Meet Kim, a recent Occupational Therapy graduate who went from zero clients to a full caseload in just four weeks — proving that with the right support, new grads can thrive in private practice from day one.

The Starting Point

Most new graduates follow a familiar path: take a salaried position at a clinic, spend years building experience, and maybe — eventually — consider going independent. Kim had a different vision.

Fresh out of OT school in May 2025, Kim already knew two things with certainty: she wanted to work with kids, and she wanted to be in their homes. Her graduate research in community health and her fieldwork with children in DCF custody had shown her the power of meeting families where they are. The challenge was clear: how do you build a practice from scratch when you have no existing client base, no business infrastructure, and no capital?

"I was always familiar with going in and out of homes. I was really excited to find Coral Care because it's the exact same idea — just in a different setting."

About Kim

What immediately stood out about Kim was the depth of clinical thinking she brought as a new graduate. While many early-career OTs default to familiar interventions, Kim's approach is grounded in neuroscience — specifically the brain-body connection, reflex integration, and sensory processing. She thinks about where a child is developmentally, what's happening neurologically, and then designs play-based interventions to bridge the gap.

Kim is also fiercely committed to the idea that OT is about far more than fine motor skills and handwriting. Her scope includes everything from helping children navigate independent toileting to practicing community skills like ordering ice cream — and she's passionate about educating others on just how expansive occupational therapy really is.

"Everyone thinks of OT and they're like, fine motor and handwriting. And I'm like — no. I can help your kid get on and off the toilet. We can practice ordering ice cream. The scope of practice is huge."

The Growth Journey

Kim joined Coral Care's Catalyst program in fall 2025, and the results were immediate. She went from zero patients to a full caseload of 17 in just four weeks — without spending any of her own money on marketing, credentialing, or practice setup.

Here's what her week looks like now:

Mondays: Three patients, strategically routed in nearby towns with 30–45 minutes between sessions for documentation and parent conversations.

Tuesdays & Wednesdays: Full days from 8:30 AM to 6:30 PM. Mornings at a daycare 20 miles away, afternoons back in her local area with another 3–4 patients each day.

Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays: 10 hours at an outpatient clinic — giving her a balanced mix of settings and nearly 30 kids total across both positions.

Kim was meticulous about building her schedule. She color-coded each town, mapped driving distances, factored in traffic patterns, and built in buffer time so she could stay late with a parent if needed without being late to the next session.

"I color-coded each town and mapped out where I was going and the distance — factoring in whether I'd hit traffic. My schedule is very manageable, but I have almost a full caseload."

What Makes Kim's Approach Special

1. The Whole-Family Model

Kim doesn't just treat the child — she wraps support around the entire family. She creates custom visual schedules and educational materials on Canva, prints them out, and leaves them with parents. When a child is in daycare, she shares materials with teachers too, ensuring everyone is aligned.

For parents who are hands-off during sessions, she respects their space but always leaves resources behind. For parents who need to talk, she stays. Sometimes well past the session end time.

"Sometimes for these parents, their only moment of getting and feeling like they have support is me coming into their home. If that means I'm staying longer than 50 minutes because a parent just needed to sit down and talk — I'm doing that."

2. Bridging the Care Team

Kim proactively connects with school counselors via Zoom to coordinate care, shares session notes with primary care physicians when parents request it, and collaborates on IEP evaluations for children transitioning into kindergarten. This multi-stakeholder approach ensures the child is supported across every setting.

3. Making Homes Therapeutic

The power of in-home therapy is context. Kim assesses where children do homework, how their bedroom and bathroom are set up, and whether they can practice independent living skills in their own environment.

"When I go into their home, it's really about — okay, show me. Where are they doing their homework? How is their room set up? It benefits them in a different way than clinic — specifically for those independent life skills."

How Coral Care Made the Difference

Zero-Investment Practice Launch

Kim didn't have to invest any money or build any infrastructure to go from zero to a full caseload. Coral Care handled credentialing, insurance, billing, scheduling, and marketing — letting her focus entirely on clinical work from day one.

The Catalyst Program

The Catalyst program opened doors to a steady stream of families. Combined with the job board, where Kim could proactively claim patients that fit her schedule and geography, she filled her caseload in record time.

Operational Support That Actually Works

As a new grad, Kim was understandably nervous about working without an office or colleagues nearby. That fear disappeared quickly. Every time she had a question — about billing, scheduling, or clinical documentation — someone was there.

"I have never once felt like I don't know what to do or who to reach out to. There's always been someone there. It really lets me focus on just my sessions."

A Platform Built for Mobile Clinicians

The documentation system is straightforward — click through, write the SOAP note, and move on. Kim has built her own goal-tracking supplement on Google Docs to monitor progress percentages, and Coral Care's product team is already taking notes for future features.

The Bottom Line

Kim's story challenges the conventional wisdom that new graduates need years of clinic experience before going independent. With the right platform handling the business side, a talented new grad can build a thriving, impactful practice from the very start — serving families who need support most, right in their own homes.