Work Plan: 2006

Focused Initiative: Personnel Issues in Healthcare and Education

January 1, 2006

Facilitating Team Member Responsible for Work Plan:

Lemmietta McNeilly, Chief Staff Officer for Speech-Language Pathology

Issue 1: Acquisition of data and information on the underlying factors that lead to persistent vacancies for qualified speech-language pathologists and audiologists in educational and health care employment settings will facilitate development of actions to alleviate personnel shortages/persistent vacancies.

Outcome 1: Increased availability of data and information on the underlying factors/root causes that lead to personnel shortages/persistent vacancies.

Strategies

1. By July 1, 2006, the Health Care Services Team in collaboration with the Healthcare Economics and Advocacy Team will have developed an advisory group of SLPs across health care settings to identify issues contributing to personnel shortages.
2. By July 1, 2006 the Surveys and Information Team (SIT) in collaboration with the Academic Affairs, School Services Team, Audiology Services Team, and the Health Care Services Team will have compiled data and information from ASHA surveys, the Higher Education Data System (HES), and other extant reports and prepared a report on the underlying factors/root causes that lead to personnel shortages/persistent vacancies.
3. By November 1, 2006, the Surveys and Information Team (SIT) in consultation with the Health Care Services (HCS) team   will have contacted state agencies (e.g. state health departments, hospital associations, etc.) in 20 states based on representation across geographical regions and divisions, and reported supply/ demand data from the 2005 Health Care Survey to identify sources of data about the supply of speech-language pathologists and audiologists in health care settings and to determine if the state has established initiatives for recruitment or loan forgiveness. These data will be reviewed and summarized in a report of existing, current sources of data on the supply and demand of speech-language pathologists and audiologistsin health care settings.  
4. By December 31, 2006, the Health Care Services Team and the Healthcare Economics and Advocacy Team will have identified and met with key representatives from health care industries and trade associations to solicit their data and experience in addressing shortages of speech-language pathologists in their industry and to explore their interest in forming an advisory committee or developing an action plan.

Outcome 2: Availability of action plans to alleviate personnel shortages/persistent vacancies based on knowledge of current data and information on the underlying factors that lead to personnel shortages/ persistent vacancies.

Strategies

1. By January 15, 2006, a Schools Personnel Issues Resource Team (SPIRT), consisting of the Director, School Services; the Director, State & Consumer Advocacy; the Director, State Special Initiatives; and the half-time contractual position for schools issues will be formed to assure the execution of  the school-related issues within this initiative, including working with targeted states vulnerable for reducing personnel qualifications for school-based speech-language pathologists or audiologists to carry out state and local advocacy activities to educate, recruit and retain qualified speech-language pathologists in education settings.
2. By February 1, 2006, the Chief Staff Officer in Speech-Language Pathology will have filled two part-time staff positions, one half-time position for health care issues and one half-time position for schools issues to assist in carrying out the strategies associated with this Focused Initiative, as described throughout the work plan.
3. By October 1, 2006, the Health Care Services Team, in collaboration with the State Advocacy Team, will work with 10 targeted state associations to identify key individuals to contribute to developing an action plan for addressing personnel shortages in the state.
4. By October 15, 2006, the Chief Staff Officer for Speech-Language Pathology and the Academic Affairs unit in collaboration with the State Advocacy, Schools Issues, and Health Care Services units, will have held a centralized meeting of key leaders from universities and other stakeholders to share existing data and implications of shortages and to begin to develop strategies that target increased supply of speech-language pathologists for a variety of employment settings.
5. By December 31, 2006, the Health Care Services Team, in collaboration with the member advisory group on personnel issues in healthcare (Outcome 1, Strategy 4) will have developed an action plan to alleviate personnel shortages/persistent vacancies for speech-language pathologists in healthcare settings.
6. By December 31, 2006, the director of Audiology in Pediatric Practice will develop a plan to monitor Audiology personnel issues across settings to note any changes in supply or demand for audiologists. 
    

Issue 2: Personnel shortages/persistent vacancies for qualified speech-language pathologists and audiologists in education and health care employment settings result in requests to lower state certification/licensure requirements for speech-language pathologists and audiologists and employment of less qualified individuals to provide services.

Outcome 1: A decreased number of state education and licensing agencies that initiate action to reduce state certification/licensure standards for speech-language pathologists and audiologists employed in education and health care settings.

Strategies

1. By April 1, 2006, the Director, State Association Relations, in consultation with the SPIRT, will have developed a program for providing financial support to state speech-language-hearing associations to meet challenges related to reducing personnel qualifications and will distribute these funds to state associations that meet eligibility criteria of the program.
2. By April 1, 2006, the Director, Government Relations and Public Policy, in collaboration with appropriate National Office staff and ASHA committees/boards, will have developed policy options and presented them to the Executive Board to determine what, if any, compromises ASHA/state associations are willing to accept in terms of personnel qualifications and commitment to use of nontraditional models of service delivery in schools.
3. By May 1, 2006, the SPIRT will identify a cadre of experienced and expert ASHA members who can help mobilize state associations and who can assist them in providing information and technical assistance on how to deal with efforts to reduce personnel qualifications in the states, including providing on-site assistance and testimony.
4. By June 1, 2006, the SPIRT will have provided training for state association leaders on how to deal with state action to reduce personnel qualifications and to advocate for the use of qualified personnel to provide audiology and speech-language pathology services and maintain the Master’s requirement for school-based speech-language pathologists.
5. By October 1, 2006, the Director of State Association Relations will have worked with 10 state associations to develop advisory groups of related service providers, consumer groups and parent networks, and other decision makers to work on issues related to the shortage of qualified personnel including recruitment and retention strategies and to advocate for the use of qualified personnel in schools.
6. By October 15, 2006, the Director, State & Consumer Advocacy will have coordinated development of a state action kit that includes advocacy   and public relations materials related to supporting the use of qualified personnel to provide audiology and speech-language pathology services.
7. By December 31, 2006, the SPIRT will have coordinated meetings of the National Coalition on Personnel shortages in Special Education and Related Services with the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) in order to develop materials, disseminate information on causes and possible solutions to the shortages, engage in advocacy activities and conduct policy forums.
8. By December 31, 2006, the Director, State Legislative and Regulatory Advocacy, will have monitored an expanded database of state documents to identify legislative and regulatory efforts to lower standards of school-based speech-language pathologists and audiologists and to notify both state speech-language-hearing associations and the coordinator of the SEALs.

Outcome 2: An increased number of education and health care agencies that use an enhanced salary and benefits package as well as better working conditions to recruit and retain qualified speech-language pathologists and audiologists.

Strategies

1. By October 1, 2006, the Director of Audiology, Pediatrics Practices will distribute and analyze a pilot survey to participants of the 2006Virtual Audiology Conference regarding Audiology Personnel Issues.
2. By December 31, 2006, the SPIRT and/or the Health Care Services Team will have conducted sessions at the ASHA Schools Conference, and/or ASHA convention on accessing funding sources for employment of personnel, enhancing salary and benefits, and improving working conditions for speech-language pathologists and/or audiologists.
3. By December 31, 2006, the Health Care Services Team will have solicited the placement of 4 articles in trade publications for health industries to promote awareness of the contributions of SLPs in health care.
4. By December 31, 2006, the Health Care Services Team will have updated a healthcare recruitment/retention packet with customized information/recommendations for each healthcare setting to be used by ASHA members and/or administrators/recruiters from those settings.

Outcome 3: A decreased number of reported vacancies for audiologists and speech-language pathologists employed in education and health care employment settings.

Strategies

1. By July 1, 2006, a team from the Membership, Public Relations, and Professional Practices units will launch a campaign to make members aware of recruitment materials and provide an incentive (e.g. $50 voucher toward an ASHA product) to members who give a presentation about audiology and speech-language pathology to students in schools (K-12) or universities.
2. By July1, 2006, the Health Care Services team will have developed a “Reward Yourself: Career in Health Care” brochure to accompany those that have been developed for schools and academics/research.
3. By December 31, 2006, the Governmental Relations and Public Policy unit will have explored opportunities to promote legislation for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to create a new Rehabilitation category (that includes speech-language pathologists and audiologists) within its Allied Health designation to facilitate increased allocations of funds for pre-service training.