S/o school based therapists

amother

Mon, Apr 01 2024, 8:24 pm

This is a spin off to the other thread where a poster keeps insinuating school based therapists are in it for the money and not because they care about the kids (because they go on maternity leave without informing the parent).

So school based therapist, how much money do you actually make, and do you feel you are compensated fairly?

amother

Leaf

Mon, Apr 01 2024, 8:25 pm

amother OP wrote:

And can you clarify why you went into the therapy field - was it something that you had a passion for, or was it just a means of a flexible parnossoh.

amother

Mon, Apr 01 2024, 8:28 pm

amother Leaf wrote:

And can you clarify why you went into the therapy field - was it something that you had a passion for, or was it just a means of a flexible parnossoh.

And how many years it took you to earn your degree and how much did your degree cost you?

amother

Leaf

Mon, Apr 01 2024, 8:31 pm

amother OP wrote:

And how many years it took you to earn your degree and how much did your degree cost you?

And if you had a chance for a different career, would you switch.

(We can keep going 😉)

bsy

Mon, Apr 01 2024, 8:54 pm

Degree was over 80k. That was just masters. Not BA or prerequisites.
I make barely 40k annually working 5 hours a day, with an hour commute each way.
I wanted to work with kids and not in a classroom setting. I do like what I do. It is hard though. Working with kids all day and then coming home to my own isn't easy.
I cut my maternity leave short because I felt bad for my students. I did not take the full 12 weeks. I went back at 7 weeks to set up my schedule and began working at 8 weeks postpartum

Ema of 5

Mon, Apr 01 2024, 8:56 pm

amother OP wrote:

I didn’t read the other thread, but when my kids received services in school and the provider was going to be out for any reason (maternity leave, vacation, sick…) I was always informed.

amother

Mistyrose

Mon, Apr 01 2024, 9:04 pm

I work 10 months and make in the 40k range working 40 hours in a regular week (but not all direct contact hours). I love what I do and I receive great feedback BH but it honestly makes no financial sense for me. I put in a lot of time and money doing trainings and specialty certifications. Since I've been doing school based I take four weeks maternity leave and inform all the parents in the month or two before I take off. After four weeks I come back part time, working with the kids who need it most, and by six-seven weeks I'm back to my full caseload. I feel a sense of achrayus to my clients. If my family was truly suffering I wouldn't hesitate to take longer.

amother

Poppy

Mon, Apr 01 2024, 9:15 pm

I'm a SW, part-time in a school and part-time in a clinic- school hours are definitely more convenient but feel like I'm doing more in the clinic. Monetarily it's pretty equal (school is less reliable though so end up making less there.)
I can't say for sure but idk many people that go into the field to get a convenient job- can't speak for other therapies though.
I would also let the parents know in either setting if I was taking an extended break.

amother

Latte

Mon, Apr 01 2024, 9:21 pm

I made 55k last year, working 4x a week, I also work some evenings. My commute is an hour. I work 10 months a year. I wish I worked in the summer but its hard to find jobs. We struggle in the summer to buy basic things.
My degree was 96k. I went into the field thinking it made tons of money. It did... 30 years ago. Our field has no growth for higher $ though.
I enjoy language and artic. But I should have done nursing or been a babysitter.
Burnout is high though. I come home too tired for my own kids.
I had a baby and I dont feel bad about staying home. Ill be home about 14 weeks and then Ill work until June.

amother

Zinnia

Mon, Apr 01 2024, 9:22 pm

bsy wrote:

I'm in a similar situation

The problem is that it's not "just" 5 hours a day. We are expected to do so much on our own time-prepare for sessions, write notes and reports, deal with billing, call parents etc

I feel like I never "shut off" from work. It's on my mind 24/6...there is always another report that needs to be written and another parent that needs to be called..it gets really overwhelming sometimes and harder and harder to manage as my family grows.

amother

Latte

Mon, Apr 01 2024, 9:26 pm

amother Zinnia wrote:

Yesss!!! I have like 15 progress reports to due and its just on my mind and I am so stressed now even though I am on leave

amother

Ruby

Mon, Apr 01 2024, 9:31 pm

amother Mistyrose wrote:

Where do you live that you get paid so little for working 40 hours a week?

I’m a third year therapist and work 32 hours a week at a rate of 90/hour and I know many many therapists who make more than that, especially with enhanced rates. I live in NYC. I love being an OT however I would never stay in the field if I was working 40 hours a week and coming out with 40k. I would take an office job instead.

ETA I paid around 80 k for my graduate degree.

amother

Clematis

Mon, Apr 01 2024, 9:44 pm

I’m a SEIT and I also do Early Intervention. After 20 years of experience I am making $70 an hour for SEIT and $60 per half hour EI.
I chose this field because I adore children and find it extremely rewarding, plus it was something I could do part time while raising my family. I LOVE it and can’t imagine doing anything else and I fall in love with every child I work with. I don’t think every therapist loves it as much as me though. After taxes, absences, school closures etc it’s not very much $ but it’s a great secondary income.

amother

Springgreen

Mon, Apr 01 2024, 9:46 pm

I make 95k as a school based PT working 12 months a year. Degree was over 90k. And of course I tell parents before taking maternity leave! And never take off more than 6-8 weeks because I feel bad for the kids.
Nobody goes into school based therapy for the money. BH I am paid well for what I do but private practice is so much more lucrative and as you can see here plenty of therapists are really making pennies. Also, with the kind of time and money we put into schooling there are much higher paying fields than the therapies! The therapists I know are in it for the kids, the family friendly lifestyle, and yes for a stable source of income. But to say we’re just in it for the money is a little ridiculous and pretty hurtful!

amother

Ruby

Mon, Apr 01 2024, 9:50 pm

I don’t understand what it means to be “in it for me money”. Most OTs/PTs/SLPs are fairly intelligent people. We went through a minimum of 5 years of college and took challenging courses such as organic chemistry, physics, neuroscience, and kinesiology (can’t speak for SLPs since I’m more familiar with OT/PT coursework). We could have gone for better paying jobs but we chose a helping profession because it is meaningful to us. That being said, we still work for compensation and would like to pay for our mortgages and put away for retirement. Why don’t we have that right like any other professional?

amother

Mon, Apr 01 2024, 9:53 pm

amother Ruby wrote:

Wondering the same. Especially since the money is pretty lousy. I have yet to hear of a school based therapist who is wealthy from her salary alone. Should therapists work for free?

amother

Brunette

Mon, Apr 01 2024, 9:59 pm

I'm not a therapist but I've worked in public schools and whenever a therapist was out for an extended time, whether maternity or another reason, the district would provide a long term sub so the students still received the services they were legally entitled to. Otherwise the parents could sue the district under federal law. Sometimes the subs were therapists who usually worked part-time but were willing to add hours for a couple of months, some subs were therapists from agencies who didn't want to work a full school year but were happy with temp jobs. This worked out fine and honestly some of the subs were just as good, or even better, than the regular therapists.

Of course everyone is entitled to maternity leave but I don't understand why there aren't subs to cover their services while they are out (just like teachers).