Five templates you can copy and adapt. They are deliberately short, because the thing that converts is the one-page practice sheet you attach, not the prose around it. If you want the reasoning behind that, see how to get more ABA referrals and the pediatrician outreach playbook.
Replace everything in brackets. Nothing here works as-is, and a template that reads as a template is worse than no email.
Before you use any of these
Every one of these messages must carry your practice's physical postal address and a working opt-out. That is CAN-SPAM, the penalty is assessed per message, and there is no volume small enough to make it safe to skip.
None of these offer anything of value to a referral source, and none of yours should. Paying for healthcare referrals is a federal crime under the Anti-Kickback Statute, and state all-payer laws reach private insurance too.
No subject line here starts with "Re:" or "Fwd:" on a first contact. Faking a thread is specifically what state email statutes penalize.
1. Cold introduction to a pediatric practice
Subject: ABA openings for [City] families
Hi [Name],
I run [Agency], an ABA practice in [City]. I am writing because families in your area are commonly waiting six months or more to start ABA, and we currently have [number] openings.
I have put our details on the sheet below so your front desk has it on hand: the plans we take, the ages we serve, what is open, and exactly how to send someone over.
If it is useful, I am happy to drop off a printed copy or fax one. If this is not the right person, could you point me to whoever handles referral information?
[Your name] [Title], [Agency] [Phone] · [Intake email]
Why it works: it opens on their problem, not your founding story, and the only ask is a small one.
2. Introduction to a diagnosing clinician
Subject: Post-diagnosis ABA options near [Neighborhood]
Dr. [Name],
I am [Your name] at [Agency], an ABA practice serving [area]. You likely see the same gap we do: a family gets a diagnosis and then has to find a provider who is open, in network, and close enough to be realistic.
We have [number] openings right now and take [plan names]. Details are below.
Two things I can offer that may be more useful than the openings themselves: we confirm receipt of every referral within one business day, and we send a short note back to the referring clinician once a child starts. If closing that loop would be helpful, I am glad to set it up for your referrals specifically.
[Your name] [Title], [Agency] [Phone] · [Intake email]
Why it works: it is peer-level, and closing the referral loop is the specific thing the research says these clinicians are missing.
3. Two-week follow-up after no reply
Subject: Following up on ABA openings
Hi [Name],
Wanted to make sure my note from a couple of weeks ago did not get buried. Short version: [Agency] has [number] ABA openings in [City] and takes [plan names].
If now is not the right time, just reply "not now" and I will stop reaching out.
[Your name], [Agency] [Phone]
Why it works: under 60 words, no guilt, no new ask, and a genuine exit. Honor the exit immediately and permanently.
4. Quarterly capacity update
Subject: [Quarter] openings at [Agency]
Hi [Name],
Quarterly update on what we have open, in case it is useful for anyone you are placing:
- [Number] in-home slots, [area]
- [Number] clinic slots, [location]
- Ages [range]
- Plans: [plan names]
- Current wait to start: [timeframe]
Referrals: [fax number] or [intake email]. We confirm within one business day.
[Your name], [Agency] [Address]
Why it works: this is the highest-value message on the list and the one almost nobody sends. It is pure information, it costs a practice nothing to read, and it is the message that gets kept.
5. Reciprocal introduction to a therapy practice
Subject: ABA and [speech / OT] referrals in [City]
Hi [Name],
I am [Your name] at [Agency], ABA in [City]. We work with a lot of the same families you do, and we are regularly asked for [speech / OT] recommendations that we cannot confidently give.
Would it be worth trading details? We have [number] ABA openings and take [plan names]. If you are open to it, I would rather send families to a practice I have actually spoken with.
[Your name] [Title], [Agency] [Phone] · [Intake email]
Why it works: it is genuinely mutual, and mutual is the easiest first conversation in this whole channel.
The part that does the work
Every one of these ends the same way, with a labeled block a front desk can act on:
[Agency] at a glance Insurance accepted: [plans] Ages served: [range] Current openings: [number and date] How to refer: fax [number] or email [address]. We confirm within one business day. Contact: [phone] · [website]
Make a fax version of that block. More than half of formal referrals still move on paper, and a practice that faxes is not going to change its workflow because your email was well written.
Sending them
A few operational notes that matter more than the copy:
- Send from your practice domain, not a personal Gmail. Google's sender policies can suspend a personal account doing volume outreach, and you lose the mailbox with it.
- Address the practice manager by name where you can. They decide what reaches the clinician.
- Four touches a quarter to a focused list beats one blast to everyone.
- Keep a suppression list and never contact an opt-out again, including on a later bulk send.
If you want the list to build itself, search your ZIP code and Quemra will map the pediatricians, schools, and therapy practices around your clinic. Free, no card, about thirty seconds.