Hi all,

Our nonprofit counseling center is about to resume its Associate Training program, and we are exploring which financial model would best support clients needing sliding-scale services, as well the Associates themselves. We welcome the following input from Associates who have worked in nonprofit settings.

We would appreciate your sharing about the financial arrangements you have with the organization you work (or worked) at and how that is working for you. For example, are you paying for supervision and trainings within the organization, and to have a stream of clients without having to do your own marketing and outreach? Are you paid a salary? If so, is it a portion of your client fees or a set salary?

Is anyone working from the UCSF model we knew of where you pay a set monthly fee to the organization for all your supervision and training, and get a full stream of clients so you can move as quickly as possible to licensure? In that model you receive no income or stipend from the organization. Because the Associates are not dependent on the income generated by client fees, the counseling organization can provide greater service to the community by offering true sliding-scale fees, dependent only on clients’ ability to pay.

Are there any other financial arrangements than the ones mentioned above that you can tell us about?

Are you happy or satisfied with the financial arrangement you have with the organization where you are gaining (or have gained) your clinical hours?

Much thanks for any and all input!