Therapy referral form template
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If you’re a mental health therapist looking for referral form examples, download and use this customizable therapy referral form template to guide your communication with other clinicians.
This article provides therapists with referral form examples and a therapy referral form template to refer clients and connect with other clinicians.
It also includes an overview of the benefits of referrals to clinicians in private practice and a free downloadable private practice referral letter template to save to your electronic health record (EHR).
Reasons therapists refer clients
Clinicians can use therapy referral form templates to refer clients, or potential clients, to another mental health therapist, psychiatrist, or other provider.
Referrals can happen for several reasons:
Conflict of interest
For instance, you may have a dual relationship with a client or already treat a family member of theirs, which constitutes a conflict of interest.
Capacity
Your practice may be full, and you may have a long client waitlist, necessitating referral so clients can receive timely care.
On the other hand, you may be looking to grow your caseload and decide to reach out to other clinicians to refer clients to your practice.
Areas of expertise
You may not have expertise in the specific area the prospective client is seeking support in, or you may not provide particular assessments and diagnoses.
For example, a client may seek a diagnosis for disability-related reasons.
Perhaps you are a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), but the client’s insurance company requires a clinical psychologist to complete the assessment.
Or, you may specialize in autism spectrum disorder assessments and want to make other clinicians in your network aware of your services.
Transfer of care
You may decide to transfer a client's care if you are moving, changing jobs, or an issue arises in which you do not have the expertise to treat the client.
For instance, a client may initially present to your practice looking for support with work-related stressors. After a few sessions, it may become apparent they need support with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), however this falls outside your areas of clinical competence, so you need to refer them to a clinician who has the expertise to treat OCD.
Benefit of referrals in private practice
There are several benefits of using a therapy referral form template in private practice, including:
Ensures clients get an adequate level of care
Clinicians can only work within their scope of practice and levels of competence. Therefore, referring clients out ensures they receive the appropriate standards of care.
Strengthens your professional network
Referrals foster relationships with other mental health clinicians in your field and other practice areas, such as primary care doctors, psychiatrists, and occupational therapy professionals.
Builds your client base
While it may not be a direct benefit, referring clients to other clinicians and noting your areas of expertise indirectly creates a pathway for referrals to your practice.
Reduces marketing costs
Referrals can be an effective way to acquire new clients within your chosen practice area, decreasing the need (and effort) for external marketing efforts.
Referral form example: What to include
Each referral letter format may differ slightly between practices, depending on why you are using it.
However, they often contain the following information:
- Your referral details: First and last name, email address, specialties/areas of interest, contact information, and preferred ways to contact you.
- Client names: This should include the client’s first and last name, pronouns, and preferred names.
- Contact information: Email address, phone number, physical address, and preferred contact method.
- Reason for referral: This may include the reason you cannot see the client, such as a conflict of interest, or their situation is outside your scope of practice. For instance, a school counselor may refer a student for therapy outside school.
- Presenting problem(s): Include relevant information about the client’s mental health or why they seek services.
- Identity information: This may include, where relevant, the client’s gender, sexuality, age, marital status, religion, and race.
- Areas of expertise: When seeking referrals from your network, it’s important to include your areas of expertise, competence, and special interest areas.
- The urgency of the referral: This may include a scale of how important it is that the person be seen quickly, with one being not that urgent and 10 being extremely urgent.
At the top of this article, you can download a free referral form example and sample referral letter that you can customize for your needs.
Tips for writing a referral letter
Here are some tips to keep in mind when writing a referral letter:
- Use a therapy referral form template: A therapy referral form template ensures you include all relevant details for the referral or seeking referrals.
- Be brief: Provide concise and relevant client information, including background information, presenting problem(s), assessments conducted, diagnosis, and client goals (if applicable).
- Ensure you include the reason for the referral: Explain why you are referring the client and be clear about their needs.
- Include contact information: Include both the client’s contact information along with your own so the therapist knows who to thank and how the client wishes to be contacted.
- Proofread: Check the referral letter for spelling, grammar, and accuracy.
- Offer a consult: Mention your willingness to consult with the clinician as appropriate, especially if you are referring an existing client.
Looking for additional mental health letter templates? Download this collection of 18 therapist letter templates to modify and use in your practice.
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