Oct 28, 2019
In this episode, Gordon describes the inspiration behind his Session Note Helper – it was created to quickly write session and progress notes while using standard phrasing menu items and checkboxes. Gordon also explains the tools on G-Suite and how therapists can use G-mail and still be HIPAA compliant. Later, Gordon discusses the importance of connecting with people and some of his favorite highlights from Killin’It Camp.
HIPAA
HIPAA stands for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Most of us forget what this actually means. Typically, we think of it as a big brother force that is always ready to slap us on the wrist. Gordon was looking for a way to send an email that was HIPAA secure. HIPAA requires a BAA (Business Associate Agreement). After doing some research, Gordon realized you could get a BAA from Google. However, you have to get the paid version of Google. At that time, it was called Google for Work – now it’s titled G-Suite for Business. The price point is very economical.
G-Suite
Gordon got the BAA from Google and was able to use the URL for his business as his email address. It costs $6 a month for the basic version and $12 a month for the more advanced version. >>Sign Up Here<< When you get a Google account, you will also get a whole suite of tools: Google docs, sheets, drive, and forms. Gordon’s e-course, G-Suite for Therapists, teaches us how to maximize our productivity using these tools.
Session Note Helper
Playing around with the tools, Gordon started to make templates. A lot of the stuff therapists do require writing the same things over and over again. Progress notes and sessions notes usually have the same type of phrasing. Gordon had a template he was using, and he thought there had to be a way to create a note for each client. Now, Gordon has come up with a Session Note Helper. At first, Gordon started to use Form Publisher, and it worked to produce a narrative in a Google Doc format. However, using Form Publisher was not HIPAA secure because they did not provide a BAA. Gordon’s Helper allows us to quickly write session and progress notes using standard phrasing menu items and checkboxes.
Connecting with People
At Killin’It Camp, Gordon was able to get to catch up with a lot of other private practice consultants. Despite being an introvert, Gordon was excited to talk to other consultants, network, learn from others, and teach about G-Suite. Now, The Practice of Therapy Podcast has loads of new guests to be in the show from people who were at the conference.
Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links!
Resources
Free Webinar: Business Entities For Private Practice
Killin’It Camp
Session Note Helper
G-Suite For Therapists
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Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course
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Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT
Gordon is the person behind The Practice of Therapy Podcast & Blog. He is also President and Founder of Kingsport Counseling Associates, PLLC. He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. PLEASE Subscribe to The Practice of Therapy Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn and Pinterest “Like” us on Facebook