person, they could be a sweet gig; I was not that person though.The full-time (5 days/week) therapists I know see between 30 - 45 patients/week.
I'm assuming this would be private practice? And insurance based? For anything else that seems high.
Mix of insurance and self-pay. Private practice.
