Using note templates

This article is for BTs and RBTs. If you have used other systems where you pick a note template from a dropdown before you start writing, here is how Alpaca is different: you do not choose a note template yourself. Alpaca applies the correct note format for you automatically. This article explains how that works and what you are responsible for.

What a note template is in Alpaca

Every session type has its own note format with its own required sections. A direct therapy note (for example, 97153) includes sections like the session summary, response to treatment, and progress toward goals. Other session types use different sections.

Alpaca picks the right format based on the session type (the CPT code) of your appointment. You do not select or switch the format manually. This keeps your note aligned with what your session was authorized and billed as.

How the right format gets applied

When you finish recording, Alpaca generates your note in the correct format for your session type, drawing on your recording, your data collection, and any notes you added during the session. You do not need to select a template for this to happen.

If there is nothing to generate from (for example, there was no usable audio, no data collection, and no typed notes, or you chose to write the note yourself), Alpaca gives you a blank version of the correct format so you can fill it in by hand. Either way, you land in a note that already has the right sections for your session type.

What you can edit

Before you sign, the note is yours to review and correct. You can:

• Edit the text in any section of the note to make it accurate and complete.

• Fill in the sections yourself if you received a blank note.

• Regenerate the note if the first version did not come out well.

Take the time to read the whole note and make sure it reflects what actually happened in the session. You are signing off on its accuracy.

After you sign

Signing locks the note. Once it is signed, the content and format are set and the note moves downstream for billing and payroll. If you find a mistake after signing, contact your supervisor about what needs to change, since editing a signed note affects your signature.

Quick answers

Can I pick a different template?

No. The format is set by your session type, so there is no template picker for you to choose from. If the format looks wrong, the session type on the appointment is likely the thing to fix. Check with your supervisor or coordinator.

My note is blank. Did something break?

Not necessarily. A blank note in the correct format means there was no content to generate from. Fill in each section, then sign.