In the latest Raven Health webinar, Tim Crilly sat down with consultant Ivy Zwicker, who shared her insights on how ABA practice owners can successfully grow their teams while ensuring financial health. With over a decade of experience in the ABA industry, Ivy’s expertise helps businesses navigate the challenges of sustainable growth.
Key Takeaways: Financial Health & Growth Ivy introduced the concept of ‘No Margin, No Mission,’ emphasizing the importance of maintaining financial stability to keep the mission of helping families alive. While passion drives ABA practices, the financial component ensures longevity. Ivy recommended performing a market analysis when expanding into new areas, ensuring that there is not only client demand, but also enough RBTs and BCBAs to support your services.
Understanding Rates & Caseload Management Ivy highlighted the importance of knowing payer rates and managing caseload metrics. Understanding your reimbursement rates—especially for core services like 97153 and 97155 – is critical to sustaining a healthy business. Additionally, Ivy discussed the need for tracking growth carefully to avoid overstaffing, which could lead to financial strain.
Data-Driven Decisions for Growth Ivy stressed the importance of tracking metrics like authorization utilization and average billable hours. She explained how maintaining data dashboards allows ABA owners to make informed decisions about when to hire more staff and how to optimize their existing teams for both financial and operational success.
Balancing Growth and Client Needs It’s essential to balance client growth with workforce management. Ivy advised owners to carefully analyze their client demographics and ensure they are strategically filling gaps in their caseloads, particularly during underutilized hours, such as mornings and early afternoons.
Final Thoughts For ABA practice owners, Ivy’s advice centers around being realistic with your business growth, tracking the right data, and ensuring financial health from day one.
In a recent Raven Health webinar, Tim Crilly hosted John and Jill Jacobson of J2Jacobson Consulting to share essential advice for starting an ABA practice. Drawing from decades of experience, they offered valuable insights for professionals transitioning from employee to practice owner.
Key Considerations Before Starting
The Jacobson’s emphasized the importance of evaluating your motivations. Jill warned that starting an ABA practice isn’t a quick escape from frustration, but a significant commitment. Financial preparedness is critical – Jill advised, “Don’t quit your day job,” stressing the importance of having a strong financial plan and consulting experts beyond ABA clinicians.
Strategic Startup Planning
John and Jill stressed the importance of defining your service model – home-based, center-based, school-based, or hybrid – and understanding your market. John pointed out that different regions have varying demands for ABA services, so it’s vital to research and plan accordingly.
Financial Management & Growth
A key takeaway was the need for a detailed financial budget and hiring plan. Understanding your break-even point and having a growth strategy in place is essential for long-term success. Jill highlighted the need for smart decisions, especially when scaling from home to center-based services.
Systems & Retention
Implementing the right systems at the right time is crucial for managing a growing practice. John also emphasized the importance of staff retention, noting high turnover rates among RBTs. Creating a supportive environment where staff feel valued is key to sustaining your practice.
Final Thoughts
For those considering starting their ABA practice, the Jacobsons highly encourage seeking expert advice and planning strategically for success. Interested in learning more? Watch the full, free webinar below: Click here to watch the webinar.
In the latest Raven Health webinar, Tim Crilly sat down with consultant Ivy Zwicker, who shared her insights on how ABA practice owners can successfully grow their teams while ensuring financial health. With over a decade of experience in the ABA industry, Ivy’s expertise helps businesses navigate the challenges of sustainable growth.
Key Takeaways: Financial Health & Growth
Ivy introduced the concept of ‘No Margin, No Mission,’ emphasizing the importance of maintaining financial stability to keep the mission of helping families alive. While passion drives ABA practices, the financial component ensures longevity. Ivy recommended performing a market analysis when expanding into new areas, ensuring that there is not only client demand, but also enough RBTs and BCBAs to support your services.
Understanding Rates & Caseload Management
Ivy highlighted the importance of knowing payer rates and managing caseload metrics. Understanding your reimbursement rates—especially for core services like 97153 and 97155 – is critical to sustaining a healthy business. Additionally, Ivy discussed the need for tracking growth carefully to avoid overstaffing, which could lead to financial strain.
Data-Driven Decisions for Growth
Ivy stressed the importance of tracking metrics like authorization utilization and average billable hours. She explained how maintaining data dashboards allows ABA owners to make informed decisions about when to hire more staff and how to optimize their existing teams for both financial and operational success.
Balancing Growth and Client Needs
It’s essential to balance client growth with workforce management. Ivy advised owners to carefully analyze their client demographics and ensure they are strategically filling gaps in their caseloads, particularly during underutilized hours, such as mornings and early afternoons.
Final Thoughts
For ABA practice owners, Ivy’s advice centers around being realistic with your business growth, tracking the right data, and ensuring financial health from day one. Interested in learning more? Watch the full, free webinar below: Click here to watch the webinar.
In a recent Raven Health webinar, Tim Crilly hosted John and Jill Jacobson of J2Jacobson Consulting to share essential advice for starting an ABA practice. Drawing from decades of experience, they offered valuable insights for professionals transitioning from employee to practice owner.
Key Considerations Before Starting
The Jacobson’s emphasized the importance of evaluating your motivations. Jill warned that starting an ABA practice isn’t a quick escape from frustration, but a significant commitment. Financial preparedness is critical – Jill advised, “Don’t quit your day job,” stressing the importance of having a strong financial plan and consulting experts beyond ABA clinicians.
Strategic Startup Planning
John and Jill stressed the importance of defining your service model – home-based, center-based, school-based, or hybrid – and understanding your market. John pointed out that different regions have varying demands for ABA services, so it’s vital to research and plan accordingly.
Financial Management & Growth
A key takeaway was the need for a detailed financial budget and hiring plan. Understanding your break-even point and having a growth strategy in place is essential for long-term success. Jill highlighted the need for smart decisions, especially when scaling from home to center-based services.
Systems & Retention
Implementing the right systems at the right time is crucial for managing a growing practice. John also emphasized the importance of staff retention, noting high turnover rates among RBTs. Creating a supportive environment where staff feel valued is key to sustaining your practice.
Final Thoughts
For those considering starting their ABA practice, the Jacobsons highly encourage seeking expert advice and planning strategically for success. Interested in learning more? Watch the full, free webinar below: Click here to watch the webinar.
Looking for ways to enrich your child’s cognitive, physical, and emotional growth during these long summer days? One of the most effective ways to do so is through tactile sensory play! Here are some summer-friendly sensory play ideas made easy with things from around your house, thoughtfully curated by an ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) Educator.
Sidewalk Chalk Paint
Materials: Muffin tin or cups, paint brushes/sponges/foam brushes, cornstarch, water, liquid food coloring
Instructions: Mix equal parts cornstarch and water and whisk smooth. Divide the mixture into cups or a muffin tin. Use one small drop of food coloring to color the individual containers. Then, use paint brushes, sponges, or foam brushes to paint onto sidewalks.
Instructions: Mix two cups of cornstarch with one cup of water. Add a few drops of blue food coloring when the mixture is partially combined. Add your ocean animals and see how fast they can swim!
DIY Moon Sand (Taste Safe)
Materials: Flour (or rice flour for gluten-free), coconut, canola, or vegetable oil, pan, sand/water toys
Instructions: Mix eight cups of flour with one cup of oil. Combine ingredients until the mixture feels silky and sandy but will hold shape if you squeeze it. Now, go ahead and build a sandcastle!
Ice Cream Sensory Bin (Taste Safe)
Materials: rainbow sprinkles, container, ice cream toys such as an ice cream scoop, spoons, cupcake liners, ice cream cones (real or pretend), and any other ice cream-type tools you have on hand
Instructions: Fill a bin with rainbow sprinkles and ice cream toys. Have fun scooping ice cream!
Incorporating tactile sensory activities into your child’s day nurtures their overall development by engaging their senses. These activities can be done indoors or outdoors. So grab those materials to whip up hours of summer fun!
![Raven Health Presents: [ABA Startup Success 101] No Margin, No Mission – Building Out Your Team for Success](/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Ivy-1080x675.png)
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