And other places!!
Very frequently I hear OTs say, “I met a person who needs OT, BUT.... they don’t have a referral...." And that seems to be the end of the road for the person who needs help! Which is a bummer.
There are two ways a therapist could respond to this scenario.
Option One: “Why don’t you go see your doctor and then come to me for therapy?”
How likely do you think it is that that person in the midst of their busy daily life will actually take the time to do this multi-step process? It's more likely the person will give up and continue suffering than to follow through that maze to get to OT.
There are at least 7 steps in that process: Figure out which doctor, find a phone number or figure out online contact, get an appointment, go to the appointment, pay their deductible or co-pay for that visit, negotiate with the doctor about whether the referral is needed, and FINALLY...
