Melanie Mursau, M.S., CCC-SLP
My name is Melanie Mursau, M.S., CCC-SLP. I’m a speech-language pathologist, and I work from home as a consult representative for Expressable. I’m going to share with you what a typical “day in the life” at Expressable looks like for me. But before I walk you through my day, let me tell you a little more about what I do.
Expressable offers free consultations over the phone for individuals and families who are interested in online speech therapy. My job is to answer these calls as they come in. We have so many different people who call, all with varying concerns. I listen to them, answer their questions, and determine if an evaluation would be a good fit for them, their child, or their loved one.
If the person decides to schedule an evaluation, that’s when we discuss their health insurance information. I can share details about their insurance coverage for speech therapy, share Expressable’s speech therapy session costs, and explain how the billing and payment works.
From there, I match the person with an Expressable speech therapist. I select a speech therapist who is licensed in the client’s state, is credentialed with the client’s insurance, and treats the client’s area of concern.
We have speech therapists working all days of the week, mornings through evenings, so we also discuss which days work best for the client for their evaluation and, potentially, for ongoing speech therapy. I work to find a day and time that fits the person’s needs as well as possible. Because Expressable speech therapy is online, and clients attend from home, it’s often easier for families to fit it into their busy schedules.
Expressable offers free consultations for people who are interested in online speech therapy. My job is to answer these calls.
Once everything is set up, I always tell each person, “Welcome to Expressable!” I say this with a smile on my face and warmth in my heart because Expressable is a special place to be. And not only that, but I get to help each person gain access to speech therapy that will forever change their lives!
A quick note: Not every individual will sign up for therapy or be ready to commit during their consult call. There is often some back-and-forth in communication, which you’ll see illustrated below. So let’s get started and walk through a typical day for me. Buckle up–it’s often busy, exciting, and fun!
8 a.m.-1 p.m.: Morning tasks
My day starts at 8 a.m. I sit down at my desk with my cup of coffee, put on my headset, and get ready for… well, pretty much anything. In this role, we never know who is going to call or what they’ll be looking for. It's what makes this job so much fun!
I start off the day by checking my emails and messages and responding where needed. I send follow-up text messages to previous consultations to see if they’re interested in signing up for therapy.
8:10 a.m.: The phone rings for the first call of the day. It’s Jared from the Outreach Team, and he has a consultation for me. He transfers the person over, and I learn all about their concerns: a mom calling about her young child, who is having difficulty with expressive language skills. I share how Expressable works in terms of online therapy and the evaluation process, discuss the family’s benefits, and explain how we schedule sessions. I get everything squared away for this client so her child is ready to start therapy.
9:15 a.m.: The phone rings. This time it's John with the Outreach Team with a new consultation for me. This client has concerns about his wife, who had a stroke recently. They are looking for speech therapy to help improve her aphasia.
9:30 a.m.: I begin to respond to a work message, but the phone rings with another consultation. This client is a dad who has a teenage son who stutters.
10:10 a.m.: Back to checking in with messages. I get a notification that a client’s insurance benefit review has been completed, so I call a mom from the day before with the good news that we’re in-network with her Medicaid plan. We schedule her child for an evaluation.
10:25 a.m.: My next consultation call is a scheduled one. This is an adult seeking services to improve their professional communication. I explain how Expressable therapy works for this type of elective service and explain medical necessity to the client, meaning their insurance won’t cover sessions on professional communication. The client is happy to pay for services, so I get them signed up.
11 a.m.: Time for a quick stretch and a break. Since I work from home, I can take a walk to my mailbox with my four-legged co-worker, Leo (an Australian Labradoodle). We see my neighbor walking by, so we stop to chat for a bit. The sunshine and fresh air feel glorious, and I'm re-energized for some more consultations!
11:15 a.m.: Back to work and I get another call. This time it’s Mervin with a scheduled consultation for me. The focus is a child who is struggling with his /r/ sounds.
12:15 p.m.: The phone rings. This client missed their initial consultation call but would still like to talk. This is a dad of an autistic child looking for support for his child’s social/pragmatic skills. Dad does not have insurance and would like to pay out of pocket. He qualifies for sliding scale fees (reduced rate based on income), and we schedule his child for an evaluation and therapy sessions.
1-2 p.m.: Lunch time!
I take Leo for a walk around our cul-du-sac. I eat lunch, throw a load of clothes into the wash, do some dinner prep, and take a moment to enjoy the gorgeous fall colors outside!
2-5 p.m.: Afternoon work
2 p.m.: I have a scheduled follow-up call from a client who had a consultation last week. He has a few more questions about insurance and pricing, which I answer, but he needs a bit more time to think about the next steps. I’ll follow up with him in a couple of days.
2:15 p.m.: The phone rings. It’s Jared again with a new consultation! This is a mom with concerns regarding her son, who has Down syndrome. She’s looking for speech therapy to help with his expressive language skills. She asks excellent questions about all things related to speech therapy. Her son’s Medicaid plan is in-network, so we get set up and scheduled.
3:15 p.m.: Time for another short break! I switch my laundry to the dryer and sweep the kitchen floor. (And sneak in a few snuggles with Leo, too.)
3:30 p.m.: Back to work and the phone is already ringing. This one is from Mervin with another consultation for me. This client speaks Spanish only, so I add our interpreter service to the line and we complete the consultation together.
3:50 p.m.: I start a text message to a client, but the phone rings with another consultation. (For a consult rep, multitasking is the name of the game! ) This is a mom whose teenage son is having difficulty with higher level academic language skills. Mom would like to schedule, but her son’s availability is quite limited. I send her file to our incredible matching department to see if Molly can make any magic happen and find a speech therapist with the same availability.
For a consult rep, multitasking is the name of the game!
4:15 p.m.: An email comes in from a client that I need to respond to. I begin responding, but surprise–the phone rings! This consultation is with a husband calling for his wife, who is struggling with dysarthria. Their Medicare plan is in-network, so I get them all scheduled and ready to start speech therapy.
4:45 p.m.: The phone rings for the last consultation of the day. It’s a mom whose daughter was just diagnosed with autism and is a gestalt language processor. Her insurance is in-network, so we schedule her to have an evaluation with Expressable the following week.
5 p.m.: I take a big deep breath, knowing I was able to help families get started with speech therapy that will make a huge difference in their lives.
What I love about my job as a consult SLP
You’ve seen the ins and outs of a day in the life of a consult SLP. Now let me tell you why I love this job so much.
Not one single day is the same. Although my general duties stay the same, I never know who is going to call in for a consultation. This is my favorite part of the job! Every phone call is a surprise. I enjoy every one of the people I meet, and I’m so lucky to be able to reach people all across the country.
Of course, I can’t leave out all the benefits of remote work. There are so many great things about working from home. Every morning I stand on the porch and wave goodbye to my husband and children as they drive off to school and work. Then my house is perfectly peaceful and I can start my day. I don’t have interruptions from people popping into my office throughout the day, and I’m able to focus fully on my job.
The most rewarding aspect of my job is knowing that I help people obtain the life-changing speech therapy they deserve.
I get to enjoy my coffee in the morning as the sun streams in through my windows. On crisp fall days, I open the window to enjoy the sound and smell of the leaves outside. And of course, I also get to have Leo by my side!
Another bonus: Lunchtime is a perfect time to catch up on a few things around the house. I love to do dinner prep so when my family comes home at the end of the day, I have time to simply enjoy their company.
The most rewarding aspect of my job is knowing that I play a part in helping families obtain the life-changing speech therapy they deserve. When I try to calm a mother’s fear that her child may be delayed, or I give hope to a husband whose wife just had a stroke, I feel like I was able to shine a little light in their day. It’s about being able to let them know that we can help. Expressable is here for them. And I am so honored to be a part of that.
