Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of placement and staffing does PediaStaff do and what settings do you place in?

PediaStaff excels and specializes in the contract staffing and direct placement of pediatric and school-based occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, physical therapists, school psychologists and assistants for all these modalities. Pediatric and School Based placements are what we do. Our clients are school districts, general hospitals, children's hospitals, early intervention providers, pediatric outpatient, rehab facilities and other settings that contain a birth to twenty-one component. Contract placements can range from thirteen week assignments up to a full year. Sometimes our candidates start out as contractors and then convert to direct hire employees.

Our hospital system serves all age groups in our marketplace -- both adults and children. If your company really does specialize in pediatrics, why should we call on PediaStaff for all our therapy needs?

Indeed, PediaStaff does specialize in pediatric therapy. Because of our reputation in the industry, we are able to attract some of the best and brightest talent available. The applicants we screen have varied interests and employment experiences. Many are looking for us to introduce them to the best overall employer in an area - not necessarily the one offering a specific position in a particular setting or with a limited age group. They recognize that medically based positions offer tremendous opportunities for professional development and exploration.

When you hire a therapist from PediaStaff you can be sure you will be hiring a well-rounded clinician who will be willing to adapt to the changing needs within your organization.

I am not familiar with the terms “direct hire” and “contract.” Could you please explain the difference?

A direct hire placement (formerly known in the industry as a "permanent placement") occurs when a candidate presented to you by PediaStaff is hired by your organization to be your employee on your own payroll, and covered by your own benefits. PediaStaff receives a fee for its services but is no longer involved after the candidate starts work.

A contract placement occurs when you hire a therapist through PediaStaff to work for your organization on a temporary basis or for a limited duration (a school year for example). Therapists become W-2 employees of PediaStaff’s back office company and receive benefits, vacation time, insurance, continuing education, etc. through this partnership between PediaStaff and our administrative provider. All payroll and HR functions are handled for you, and your organization is billed for services provided inclusive of the therapist’s salary.

What is a “traveler,” and how does a traveler differ from “contract?”

A traveler is a temporary worker, generally from out of town, that may join your organization on a contract basis – usually short term. A contractor can be a local resident to you of course, but a traveler is someone who enjoys moving from place to place in search of interesting opportunities and locations. PediaStaff compensates travelers slightly differently than local contractors, as they are eligible for tax-free per diem payments for housing and outbound travel to your location. Your organization generally is not impacted by whether a therapist is a local contractor or a traveler. Our ability to attract a traveler to your job may help us fill a position you are having a difficult time filling locally.

How much does it cost to work with PediaStaff?

PediaStaff’s fees vary depending on the situation. Our permanent placement fee can vary depending on the experience level and special skills of the therapist (for example bilingualism), whether the therapist is going to be full-time, part-time or PRN; is an assistant or fully licensed therapist; and/or whether your organization is “for profit” or “not for profit.” With contract placements, our fee is built into our all inclusive bill rate. Our staffing specialists are authorized to work with you to determine the fee schedule or bill rate that will work best in your situation!

After I talk to PediaStaff about our opening, am I under any obligation to hire from you?

Not at all! All PediaStaff placement fees are “contingent” on whether we find a therapist who starts work for you. Feel free to continue your independent advertising and interviewing. If it looks like you are close to hiring from another source, please be courteous and let us know so your PediaStaff staffing consultant can invest his or her time on other searches and clients. Good two way communication is the key to success when working with a professional search firm!

Are there any upfront costs?

None. There is no fee due unless and until the candidate we present starts work for you.

I might consider either a direct hire or a contractor depending on the candidate. Can we look for both types of candidates?

Absolutely, and in fact we recommend it. Some of our candidates are looking for comprehensive benefit plans and pensions that your company may best offer. Others are looking for the higher hourly rate generally paid to contractors in order to pay off college loans, etc. Your flexibility to consider either type of candidate will increase your chances that PediaStaff can fill your position.

What information should I be prepared to share with PediaStaff so you can get started on my opening(s)?

A complete job description or “job order” is vital to success when working with PediaStaff. Please set aside some time to speak to your PediaStaff representative by phone to discuss the details of your position. We will need information about your organization, the salary or bill rate offered, therapy caseload, case population, service model (i.e. pullout vs. inclusion or individual vs. group) details about the specific school or facility the therapist will be assigned to, the size of your therapy department, and company benefits.

To help us “sell” your opportunity, please be prepared to tell us *why* one of our therapist candidates should come to work for your organization rather than someone else’s. We will also need to know if you are willing to offer relocation assistance or help with interview costs for out of town candidates. If there are any special certificates or licenses required, it is important that PediaStaff understands how the therapist would go about getting those, and how long it will take. This is especially relevant in school district placement.

If your position is a contract assignment, we will need to know contract duration and schedule (including unpaid time off for school breaks), whether you have other contractors, and how those contractors fit into your department as a whole.

What is the process to begin working with PediaStaff?

If your position is a contract or temporary position, your PediaStaff recruiter will work with you to determine an appropriate bill rate. If required by your administration, we can send out a preliminary contract to you for your review. We can start working on your position as soon as we have a detailed job order (as described above).

If you are looking for a direct hire for your staff, your PediaStaff recruiter will send you a fee agreement with terms appropriate for your position. Once we receive a signed copy back in our office we can begin your search in earnest, and post your opening on our website.

What kind of effort can I expect from PediaStaff on my position?

That all depends on the effort you put into your relationship with PediaStaff and whether the duties, salary, and caseload expectations are reasonable vis-à-vis the market. Certain geographic markets and patient populations are more challenging than others. Our staffing consultants are well versed in the market conditions in their territories and can give you their honest projection as to whether we can likely fill your opening and how long it might take. They are also excellent at suggesting how you might modify your requirements to increase our chances of finding a great candidate for you.

Does PediaStaff verify licensure and conduct background checks?

In the case of a contract (temporary) placement, our administrative service provider does verify licensure and conduct complete background checks including FBI fingerprinting. Your organization is responsible for background checks and licensure verification for any PediaStaff candidate you hire as a direct employee.

Who pays for liability insurance, malpractice insurance, and workman’s comp?

Contract/Temporary therapists working for PediaStaff are fully insured by PediaStaff’s administrative back office. We require our therapists to carry their own malpractice insurance as well. Any therapists provided by PediaStaff, but hired directly by your organization would need to be carried on your own insurance policies.

I was thinking about bringing a therapist onto my team on a “1099” basis. Won’t that save me a lot of money and hassle?

On the surface, yes, it appears that hiring a therapist as an independent contractor (IC) would relieve you of the burdens of providing benefits, the employer’s share of social security, Medicare taxes and state unemployment contributions. However, the risks of doing this vastly outweigh the possible benefits.

There are eleven main factors used by the IRS to determine whether an employee is legally eligible to work as a 1099 employee. Those factors are organized into three main groups - behavioral control, financial control and the type of relationship of the parties. In the therapy world, the stickiest area for the IRS regarding the hiring of IC’s is the behavioral areas of when, where and how to do the work. Also, if the employee is required to use certain tools, materials, paperwork or requires specific training on procedure, the therapist would not be eligible for 1099 classification.

If the IRS determines that an independent contractor is an employee, they can enforce substantial penalties. Only your accountant or attorney can help you determine whether your organization is eligible to hire therapists as independent contractors. Using a contracting company like PediaStaff eliminates all of this risk, however, and can give you the peace of mind you need.

If I decide to go the contractor route, what is included in the bill rate that I pay PediaStaff for contract therapists?

The bill rate charged by PediaStaff is all inclusive and bundles the therapist’s hourly salary, all the costs of running the contract for PediaStaff (the candidate’s benefits, the costs of clinical support, insurance, etc.) and our fee for managing the contract. The only variable is if you require a therapist to use their personal vehicle during the work day. In that case you’ll be billed for the IRS approved rate and we will reimburse the therapist. PediaStaff will work with you to keep this bill rate reasonable. Any fluctuation of our rate may affect the hourly rate we are able to offer a therapist.

Can I extend the contract of one of your therapists?

Yes, of course. Just contact your staffing consultant and we will find out if your therapist is available to continue the assignment. A new contract is not required, only a new addendum with revised dates of service.

If I hire someone from you on contract and they work out well can I hire them from you on a permanent basis?

Absolutely. This is a feature of our service that we are quite proud of, as many of our competitors do not offer it. In fact, every contract has “conversion” language built in up front. Please discuss with your staffing consultant the fee for this service. It varies depending on how long the contractor has been on board before he/she converts to direct.

Who will be the legal employer of my contract therapist?

PediaStaff employs a back office company for all of its payroll and billing. Because of their size, they provide us access to great employee benefits. At the present time, Top Echelon, Inc. (TEC) out of Canton, Ohio serves as our back office. We are quite impressed with the customer service and support we get from TEC and are certain you will be pleased as well. TEC adds another level of contact for you and our therapists to ensure everything is handled in a professional manner. While TEC takes care of the human resource part, PediaStaff can focus on what we do best - locate, screen, and refer the very best therapists and assistants available.

I know of a therapist that I would like to bring on as a contractor but am not permitted to employ contractors directly. Can I employ them through PediaStaff?

Yes, you can. PediaStaff offers an “Employer of Record” service if you have the candidate in mind already. Talk to your staffing consultant for more details on this option.

Do PediaStaff contractors receive benefits?

Through Top Echelon Contracting (described above), PediaStaff offers contractors a highly competitive benefits package which includes travel assistance, licensure, professional dues, malpractice insurance insurance reimbursement, and continuing education. Top Echelon will serve as your employer for the duration of the contract assignment and offers a national medical, dental, vision, life insurance, 401K program and paid time off. Paychecks are cut weekly and direct deposit are provided.

Do you provide housing for the therapists you place?

PediaStaff, through its contract service provider, offers tax-free per diem for housing and meals to eligible therapists working away from their regular residence. As an employer, this benefit directly helps you in that a therapist from out of town can specifically choose to work for you without worrying about the extra housing expenses. We believe this is a superior system to that of directly providing housing because our contractors can choose how much to spend and where to live rather than having us decide for them.

What type of clinical support is provided to your contract therapists?

PediaStaff offers clinical support through its staff of support coordinators from the day your therapist or assistant begins their assignment through its completion. Support is available 24/7 by licensed therapists.

Does PediaStaff provide supervision for assistants and CFYs?

We can, but in general we prefer not to. Although PediaStaff provides outstanding, twenty four hour per day clinical support for our contract therapists, we believe that our client school districts and clinics must take an active role with assistants and new graduates. PediaStaff believes that the local supervision by a direct employee of yours provides consistency to training of junior therapy professionals and creates true partnership that will ensure the success of our contract therapist at your facility.