We’re celebrating 7 million teletherapy sessions since 2009 by highlighting the inspiring leaders and innovators at Presence who are dedicated to building solutions for schools and students with diverse needs.
Meet Lana Ratcliff, M.S., SLP-CCC, Vice President of Clinical Relations at Presence. Lana’s 17-year career in speech-language pathology spans a diverse journey across schools, hospitals, and private practice in Kansas City, Missouri. Her deep understanding of the therapy experience comes from extensive experience working with students and clinicians—5 years as a Presence clinician serving students in California and Michigan and 7 years with the Presence Clinical team.
What’s your role at Presence?
I lead the Clinical Relations group, a team dedicated to fostering a strong community for clinicians to grow and connect at work and beyond. I’m incredibly blessed in my role to work closely with our clinicians, hearing their stories and collaborating on how to make their experience the best it can be. Our team empowers clinicians with tools, resources, and support so they can provide the best possible care and thrive in their fields. “Community,” “engagement,” “enrichment,” and “opportunities” are the words we use every day here. Our goal is to create the “stickiness” that inspires our clinicians to keep partnering with us, so that we can serve the growing needs of students across the U.S.
What drives you to champion our network of 2000+ clinicians?
Building up clinicians to practice at their highest level is my vision. And, by investing in clinicians, we’re also investing in the futures of the special education students they support.
Part of my motivation comes from my personal experience as a speech-language pathologist (SLP) at Presence. Working remotely as an SLP gave me access to a diverse range of students throughout the county—an opportunity I wouldn’t have had in a traditional brick-and-mortar setting. It expanded my clinical knowledge and deepened my desire to make a meaningful impact in the lives of students.
One of the most meaningful moments came from a parent of a student who used an AAC device for expressive communication. Her words motivate me even today and are a powerful reminder of the impact teletherapy can have.
“I never thought that someone would know my child as well as you know them—but yet, you’re so far away.”
Parent of a student who worked with Lana
What are 7 reasons clinicians say “yes” to teletherapy
1. Empowers career growth even through life changes
This one hits very close to home. Before joining Presence, I was an SLP in a brick-and-mortar setting in Kansas City. My husband moved to Hawaii for work. Hawaii! Visiting him on Spring Break and long weekends just wasn’t cutting it, but I thought I couldn’t uproot my life without sacrificing my career. Well, teletherapy opened the doors for me to join my husband in Hawaii with no interruptions.
2. Offers flexibility to build schedules for every lifestyle
Flexibility is a big one! When I look at our provider network, there are new mothers, clinicians with teenagers, people taking care of aging parents, those just starting their careers, veterans who have a very clear career plan, and even therapists who are winding down their careers. Teletherapy works for each of these unique stories because it’s flexible. Whether you need a consistent schedule, only specific days, or just a few hours a week, teletherapy makes it possible to find what works for you—and keeps careers moving forward.
“Presence has changed my life. The opportunity to work from home has allowed me to feel more on top of things as a mother and as a professional. It just works.”
Presence clinician
3. Creates new opportunities to focus and thrive
In more traditional settings, a clinician’s schedule and daily tasks are often pretty defined. Your daily to-do’s are laid out: Monday-Friday, 7-3PM in the office. But let’s say you’re looking to focus on only a specific professional strength or goal. Maybe it’s only delivering assessments. Maybe just counseling. With teletherapy and a network of clinical peers, concentrating on specific areas of service is possible. You can stay focused on doing what you love (and very specifically!) while knowing students’ are being taken care of.
4. Opens worlds and strengthens skills
When I was practicing in Missouri, my exposure to different students, cultures, and learning needs was limited to the students in my area. In my experience delivering remote therapy, I’ve met such a diverse group of students and families. Being part of so many unique lives has truly enriched my career from my clinical training to my internal motivation. I can’t even put into words how amazing it is to see the impact of doing what I love for families across the U.S. There’s so much opportunity out there.
“Amidst the challenges, I experienced a profound renewal of hope and purpose. Seeing the joy on a student’s face when we connected online—the shining eyes, the excited jumps—reminded me why I do this work.”
Presence clinician
5. Connects clinicians to a unique community
A truly special part of being a teletherapy provider in a network like Presence is the unique community you join. Being “the only clinician on-site” is something most of us understand, and it’s lonely. Our online community breaks down barriers of location and even experience. The Presence clinical network brings together clinical staff, new practicing clinicians, and “old pros” of therapy to encourage, teach, and inspire each other every day. There’s a lot of bouncing off of ideas in our community! Add to that our online training, guidance, and help—it’s a place to feel supported and never alone.
6. Simplifies everyday tasks through technology
Working with Presence is an eye-opener for many clinicians. One of the real life-changing things about teletherapy is the technology that makes everyday things just a bit easier. The Presence Platform unlocks access to assessments, games, and activities built for teletherapy. Just click to add them to a session plan and go. It’s less time spent on planning and setting things up. And a much more engaging session (students will almost always pick an online game over a worksheet!). Platforms like ours also provide help with scheduling, taking session notes, and all of the administrative tasks that steal time away from seeing more students.
7. Makes self-care a genuine reality
Commuting site to site, lukewarm coffee in that travel mug, a bag overstuffed with binders, activities, and test easels, unexpected rain with no umbrella in sight, session notes—these are all time and energy zappers in more traditional therapy settings. Teletherapy gives clinicians the flexibility to work when and where they want. It’s freedom that gives the headspace and time to prioritize true self-care, even if that’s just throwing in a load of laundry. 92% of clinicians in our network say that remote work is why they partner with us. Being able to take a nice walk when the sun’s out, spending time cooking an awesome lunch—it really just makes sense.
What does 7 million teletherapy sessions mean to you?
Seven million therapy sessions is a monumental achievement! It means we’ve made a mark by bringing much-needed help to those in need at a time with limited accessibility to clinicians. The words that come to my mind are: reliability, quality, experience, and commitment.
7 million teletherapy sessions can only happen because of the strong relationships we’ve built with our clinicians and schools. It’s been amazing to see our clinicians grow and develop with every session, contributing to the high-quality services we provide. Our school partners put their trust in us, and it’s been so worth it to be a part of it all.
What’s your hope for the future of teletherapy?
The door is wide open now, especially in schools. People are seeing the impact of teletherapy—how students are served effectively on the foundation of strong relationships and clinical expertise. Currently SLP, OT, counseling, and assessments are available, but there’s even more being developed. What you’re seeing today is only a launching pad for what’s to come!
See how teletherapy is making a real difference in special education. Discover the milestones we’ve reached on our way to 7 million sessions.
Stay tuned as we continue to get to know the dedicated team at Presence, committed to diverse learners and the future of education through teletherapy.
