How a teletherapy platform took on 3× more therapist applications with the same team of two.
A therapy marketplace had more licensed clinicians wanting to join than it could get through the paperwork. Skillfi split the work: US recruiters handled sourcing and first conversations, and an offshore team took on licence checks, documents and payer enrolment. It's the hybrid model in our RPO solutions.
Therapists wanted to join. The paperwork kept them waiting.
The platform connects clients with licensed therapists by video across 22 states. Client demand was growing faster than provider supply, and several states had waitlists of a month or more.
Applications weren't the problem. A provider operations team of two was handling recruiting calls, state licence checks, document chasing and insurance enrolment for every therapist. Applications piled up, and approved therapists often signed with another platform while they waited.
Good therapists wanted to work with us. We just couldn't get through the paperwork fast enough to let them.
Head of Provider Operations, client
Conversations in the US, paperwork offshore.
Skillfi mapped every step from application to first session and split it by what needs a person in the US and what can be done remotely. Clinical decisions stayed with the client's clinical lead throughout.
US recruiters for the first conversation
Sourcing by state and specialty, intro calls on caseload and schedule, then a clinical interview booked with the client's clinical lead.
An offshore credentialing team
State licence and disciplinary checks, NPI, malpractice insurance, references and a complete CAQH profile for every therapist.
Payer enrolment, tracked to the end
Insurance applications submitted and followed up weekly, with one shared tracker showing where every therapist stood.
9 months, two teams
From a backlog of applications to a steady flow of therapists going live. Here's how the engagement unfolded.
- Month 114 steps mapped
Process mapping
Every step from application to first session listed, timed and assigned to the US or the offshore team.
- Month 1–25 specialists
Offshore team trained
Five credentialing specialists trained on state board lookups, CAQH and the main payer portals.
- Month 24 licence types
US sourcing live
Two US recruiters on outreach and intro calls, focused on the states with the longest waitlists.
- Month 3–4400+ cleared
Backlog cleared
One shared tracker and a daily handoff between teams worked through the waiting applications.
- Month 5–82 states
New state launches
Therapists licensed in Texas and Georgia sourced and enrolled ahead of the platform's launch in both states.
- Month 9540 a month
Steady state
Three times the monthly applications processed, with the same two people on the client's provider team.
From application to first session in four stages
Most delays came from work waiting between people. Running US and offshore steps side by side meant a therapist's file kept moving day and night.
Find & screen
- Sourcing by state & specialty
- Intro call & caseload fit
- Clinical interview booked
Verify
- Licence & disciplinary checks
- NPI, insurance & references
- CAQH profile completed
Enrol
- Payer applications submitted
- Weekly payer follow-ups
- Contracts & tax forms
Go live
- Platform profile & bio
- Orientation session
- First client matched
What changed in nine months
Days from offer to first session
Median across all therapists onboarded during the engagement.
My team now spends its time talking to therapists instead of chasing forms. We handle three times the applications and haven't had to add anyone in-house.
Head of Provider Operations, clientProviders ready to join, but stuck in paperwork?
Our RPO team pairs US recruiters with an offshore credentialing team, so licensed providers go live in weeks rather than months. Only need help finding specialists? Our fractional recruiter team can fill the gaps.
- US sourcing & first screening
- Licence & document verification
- Payer enrolment tracking
- 30/60/90-day activity checks
30 minutes. No obligation.
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