Managing a Family and a Travel Therapist Career

Therapists with families often deny themselves the prospect of considering travel as a key component of their careers. Given the demands of family life, spending time potentially months at a time away from the nest is just not something they can consider.

However, careful planning and the right travel agency can make this a viable alternative to a traditional job at a single location. Travel staffing services serving therapists are well aware that many of their clients have families and are more than willing to try to accommodate them.

Consider some of the options. Many services have assignments within driving distance, thus allowing the therapist the opportunity to remain at home. When distance does become a concern and returning home is not possible, many travel services for therapists will assist the PT, OT or speech therapists in finding an apartment or housing that addresses their particular family needs.

While an apartment is typical of what many travel services provide, therapists likely will have other options to consider. In lieu of an apartment, travel staffing services often provide a housing stipend, giving travel therapists more flexibility in choosing a place to live, such as a larger apartment, condominium or townhouse large enough for a family. These options make it possible to provide more comfortable accommodations for a therapist's members.

Medical insurance is a growing area of concern for many families in this country. Travel agencies often pay 100% of health insurance premiums for traveling therapists, and also offer great discounts for family plans.

If both spouses are both therapists, then it's possible to arrange schedules so that one of them is available to the children at all times. Many communities today have facilities and activities designed for families who home-school their children.

Travel therapists are in a good position to have their cake and eat it too. They are in great demand by healthcare facilities across the country. With careful planning therapists can satisfy their desire or need to travel while staying engaged in the career to which they've devoted considerable money, education and passion.

Taking your physical, speech or occupational therapy skills on the road to rehabilitation facilities all across the country is a win-win for everyone: You get to see the country and learn new skills while serving patients with your much-needed skills. Contact Centra Healthcare Solutions today!

How Working as a Travel Therapist Could be Beneficial for Your Children

If you have children, have you considered that taking on travel therapist jobs might be great for them?

Many physical, occupational and speech therapists have families. Many also might think that taking on a travel therapist job could be a bad decision as they assume they'll need to leave their spouse and children behind while on assignment.

This isn't necessarily so.

Many travel therapy firms are happy to accommodate those OTs, PTs, and speech therapists with families. Many therapist staffing companies will find housing that accommodates families.

What's more, traveling around the country with you as you take on assignments can be a terrific learning opportunity for your young ones.

Children are incredibly resilient when it comes to thriving in new situations, especially when they know their parents are with them on their journey.

If thinking of taking on travel therapist assignments, consider the benefits to your children:

• They'll meet new people, cultures and cities.



• You'll have the chance to take them to new museums, sports arenas and arts venues, exposing them to culture and knowledge with which they may not come into contact if they stay in the same place all the time.



• They'll make new friends at new schools.



• They'll become more accustomed to change -- and if anything's changing in our modern world, it's the faster and faster pace of change.

If you're concerned about moving your older children from school to school, you might be able to find temporary therapist positions close to your home (or at least close enough that you could come home on weekends).

Then, come summer, you could take a multiweek assignment in a location far from home and bring your spouse and children with you. What a terrific summer experience for your family!

Whether you're single or whether you have a family, if you'd like more information about travel therapist assignments, contact Centra Healthcare Solutions. We'd enjoy speaking with you about the different travel therapist opportunities available to you. Contact us today!

From the Mouths of Travel Therapists...

We've been touting for months how great it is to work as a travel therapist. But don't take our word for it.

Below are some quotes from travel therapists taken from travel therapy forums around the Internet.

From an Indeed.com forum:

"I have been been an OT 'traveler' for the past 10 months, and I can tell you that I have had a very positive experience. My reasons were needing extra income to pay off debt from an acute drop in my spouse's income when real estate tanked in '08 along with the flexibility of time off and a steady schedule. While I did not want to be too far from home and able to get back to my perm home all but two nights per week, I strategically looked for an assignment at least 50 miles from my house but no more than 90 miles away to minimize my time away from home."

The commenter continued: "I have been treated as one of the [rehab facility's] 'team' and no less than any other permanent employee there.... At this point, we have been making good progress toward catching up financially. I have had opportunities to go back to a regular full-time position, but the travel benefits reign supreme."

From a physical therapy assistant on another Indeed.com forum, answering the question about whether to take the supplied housing or the housing stipend:

"I usually take the housing, my husband and now baby also travel with me. For us anyway it's easier to let them find the housing, and that means no deposit down on our part too for an apartment. It's always really nice housing and also of course furnished. Last place had a pool and gym."

From the Physical Therapy Web Space Discussion Forum:

"I traveled for 18 months starting in 1996. It was one of the best career moves I ever made. ... I have two friends who did travel together before they had children. They were able to save a lot of money and bought a new car in cash. ..."

If you're an occupational, speech or physical therapist and you'd like to join the ranks of those therapists who have made travel therapy assignments a part of their careers, contact a recruiter at Centra Healthcare Solutions. We look forward to hearing from you!

Debunking the Myths of a Travel Therapist

Looking for something new? Do you love a challenge that comes with quite an adventure? Did you ever miss out on travel because of school, work or finances? Have you thought about being a Travel Therapist? The demand for travel therapists is through the roof, which makes it the perfect time for you to start looking.


Traveling therapy gives you tremendous job flexibility in addition to the choice of your own setting and location. It also gives you the ability to broaden your skill-set as a therapist while also enjoying, more pay and better benefits (in most cases). At some point, traveling may become an option and it's important that you have the facts, so here are some common misconceptions of travel therapy.

Travelers are obligated to long-term contracts and have little say regarding locations and settings. Permanent therapists usually sign annual contracts in order to be eligible for relocation and sign-on bonuses.  Travelers are only obligated for a minimum of 8 weeks while, many times, being guaranteed 40 hours with bonus eligibility.

Permanent therapists have a similar compensation & benefits package in relation to travel therapists. The compensation and benefits for a traveler are usually 15% substantially higher than that of a permanent therapist.

To work as a traveler, a therapist must have years of experience. In most cases, traveling is available to young therapists and new grads.  Traveling can be an amazing opportunity for those wanting to see a new part of the country while working in multiple settings.  This allows a therapist to find their strengths before settling into a permanent position.

Working in multiple settings and diverse areas looks bad on your resume. Facilities know that travelers are exposed to diverse patient populations and gain significant knowledge from interacting with various clinical teams on each assignment.

Travel companies function as 3rd party head-hunters and are interchangeable in choosing among them. In most cases, the travel company will provide your benefits, pay, and career consultation.  Certain travel companies can provide continuing education credits, housing flexibility, and tuition reimbursement.  It is vital to investigate and find the right one for you.

Centra Healthcare Solutions has placed many travel therapists in great destinations at the settings of their choice. In the event that you are looking for a change, looking to get away, or just want a new challenge, we can help you find the right fit, contact us today.