Here's how to set up a system to save time and reduce stress so you can enjoy your rewarding career providing speech therapy for students!

<h2>How School SLPs Can Get Organized, Save Time and Streamline Services</h2><p>Hey there, busy, busy SLP!</p><p> Do you feel overwhelmed with deadlines and appointments? Are you becoming increasingly buried under a growing mountain of paperwork for a massive caseload of students? If you got an urgent request to retrieve a critical document right this moment, could you do it?</p><p>Being disorganized when you're a school SLP is not only exhausting and unprofessional, it can even be a liability. While the job is definitely rewarding, it does come with a great deal of responsibility.</p><p>The problem is…you may feel you never have the time to get organized. Well, the time is now!</p><p>Stop what you're doing and put a date on your calendar to set up an organization system. We'll help!</p><h2>Why get organized?</h2><p>Getting organized will help you:</p><ul><li>Reduce stress</li><li>Save time</li><li>Streamline tasks</li><li>Increase professionalism</li><li>Be more reliable, responsible and ready to serve your students!</li></ul><h2>How School SLPs Can Get Organized in 5 Steps</h2><h3>Read More of Our Tips for School SLPs:</h3><p>Find out where students need your specialized skills as a <a href="https://www.crosscountryeducation.com/home" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">school SLP</a> now!</p><ol><li>Make a master list of all paper and electronic items you're responsible for. Consider:</li></ol><ul><li style="text-indent: 1em;">Annual reviews</li><li style="text-indent: 1em;">Caseload information</li><li style="text-indent: 1em;">Data</li><li style="text-indent: 1em;">Eligibility</li><li style="text-indent: 1em;">Emails</li><li style="text-indent: 1em;">Equipment and technology</li><li style="text-indent: 1em;">Student speech goals</li><li style="text-indent: 1em;">Initial evaluations</li><li style="text-indent: 1em;">IEPs and 504s</li><li style="text-indent: 1em;">Medicaid billing</li><li style="text-indent: 1em;">Meetings</li><li style="text-indent: 1em;">Reevaluations</li><li style="text-indent: 1em;">RTIs</li><li style="text-indent: 1em;">Parent communications</li><li style="text-indent: 1em;">Teacher schedules</li><li style="text-indent: 1em;">Testing materials</li><li style="text-indent: 1em;">Therapy services</li></ul><ol><li>Select a paper, electronic or hybrid system to keep track of the different items. Then set aside time to organize and file the items. Choose from tools like:</li></ol><ul><li style="text-indent: 1em;">A filing cabinet or file boxes with individual folders</li><li style="text-indent: 1em;">Binders with tabs</li><li style="text-indent: 1em;">Sticky notes</li><li style="text-indent: 1em;">Bins and boxes for equipment and SLP tools</li><li style="text-indent: 1em;">Digital productivity tools like One Note, MS Teams, Google Workspace, etc.</li><li style="text-indent: 1em;">Electronic folders to organize email communications</li><li style="text-indent: 1em;">Bookmarks, favorites and tabs to manage useful websites</li><li style="text-indent: 1em;">Cloud-based or hard drive computer files with a logical naming system for documents and folders</li></ul><ol><li>Record upcoming due dates and appointments in an online calendar or paper planner. Think about all daily, weekly, monthly and annual tasks related to student services, meetings, paperwork and other responsibilities. Use the list of different paperwork/electronic items above to ensure you don't miss anything.</li><li>Once you've set up your system, build in time to maintain your organizational routine. Each Friday, before you leave work (or even on the weekends, if you're prone to the "Sunday Scaries", look over what's due for the upcoming week. Being prepared will reduce your stress, so you can put most of your energy into working with students!</li><li>Refine your organization system as needed along the way. You're bound to find flaws. When you do, stop and fix each problem as soon as possible. Avoid getting stuck in a rut. You'll eventually develop a customized strategy for managing due dates, appointments, paperwork, and electronic files that work for you! And then, you can pass it along to help another busy, busy SLP!</li></ol><ul><li style="text-indent: 1em;"><a href="https://www.crosscountryeducation.com/blogs/how-slps-can-set-goals-and-get-organized-for-a-great-school-year" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">How SLPs Can Set Goals and Get Organized for a Great School Year</a></li><li style="text-indent: 1em;"><a href="https://www.crosscountryeducation.com/blogs/why-seasoned-slps-choose-to-work-with-agencies" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Why Seasoned SLPs Choose to Work With Agencies</a></li><li style="text-indent: 1em;"><a href="https://www.crosscountryeducation.com/blogs/expressive-language-a-refresher-for-school-slps" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Expressive Language: A Refresher for School SLPs</a></li><li style="text-indent: 1em;"><strong>…and much more, all on our</strong> <a href="https://www.crosscountryeducation.com/blog" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cross Country Educational Professionals Blog</a>.</li></ul><p>Find out where students need your specialized skills as a <a href="https://www.crosscountryeducation.com/home" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">school SLP</a> now!</p>

SLP Paperwork: Getting It All in Order