Sign in
Start Free

Designing Your Therapy Career: Comparing Career Models, Risk, and Practice

Instructor

Kara Welke
OTD, OTR/L CLT

  • CE Hours: 0.15
  • Duration: 1.5 hour
  • Format: Live online webinar
  • Launching on: Thu, Oct 15, 2026
  • Price: $40.00
$40.00
  • You are not logged in. We will redirect you to the login page. After logging in successfully, you’ll be returned to this page. Please click Pay Now again to continue with your payment.
ReadySetConnect is an AOTA Approved Provider of professional development. PD activity approval ID #17296. This course is offered as both live and distance learning-independent at 0.15 CEUs, intermediate professional issues. The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA or indicate AOTA approval of a certification or other professional recognition.

Course Description

Therapists have multiple career pathways available throughout their professional journey, including employment, self-employment, business ownership, investment roles, and hybrid models that integrate multiple income streams. Each structure carries distinct considerations related to financial risk, income potential, workload demands, compliance responsibilities, and professional autonomy. This course compares common therapy career models and examines the real-world practice implications associated with each pathway. Participants will explore how caseload expectations, work hours, documentation demands, access to mentorship, and regulatory responsibilities vary across career structures.

The course also highlights opportunities for professional growth through small-scale private practice initiatives and strategies for advancement within employment settings. Participants will conclude by applying a structured framework to evaluate career pathways based on personal priorities, professional goals, and lifestyle alignment.

Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to:

Differentiate between employee, self-employed, business owner, investor, and hybrid career models within therapy practice.
Compare the risk level, income potential, time demands, caseload expectations, documentation requirements, and compliance responsibilities associated with each career pathway.
Identify strategies for professional growth, including options to start small within private practice models and ways to advance without leaving employment.
Apply a structured decision-making framework to evaluate potential career pathways based on personal priorities, professional goals, and lifestyle alignment.

Completion requirements

Participants have to:

  • Watching the full course to earn credit-attendance for the entire session is required.
  • Complete a formal assessment after watching the entire course:
  • Consisting of 5 questions
  • 80% pass rate
  • Maximum 3 attempts
  • Submit your feedback (available after the course)
  • No partial credits – you must meet all requirements to receive your completion certificate.
  • Submission unlocks only after watching the entire course.

Who is this for

  • Occupational Therapists
  • Speech Language Pathologists
  • Physical Therapists

Time Ordered Agenda:

  • 00:00–00:05

Introduction and Course Objectives

  • 00:05–00:15

Overview of Career Models and Structures

  • 00:15–00:45

Comparative Analysis of Career Structures

  • 00:45–01:05

Private Practice: Advantages and Practical Considerations

  • 01:05–01:20

Strategies for Advancing Within Employment Settings

  • 01:20–01:30

Applying the Career Alignment Framework

Meet The Speaker

Kara Welke

OTD, OTR/L CLT
Kara Welke, OTD, OTR/L, CLT, is an occupational therapist, entrepreneur, and educator with over 25 years of clinical and leadership experience. She is the founder of Home Therapy Solutions, a therapy practice focused on supporting independence in home and community settings, and Next Level Occupational Therapy, which provides education on home and community-based practice models and supports therapists in developing and expanding their professional practices.
Earlier in her career, she developed and directed an Early Head Start program through a federal funding initiative, expanding services for young children and families. She has also served as a fieldwork coordinator and instructor, mentoring future therapists.
Dr. Welke presents nationally on topics related to occupational therapy practice innovation, pediatric and geriatric care, and entrepreneurship.

“Professional Affiliations and Previous Presentations”

  • AOTA, AGS

Disclosures

Financial

  • Founder of Next Level Occupational Therapy.
  • The speaker provides consulting services related to practice development.
  • The speaker receives compensation from ReadySetConnect for this presentation.

No prerequisites required for this course.

This course was launched in October 2026. Upon purchase, access to all course materials is granted for five (5) years from the launch date. Course content will remain accessible through your profile while logged in, until October 2031.

Refund policy

  • Once payment is made, refunds are not available if you decide not to attend the course
  • Full refund or the option for crediting your account will be available should the course be cancelled by ReadySetConnect/speaker for any unforeseen reason

Special Requests

Special accommodations may be requested.

Please email education@readysetconnect.com indicating your special needs and accommodation requests.

Compliance Policy

For any compliance concerns or complaints, please reach out to diana@readysetconnect.com. All submissions will be reviewed and addressed, within two working days. Records will be retained in accordance with our policy.

FAQs

Thursday, October 15, 2026 at [time + time zone].
Yes, this is a live, real-time webinar. Check your state licensing board for how it applies to your live-hour requirement.
Occupational therapists and other therapists comparing career paths such as employment, private practice, contract work, and hybrid models.
CE credit is AOTA-approved. SLPs and PTs are welcome to attend; check your licensing board for credit eligibility.
Yes. This course is AOTA-accredited for 0.15 CEUs (1.5 contact hours).
This is a premium course priced at $40.
Yes. All courses work on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices.
Complete the course content and assessment. Your certificate is generated instantly and available for download.

See What Participants Are Saying

No Review Yet
No Review Yet

Grow your skills without leaving your workflow.

ENROLL NOW - $40
No Extra Apps & Login. No Subscription.
Questions?
Contact: education@readysetconnect.com

Recent Courses

Practical Strategies to Develop Independent Executive Function Skills

By ReadySetConnect
$40.00
Add to Cart

Differentiating the Role of OT & SLP in Cognition with the Dementia Population

By ReadySetConnect
$54.99
Add to Cart

Pediatric Feeding Therapy: Addressing Sensory and Sensorimotor Challenges

By ReadySetConnect
$35.00
Add to Cart
Sign in
Start Free

Partnership Inquiry

For Large Organizations