4.1 A Guide to Alpaca-Sourced Referrals
Last updated: July 28, 2026
Alpaca connects you with families who are actively seeking ABA services through our marketing and referral network. We’ve invested in building multiple channels to ensure a steady flow of high-quality referrals — your role is to make a strong first impression, confirm fit, and smoothly move families toward an assessment.
Step 1: How Alpaca’s Referral Network Works
We generate referrals through:
Social Media Ads – Targeted campaigns on platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
Google Ads – Search-based advertising for families actively looking for ABA services.
Referral Partnerships – Relationships with pediatricians, diagnosticians, schools, and community organizations.
All referred families come through Alpaca’s website, where they fill out a short form and request a call.
Step 2: Intro Call with Alpaca
Alpaca’s intake team handles the first conversation with the family to:
Confirm they are eligible for ABA services.
Gather documentation (diagnostic report, insurance card).
Learn more about the child’s needs, goals, and location.
Determine which provider in our network may be the best fit.
Step 3: Provider Consultation
Based on the intro call, Alpaca matches the family to you for a free, non-billable 30-minute consultation call. This call is scheduled via your cal.com calendar. If you have not yet set up cal.com, see the Cal.com Setup Guide.
This is your opportunity to connect, build trust, and show why you’re the right provider for their family.
The consultation is not therapy — it’s about rapport, clarity, and fit.
To see all clients who have been matched with you though the Alpaca Referral Network, navigate to your Referrals page.
Always feel free to reach out to the family before your consultation call date! Contact information is listed in the Client Overview page.
Best Practices for Consultation Calls
1. Ask Questions
Ask about their child’s strengths, challenges, daily routines, and goals.
Explore what has worked (or not) in previous therapies.
2. Share Your Background and Style
Talk about your clinical experience, age groups you’ve worked with, and any specialties.
Share your approach to therapy (collaborative, structured, play-based, etc.).
3. Confirm Availability & Logistics
Make sure your schedule aligns with theirs.
Clarify whether services will be in-home, community-based, or in-center.
Double-check geographic fit to avoid travel issues.
4. Next Steps: Scheduling the Assessment
If the client feels like a good fit, navigate to your Referrals page and hit "Accept."
You will be prompted to schedule the assessment. In our experience, scheduling the assessment while on the consultation call is the most important thing you can do to start in a timely manner with new families.
Important: You can do this for all payers except for Tricare. Tricare does not allow backdating, so you must wait for Alpaca to upload the Tricare 97151 Auth before scheduling with Tricare families. You will receive an email from Alpaca when the auth is uploaded.
If the client doesn't seem like a good fit, click "Decline Referral." You'll be asked whether Alpaca should try to match the family with another provider, along with a detailed reason to help the Alpaca Intake Team send you better-fit referrals in the future.
If the family does not answer your call:
Send them a text and call again, sometimes families forgot they had the call scheduled and don't answer a random number.
If they don't respond, click the "Unresponsive" toggle. This will prompt the Alpaca Intake Team to reach out to the family to get the consultation rescheduled.
Tips for a Successful Consultation
Be warm and personable – Parents are looking for someone who genuinely cares about their child.
Keep it conversational – Avoid too much jargon; make sure they understand every step.
Set expectations – Explain what the next 2–3 steps will be after the call.
Follow up – Send a quick email summarizing what you discussed and confirming next steps.