How the 3:1 Model Supports School-Based SLP Burnout

Hallie chats with Lauren Catellier about how the 3:1 model supports school-based SLPs in managing burnout

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, Hallie chats with Lauren Cattelier—school-based SLP, mom of two boys, and co-instructor and owner of Therapy Advanced Courses—about a model every overwhelmed SLP needs to know: The 3:1 Model. Lauren shares her experience using this workload approach in her former district, gets real about the difference she felt when she stopped using it, and breaks down exactly how to implement it, document it, and sell it to the admins and teachers who will inevitably push back. From wording it on an IEP to using that flex week for AAC training, parent coaching, and classroom push-ins, this episode is full of practical strategies, refreshing honesty, and a much-needed reminder that advocating for a better schedule is the same thing as advocating for your students.

Bullet Points to Discuss: 

• What the 3:1 Model is and why it's a workload approach, not a day off 
• How Lauren's district got it off the ground and what made it stick 
• How to explain the flex week to parents, teachers, and administrators without getting pushback 
• All the ways you can use that indirect week to actually serve your kids better 
• Why this model makes it easier to dismiss students when they're ready 
• How to advocate for the model even when you're new and non-tenured

Here’s what we learned: 

• The 3:1 Model is a workload approach — it accounts for everything you do beyond face-to-face therapy. 
• Plan how you'll use the flex week for each student before it arrives, not during it. 
• Teachers need the most convincing — come prepared with specifics about how their students will still be served. 
• Document every flex week so you can always show exactly how each child was serviced. 
• If it's not written into the IEP, it doesn't exist — get it in there explicitly. 
• Pushing into classrooms gives you context you simply can't get from a pull-out model. 
• Spring is the best time to pitch this to admin — everyone's already thinking about next year.

Learn more about Lauren Catellier: 

Website: https://www.therapyadvancecourses.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therapyadvancecourses

Courses: https://www.therapyadvancecourses.com/courses 

3:1 Model Toolkit

Learn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:  

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