If you plan to take time away from seeing clients for a short vacation, personal leave, or any other temporary absence, it’s essential to prepare in advance to ensure continuity of care for your clients and a smooth transition upon your return.
This article outlines what to do before, during, and after your leave.
Steps for taking temporary leave
When taking a temporary leave, follow the steps below to prepare for your time away.
1. Notify Rula of your leave
Please notify Rula’s Support team as soon as your leave dates are confirmed by emailing psychsupport@rula.com.
When you reach out, be sure to include:
- Your planned leave dates and expected return date.
- If you plan to resume care with your current patients after your return.
- Any relevant details that would help with patient coverage (modalities, specialties, demographic preferences, etc.)
If you’d like assistance with rematching your clients, our Support team can help with that process.
2. Communicate with your clients
Proactive communication is key so your patients feel supported while you’re away.
We recommend:
- Giving clients ample notice. Let patiens know about your upcoming time away, ideally 1–2 months in advance.
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Providing care options. Offer patients the opportunity to:
- Reschedule sessions before or after your leave.
- Receive referrals to another provider who uses Rula for ongoing care.
- Obtain any medication refills (if applicable).
- Receive a Crisis Management Plan outlining alternative care options during your absence.
- Clarifying expectations. Let patients know if you plan to resume care after returning or if you requested they be matched with a new provider long term.
3. Update your availability in the provider portal
Before your leave begins, add blocks to your Rula calendar for the dates you’ll be unavailable in your provider portal—this prevents new patients from being scheduled during your absence and from existing patients booking sessions on those dates.
If you use the Rula scheduler, ensure that both your calendar and availability reflect your time away.
4. Complete discharge notes (if applicable)
If your patients will be rematched with another provider while you’re away, complete a discharge note for each client. This helps the new provider understand the patient's progress, treatment plan, and reason for rematch.
Returning from leave
When you’re ready to resume seeing clients:
- Notify the Rula Support team of your return date.
- Review your client list and and pharmacy requests to determine which patients require a sooner follow-up visit.
- Update your availability to open your schedule for new or returning clients.
Additional support
If you have any questions or need help coordinating your leave or patient rematches, contact providersupport@rula.com.
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