Frequently Asked Questions

(click on "Q" in front of question to jump to answer)

	Q-1	What kind of placement and staffing does PediaStaff do and what settings do you place in?
	Q-2	What is the difference between “pediatric” and “school based/education-based” therapy?
	Q-3	What is the application process with PediaStaff?
	Q-4	I am currently working, is my application completely confidential?
	Q-5	What questions should I be prepared to answer during my screening interview?
	Q-6	What will happen next after my screening interview?
	Q-7	How does the interview process take place?
	Q-8	Am I under any obligation after I apply with PediaStaff?
	Q-9	Are there any fees to work with PediaStaff?
	Q-10	What specialties does PediaStaff place
	Q-11	Does PediaStaff place CFYs or entry level therapists?
	Q-12	Do your clients pay interview expenses for candidates from out of town?
	Q-13	Do your clients pay relocation?
	Q-14	If I work with PediaStaff who will I be employed by?
	Q-15	What is “travel therapy” and how does it differ from “contract therapy”?
	Q-16	What are the advantages and disadvantages of travel/contract positions compared to permanent placement?
	Q-17	What types of contract/travel assignments are available and how long are they?
	Q-18	Will PediaStaff be able to find me an assignment anywhere I want to go?
	Q-19	How do I choose an assignment?
	Q-20	What happens after I am hired for an assignment?
	Q-21	How do I go about getting licensure and how long will it take?
	Q-22	Do I have to sign an extended contract?
	Q-23	What benefits does PediaStaff offer?
	Q-24	How do I get to my assignment?
	Q-25	Do you provide housing or is there an allowance?
	Q-26	What is tax-free “per diem” and who is eligible?
	Q-27	What type of compensation package should I expect?
	Q-28	When and how will I be paid?
	Q-29	How are taxes handled?
	Q-30	What type of support is provided if I have a clinical or administrative problem?
	Q-31	Will I be required to carry my own liability insurance?

	Q-1	What kind of placement and staffing does PediaStaff do and what settings do you place in?
	A-1	PediaStaff excels and specializes in the placement and staffing of pediatric and school-based (also called education-based) occupational, speech and physical therapists. Pediatric and School Based placements are all we do. Our clients are school districts, general hospitals, children’s hospitals and pediatric outpatient and rehab facilities. Our clients hire travelers, contract therapists and permanent employees from us. Sometimes our candidates start out as contractors and then convert to permanent.
	Q-2	What is the difference between “pediatric” and “school-based/education-based” therapy?
	A-2	Most of the healthcare community considers the “pediatric” population to be the group of patients who are under the age of 21. In general, hospitals, rehab and outpatient clinics follow this more generic convention. The school and government subsidized therapy communities however, often talk about “pediatric” as the birth to five population; “early-intervention” as the home based (or “natural setting”) services for the birth to five population; pre-school as campus based services for children aged three-five and “school” or “education based” to be services for children ages 6 to 18 taking place in a K-12 setting.
	Q-3	What is the application process with PediaStaff?
	A-3	As you register with PediaStaff, you will have the opportunity to review our current openings online. You may nominate yourself for the openings that you see or just browse. Once you have completed this process and submitted your resume, you will be contacted promptly by one of our candidate relationship consultants who will conduct a screening interview with you by email or by telephone (depending on the immediacy of your search and whether we currently have openings that fit your background).
	Q-4	I am currently working, is my application completely confidential?
	A-4	Absolutely! PediaStaff will NEVER share your information with anyone (employer or anyone else) without your expressed permission.
	Q-5	What questions should I be prepared to answer during my screening interview?
	A-5	It is important for us to completely understand your goals and needs. You should be prepared to talk to us about what settings/populations interest you, whether you are looking for permanent or contract positions, your geographic preferences, timeframe to start your new position/assignment and your salary expectations. In addition, we will ask about your work history, career goals, strengths/weaknesses and your willingness to undergo a complete background check (including fingerprinting).
	Q-6	What will happen next after my screening interview?
	A-6	Based on your geographic and setting preferences, your search will be assigned to a consultant who will review with you a custom search plan. If you are looking for school based placements your materials will be forwarded to one of our school based teams. If you are looking for a clinical position, your materials will be forwarded to our Hospital/Clinical Division. If you are wide open and will consider any setting, you will be contacted by both teams. You can feel confident that we will cover all the bases with the help of PediaStaff’s extensive and state-of-the-art client/prospect database product.
	Q-7	How does the interview process take place?
	A-7	For most contract or travel positions, interviews usually happen first by phone and generally only involve a face to face interview when both the candidate and client are local to each other. For permanent positions, phone interviews are generally followed by a face to face interview. If a relocation is involved, interview expenses are usually paid for (or in the case of small employers, reimbursed for after hire) by the client organization.
	Q-8	Am I under any obligation after I apply with PediaStaff?
	A-8	Not at all. Feel free to compare our offerings and quality of service against any of our competitors.
	Q-9	Are there any fees to work with PediaStaff?
	A-9	Absolutely not. Our clients compensate us for successfully placing you with them.
	Q-10	What specialties does PediaStaff place?
	A-10	Speech Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, and affiliated assistants (COTAs, PTAs and SLPAs).
	Q-11	Does PediaStaff place CFYs or entry level therapists?
	A-11	Absolutely! We regularly place entry level OTs, PTs and SLPs in both permanent and contract/travel positions.
	Q-12	Do your clients pay interview expenses for candidates from out of town?
	A-12	In general the hospitals do. The clinics are generally not in a position to incur that expense, but are often willing to reimburse for that expense after the candidate has accepted their position. Schools typically cannot pay interview expenses per collective bargaining agreements, but are generally willing to hire based on a phone interview rather than an on-site visit for out of town candidates.
	Q-13	Do your clients pay relocation?
	A-13	Again, the hospitals generally do. Clinics will often offer a flat stipend to move that can ease the relocation burden. Our school system clients hire our candidates on a contract basis. Expenses incurred, including cost of getting to an assignment are reimbursed up to a cap.
	Q-14	If I work with PediaStaff who will I be employed by?
	A-14	That depends on whether we place you as a contracted employee or as a permanent employee with our client company/organization. Contract employees work for our contracted services provider, while permanently placed candidates will become employees of the organization they are working for (school, clinic, hospital, etc).
	Q-15	What is “travel therapy” and how does it differ from “contract therapy”?
	A-15	A “contractor” is generally a candidate who lives locally to the client but is compensated hourly through a staffing agency. A “traveler,” like a contractor, is also paid hourly, but has arrived from out of town for the duration of the assignment and usually qualifies for a tax-free per-diem to pay for the expenses associated with living out of town while maintaining a residence back home while on assignment. Contractors, because they are local, do not have these additional expenses and are not eligible for per diem or housing.
	Q-16	What are the advantages and disadvantages of travel/contract positions compared to permanent placement?
	A-16	Travel or Contract placement can be preferable for a therapist in several situations. For one, pay is generally much higher when contracting. If you are traveling in a state or city away from your permanent place of residence you may be eligible for a tax-free as per-diem to cover the costs of your housing and meals while working away from your primary residence. Traveling/contracting is also ideal if you are looking to explore new areas of the country for a while. Advantages of permanent placement would include opportunities for professional advancement – a permanent employee will generally be offered promotions long before a contractor. Benefits may be better in a permanent environment. Generally school districts have excellent benefits; and although the pay is much lower for district employees vs. contracting, candidates with large families may find that the better benefits package outweighs the lower annual salary.
	Q-17	What types of contract/travel assignments are available and how long are they?
	A-17	PediaStaff is working with school districts, private therapy companies, hospitals, outpatient clinics and more. Most school districts are looking for a full school-year commitment, but sometimes will consider a shorter duration. Hospitals and clinics are often looking for maternity leaves or coverage while they search for a permanent candidate. Those assignments are generally 13 weeks and up.
	Q-18	Will PediaStaff be able to find me an assignment anywhere I want to go
	A-18	Sometimes yes, and sometimes no. Many large metropolitan cities will not consider travelers from out of state because of their large PRN pools locally. If you are open to be one or two hours outside the major city of your choice your chances of landing the assignment close to where you want to be will improve drastically. In rural and suburban areas, the need for travelers generally is dependent on whether there are ample local candidates to start with and also whether there is a school graduating candidates in the area you are looking to work. No matter, PediaStaff will always try to find you an assignment regardless of expected market conditions.
	Q-19	How do I choose an assignment?
	A-19	Once PediaStaff has found a client interested in your background, a telephone interview will be set up and conducted. If you and the client continue to be interested, you give us the word and we will get you on your way!
	Q-20	What happens after I am hired for an assignment?
	A-20	PediaStaff will help you fill out prescreening forms, and guide you through the enrollment process. You will receive a contract and be instructed on where and how to get your fingerprints done and any blood tests that need to be taken for TB and Hepatitis B. You will become an employee of the contract staffing service provider that PediaStaff utilizes. That staffing service provider will conduct a background check, drug screen and FBI fingerprint check on you.
	Q-21	How do I go about getting licensure and how long will it take?
	A-21	PediaStaff provides links to sites with updated licensure application information on our website. Each state has different rules and regulations, along with their own detailed applications. Most require transcripts for new grads and verification of licensure from other states that you have been previously licensed as well as verification from your national professional licensing organization (FSBPT, ASHA, NBCOT) that you have passed the national board exam in your discipline. Licensure is also often available by reciprocity for some states in disciplines if you have been licensed for a certain number of years in another state.
	Q-22	Do I have to sign an extended contract?
	A-22	No. You only need to commit to the one assignment at a time.
	Q-23	What benefits does PediaStaff offer?
	A-23	PediaStaff is a staffing and placement agency. PediaStaff utilizes a contract staffing service provider that will serve as your employer for the duration of the assignment and offers a national medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance. In addition, expense reimbursement for costs associated with moving to the assignment location, licensure reimbursement, CEU allowance, as well as 401K, weekly paychecks and direct deposit are provided.
	Q-24	How do I get to my assignment?
	A-24	Generally we recommend you drive to your assignment so you have your own car to use during the assignment. The cost of your trip to the assignment will be reimbursed by the employer after the start of the assignment up to a designated cap based on the length of the assignment.
	Q-25	Do you provide housing or is there an allowance?
	A-25	The contract services provider PediaStaff utilizes operates on the per diem system rather than providing the actual housing. This means you will receive an hourly portion of your pay – tax free, that is to be used for your housing. We believe this is a superior system to that of providing housing because you can choose how much to spend and where to live rather than having us decide for you.
	Q-26	What is tax-free “per diem” and who is eligible?
	A-26	Tax-Free Per Diem is an allowance defined by the IRS as money that can be paid to you (tax-free) to cover living expenses incurred during the assignment. Candidates living away from their permanent residence (defined as where you are currently paying rent or mortgage) are eligible for per-diem. The spirit of this allowance is to exempt from taxation any duplicate expenses affiliated with work that would not be necessary were you living at home.
	Q-27	What type of compensation package should I expect?
	A-27	Compensation is quite competitive. Exact pay will differ based on geographic location and the bill rate we negotiate with the client. You will know exactly what rate is being offered before you are asked to commit to the client.
	Q-28	When and how will I be paid?
	A-28	Contractors are paid weekly and direct deposit is available.
	Q-29	How are taxes handled?
	A-29	Contractors are W-2 employees and taxes are withheld from each paycheck based on exemptions selected during the enrollment period.
	Q-30	What type of support is provided if I have a clinical or administrative problem?
	A-30	PediaStaff offers career support through its staff of clinical support coordinators from the day you begin your assignment through its completion. Support is available 24/7 by licensed therapists.
	Q-31	Will I be required to carry my own liability insurance?
	A-31	Yes. Although your employer carries liability insurance for your assignment, having your own insurance protects you in the event you are named as a private individual in any claim. If you need to purchase this to work for us, it is a reimbursable expense.

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