Waitlist Policy and Procedure

Purpose of Policy 

The purpose of this policy is to manage and maintain clinician waitlists.  The waitlist is a tool to allow a client to wait for their requested clinician.  If a client requests an advanced practice clinician that is not available for accepting clients at that time and would like to wait until the clinician becomes available, this is the process that is followed.  

Policy Procedure

The following procedure allows for the waiting lists to be used fairly and maintained regularly.

1. When a client calls and requests a clinician that is not available for accepting clients, the matching specialist communicates to the client the option of being added to any of the following waitlist options: the waitlist for that clinician, ANY male waiting list, advanced clinician waiting list, or the certified counselor waiting list (T3).
2. Matching specialist asks if they would like to be added to a waitlist.

a. If the client would like to be added to a waitlist, the matching specialist communicates the following: 

“This will your new client intake call, and you will be required to pay the $35 set-up fee.  You will then be added to the waitlist.  When the clinician of your choice becomes available, you will be contacted in the order in which you are on the waitlist.  We will call and email you and you will have until the end of the next business day to respond. If you haven’t responded after the end of the next business day, your spot may go to someone else.  Is this something you want to proceed with?”

b. If the client wishes to proceed, the client is set up as an intake and $35 is charged. 

3. When a clinician becomes available and the ACD is notified to open them in Acuity, 

a. The ACD checks to see if the clinician has a waitlist before opening

b. If there is an active waitlist, the ACD emails the matching specialist, reception and clinician using the following template: 

“Dear all,

[Clinician] is ready to be open to new clients.  There are [x] number of people on their waitlist.   Please call through the following waitlist(s): [any male waiting list, adv. clinician waiting list, certified counselor waiting list T3, and the clinician’s waitlist.]  If no one from the waitlist(s) are scheduled after 1 week, please let me know and I will open them in Acuity.”

4. Matching specialists calls first and emails second, the clients on the waitlist starting with the oldest client, and using the following script: 

a. “This spot is held for you until the end of the next business day.  Please call us back/respond to the email to reserve the spot. This is on a first come, first served basis so please respond.” 

b. Each client is given until the end of the next business day to respond.

c. After the end of the next business day, the next person on the wait list is called.

d. In the case of multiple openings, the matching specialist still gives priority to older clients.  For example, if a clinician has 3 slots available, the matching specialist will call/email the first 3 clients on the waitlist and give them until the end of the next business day. If only 1 client responds, then the next 2 clients on the list are contacted and given until the end of the next business day. This process then continues until all slots are filled. 

e. Matching specialists document the responses and record who was scheduled.

5. After 3 business days, matching specialists contact ACD informing that the waitlist(s) has been reached out to and lets ACD know if the slots were filled or not.   If the clinician still has availability after all waitlist clients have been called, then ACD will turn the clinician on in Acuity.  ACD then notifies the clinician that they are turned on in Acuity. 

Additional Pieces 

Ongoing Waitlist Maintenance:  

1.  Every 3 months the waitlist needs to be called through using the following script:

a. “You have been on the [requested clinician’s or other] waitlist(s) for 3 months and they are still unavailable.  Would you like to get set up with another therapist, or the other option is you can continue to wait another 3 months.  After an additional three months, if your preferred clinician still is unavailable, we will remove you from the waitlist.  Please respond by the end of the next business day.”

b. At the end of the next business day, if there has been no response after this follow up call and offer, then the client can be taken off the waitlist.  Clients need to be removed after 6 months.  This is communicated at the 3-month call, to encourage them to set up with another therapist. 

2. Clients need to be removed after 6 months.  This is communicated at the 3-month call, to encourage them to set up with another therapist.

a. If the client is removed from the waitlist at 6 months, they can be refunded the $35 intake fee.