The front office is where a practice wins or loses patients. A therapist can be excellent, but if nobody returns the call, the patient books somewhere else.
The intake flow
- First contact answered the same business day (ideally within 2 hours).
- Fit check: reason for care, age, state of residence (the clinician must be licensed there), insurance or self-pay.
- Benefits verification before the first session (see “Insurance, benefits & authorizations”).
- Paperwork sent electronically: intake forms, consent, financial and cancellation policy, telehealth consent.
- Match with the right clinician by specialty, availability and network status.
- Confirm the first appointment in writing with the estimate of what they’ll pay.
Track every inquiry in a simple log: date, source, outcome. If 40 people called and 12 booked, the owner needs to know why the other 28 didn’t.
Scheduling rules that protect the calendar
- Book recurring weekly sessions when the clinician agrees; recurring patients no-show less.
- Keep a waitlist by clinician and time of day, and offer cancelled slots right away.
- Leave intake slots open each week for new patients, so new demand isn’t blocked by full recurring calendars.
- Send automatic reminders 48 and 24 hours before each session.
Policies the front office enforces
| Policy | What the front office does |
|---|---|
| Cancellation / no-show | Applies the fee consistently; logs exceptions approved by the owner |
| Card on file | Collects authorization at intake for copays and fees |
| Minors | Confirms who has legal consent and who is financially responsible |
| Telehealth | Confirms the patient’s location (state) at every session |
The daily huddle
Ten minutes each morning with the admin team: today’s schedule gaps, new inquiries, eligibility problems for today’s patients, and anything that needs the owner. It prevents most of the day’s surprises.