Liz wrote
>One may always choose to assist a mother for a reduced -- or even no --
fee=
>.  In the legal world we call it pro bono work, and it is considered
part-a=
>nd-parcel of the privilege of having that license.  But your choice to
fore=
>go appropriate fees does NOT absolve you of your responsibilities
(legally,=
> ethically, professionally and personally) to do all the paperwork and
char=
>ting that you would for a paid client.

>Liz Brooks, JD, IBCLC
>Wyndmoor, PA, USA

While in private practice as a psychotherapist, I eventually decided to see
a certain portion of my practice at a reduced/no fee.  Once that was firmly
established in my head, I had no problem telling people that I charged thus
and such for consultations.  Lactation isn't quite the same in that women
can't exactly wait until a reduced/no-fee spot opens up.  I started out
working in an outpatient setting, where no fees were collected by me and
appropriate documentation/consent was a must.  Then I moved to a
community-based type of clinic where folks were seen on a sliding scale.  It
helped me slowly but surely set fees and also see that there are a fair
number of people who for various reasons need services and do not have the
funds to pay for them.

It was/is difficult moving from a place in *your mind* and the minds of
others as someone who offers a valuable service for a fee.  If you've been a
volunteer, your name is out there all over the place as someone who provides
free breastfeeding information.  Having a different phone number and email
address for my practice is a practical step that has helped.  Now when
people call me on that number, I know that they've been referred to me as
someone who offers for fee consultations.  If we don't charge for our
services, many of us will eventually stop providing them out of financial
necessity.

Liz makes a good point about appropriate consent and paperwork.  *That's*
something that can come around and bite you in the butt.

Mary Wagner-Davis

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