Mentoring & Shadowing Programs for Seasoned SLPs
Mentoring opportunities are aplenty in graduate programs, but where are they for the seasoned speech-language pathologist (SLP)? Many SLPs remember tracking those 25 initial observation hours before they could even touch a patient. We did additional observations at the start of clinical rotations as we accumulated a minimum of 400 clinical hours and many of us observed a mentor at some point during the clinical fellowship year (CFY), but what happens to mentoring and shadowing your colleagues after you receive your Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC)?
In other health, medical, and educational professions, it seems that observing peers is the norm. Teachers in a school are surrounded by other teachers and can observe each other without even really having to seek out a special opportunity. Just popping into the classroom across the hallway could provide that chance.
For physicians, fellowships after residency provide time to train under a mentor in a "master and apprentice" type relationship, which allows the already credentialed MD to further specialize - such as the otolaryngologist (Ear, Nose, and Throat Doctor) who takes on a fellowship to become an otologist (ear and hearing specialist) or a laryngologist (larynx and voice specialist). Still others doctors travel nationally and internationally to learn from well respected colleagues in their discipline.
For SLPs on the other hand, it seems that the culture of shadowing is not as proliferate. Often, we are the only SLP in an entire facility or possibly, especially in rural areas, the entire system or city! How then, do we come across these mentoring and shadowing opportunities?
ASHA'S PROGRAMS
The American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) offers a few different mentoring programs that are not geared toward clinical service improvement among clinical CCC-SLPs. The ASHA S.T.E.P. program forms relationships between seasoned clinicians and SLP students. The MARC program provides mentoring to full-fledged SLPs who are budding researchers with PhDs or in doctoral programs. ASHA's LMP leadership program is for SLPs who would like to take on volunteer roles in state organizations or ASHA. However none of these focus on CCC-SLPs shadowing each other or mentoring each other in clinical service delivery.
SISTAs
According to the Sisters in Speech Therapy & Audiology (SISTAs) website, their mentoring program Big SISTAs/Little SISTAs, is a volunteer program that "...matches veteran speech pathologists and audiologists with graduate students and clinical fellows (CFs) to provide guidance, support or even a hug when needed." SISTAs was founded by Speech-Language Pathologist Juliet Thomas Bradford "In an effort to address the low number of African American, Hispanic, Asian and other minorities that are choosing Speech Pathology or Audiology as a career path and retaining those that are currently practicing." The site has a corresponding Facebook page and community which support seasoned clinicians, however the official mentoring program only allows for students and CFs to fill the mentee roles.
BOARD CERTIFICATION
SLPs who have reached or are approaching the expert level within a specialty, such as swallowing disorders, can apply for Board Certification in are paired with mentors as a component of that credentialing process. This is a fantastic arrangement for those who have reached that level of expertise, but what is there for those of us mid-career SLPs who don't qualify for student-focused programs, aren't pursuing a doctorate, and are not ready for/interested in pursuing board certification?
NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT (NICU)
While I've never been in this setting or tried this program, one of the only national programs I could find for credentialed SLPs who want a mentor is IGNITE! This service does not appear to be exclusive to SLPs, but does appear to specifically market to our profession. According to their website, the program features two Occupational Therapists (OTs) who mentor other therapists for a full year.
EXPAND YOUR SCOPE
Seeing a gap in services available for experienced SLPs like me, I started Expand Your SCOPE. This program is not even open to students or clinical fellows. It is only for ASHA certified speech-language pathologists. CCC-SLPs serve as both the mentors and the mentees. In fact, some serve both roles at the same time, for example I mentored an SLP who had a similar number of years in the field as I did during her transition into the school setting - where I'd spent the majority of my career; at the same time, I shadowed SLPs in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and voice clinics - areas of practice that were less familiar to me. Both roles have been rewarding.
As the program ages, I see a shift in the SLP culture with other products and services now on the market for seasoned SLPs who are looking to change specialties or re-enter the field after a maternity/paternity, medical, or religious hiatus. However, I still have not found a similar national mentoring or shadowing match-making service for our field. Without resources like ASHA's database, this program depends on word of mouth in order to continue providing this service. As more mentors join the database, more matches can happen, which can lead to improved outcomes and consistency of care for our discipline and our patients.
OTHER PROGRAMS
While some employers have mentoring programs in place for their employees, I have not yet seen more at the state, national, or international levels...but I want to! If you know of similar SLP mentoring and shadowing program, please list them in the comments section and we can add them to future updates.
NOTE: Expand Your SCOPE is not affiliated with ASHA, IGNITE, or any other mentoring programs listed here. Visit individual program websites for the most up-to-date and accurate information on those programs.
Expand Your S.C.O.P.E.™ is a clinician mentoring and shadowing service for certified healthcare providers looking to expand their own scopes of practice. JOIN NOW to get access to exclusive content and the opportunity to be matched with providers in your field for professional shadowing and mentoring experiences.
