Becoming a Speech- Language Pathologist in Early Intervention in Pennsylvania

Transcription

1 Becoming a Speech- Language Pathologist in Early Intervention in Pennsylvania Provided by The Pennsylvania State Advisory Council for Personnel Shortages in Speech- Language Pathology/Audiology

2 The Pennsylvania State Advisory Council (PSAC) for Personnel Shortages in Speech- Language Pathology/Audiology has developed this set of frequently asked questions for SLPs who may want to seek employment in Early Intervention in Pennsylvania. We hope this will serve to answer some preliminary questions that potential employees may have. For further information, contact: Stacy Antoniadis, Consultant, Early Intervention Technical Assistance at What does Early Intervention look like in Pennsylvania? Through a unique collaboration between the Departments of Education (PDE) and Public Welfare (DPW), the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) administers the Commonwealth s Early Intervention Program for eligible infants, toddlers and preschoolers. At a local level, the county Early Intervention programs administer the program for infants from birth to three years of age. The OCDEL contracts services through Intermediate Units (IU), school districts, and private agencies for local services to preschoolers from three years of age to the age of beginners. When a child turns three years of age, responsibility for funding Early Intervention services moves from DPW to PDE. Early Intervention in Pennsylvania consists of services and supports designed to help families with children who have developmental delays. Early Intervention builds upon the natural learning occurring in those first few years. It is a process that promotes collaboration among parents, service providers, and others significantly involved with your child. What does an SLP need to know to work in Early Intervention in Pennsylvania? There are certain guiding principles that lay the foundation for making appropriate decisions regarding speech and language services and supports. These principles provide the basis for Early Intervention in Pennsylvania. Early Intervention: Provides supports and services to infants/toddlers and young children with disabilities and their families/caregivers so that they may help the child grow and develop; Embeds supports and services within learning opportunities that exist in the child s typical routines and within the home and community activities and/or early education programs; Builds on existing supports and services in the family, community, and early education resources; Provides coordinated, flexible supports and services through personnel working collaboratively with the family and each other; Provides supports and services focused on the family and child s transition between and among early education programs. For a copy of Early Intervention Supports and Services, go to

3 What certification/credentials and on-going professional development requirements are needed to work in Early Intervention in PA? Information on the qualifications for Speech/Language Pathologist s working in Early Intervention in Pennsylvania is contained within Announcement EI-09#17 which was published on 10/05/09. To access this Announcement go to the Pennsylvania Department of Education s website at and search for Announcements. What is the role of the SLP in Early Intervention? The Speech and Language Pathologist (SLP) functions as an integral member of the team which includes the family. After a comprehensive evaluation and assessment, outcomes/goals are established. The SLP, as a member of the team, (a) provides information regarding speech, language, social communication and feeding/swallowing risk factors, development, and disorders and, (b) participates in the design and implementation, directly or through consultation, in interventions that are coordinated within the overall Individual Family Service Plan/Individual Education Plan (IFSP/IEP). For additional information and to access a copy of Early Intervention Infant/Toddler, Preschool, and Family Guidelines: Speech and Language Services go to Why would you want to be an SLP in Early Intervention in PA? Providing Early Intervention services in PA enables therapists to guide families and other caregivers in the early stages of the communication process. Through the current Early Intervention model, SLP s consistently support families and other caregivers throughout their child s speech and language development and often develop strong relationships with them. In addition, the SLP is provided significant opportunities to collaborate and consult with other team members. Early Intervention is also a very flexible model for scheduling, as therapists individually schedule with families based on family and child needs. Additionally, the program is referral based, providing ample opportunities for flexible scheduling and part-time to full-time opportunities. How do I get started? You can contact your local county Infant/Toddler or Preschool Early Intervention program directly. Most Infant/Toddler Early Intervention Programs are operated by the county. Most preschool programs are operated by the local Intermediate Unit or School District. You can also inquire at your local university program and request a field experience in Early Intervention. For information on Infant/Toddler or Preschool Early Intervention programs, contact: CONNECT (Information Service for Early Intervention) Center for Schools and Communities 275 Grandview Avenue, Suite 200 Camp Hill, PA (for TTY, dial 711 for Relay Service)

4 SLP Guide to Asking Prospective Employers Questions about Salary and Benefits What is meant by the term salary and what additional questions should I be prepared to ask a prospective employer? Salary consists of the agreed-upon and regular compensation for employment that may be paid in any frequency. In common practice, one s salary is paid on a monthly or bi-weekly schedule and not on hourly, daily, weekly, or piece-work basis. When discussing salary with a prospective employer, you want to ask the following questions: What is the dollar figure? Is it guaranteed or can it be modified based upon need/hours worked? On what is it based? A 40 hour week, a 37.5 hour week? If less than 32 hours a week, do I still get benefits? For what employment period am I being compensated? 12 months? Nine months? Do you get a pay check biweekly, monthly? Can this be supplemented with overtime work (rate?) or other agency work? Are their contract limitations that require me to work exclusively for this employer? If so, what is the period of contracted limitation? What are the standard deductions (e.g., payroll taxes, SSI, state and local taxes, or mandatory retirement) versus elected deductions (e.g., health care, voluntary contributions to annuity/savings programs)? Are there union dues? Association fees? Are there opportunities for salary increases? Merit versus annual cost of living?

5 What is meant by the term benefits and what additional questions should I be prepared to ask a prospective employer? Employee benefits consist of indirect and non-cash compensation paid to an employee. Some benefits are mandated by law, such as social security, unemployment compensation, and workers compensation. Others vary from employer to employer, such as health insurance, life insurance, medical plan, paid vacation, and pension. When discussing employee benefits with a prospective employer, you want to ask: What is the approximate value of the benefit package to salary? Do you offer dental and/or vision insurance, long term/short term disability, malpractice insurance, long term care insurance, life insurance, 401K or pension/retirement, profit sharing, stock options? Which are employer funded and/or employee contributed? Are benefits available to employee only or family? Are they portable upon termination? What are the paid time off policies for vacation, sick, maternity, family leave, sabbatical, and holidays? Do unused days accumulate? If mandated, are annual employee physicals reimbursed? What kind of paid versus unpaid leave options are available? Do you support continuing education through paid time and fees? Do you assist with professional membership and licensure fees/dues? Do you provide tuition support/reimbursement for approved skill training/certification? Is there any kind of stipend/enhancement for bilingual language skills? Do you offer loan forgiveness? Is there a sign on bonus? Do you assist with relocation expenses? Do you have a mechanism by which I can get a loan through the company? Do you provide technical support? Access to updated diagnostic and therapy materials? Do you offer a routine annual stipend for evaluation and/or therapy materials?

6 What are the conditions and scope of employment? The term employment means service performed for wages under a contract of hire, written or oral, expressed or implied. You want to make sure that you sign a contract with definitions of terms of agreement. Some of the terms to which you might be asked to agree include: employment period, performance of duties, compensation, disability, competing businesses, confidentiality, amendments and termination. When discussing the scope of employment, you may want to ask the prospective employer: Do you have a description of the job and the expected duties to be performed under this job description? Will I be a part-time or full-time employee or subcontractor? Is there a productivity standard and, if so, what is it? Do you have a handbook that provides written policies/procedures and job description and separation terms? Is there a written compliance/complaint procedure? Can the position be changed without mutual agreement? Is there a procedure for requesting a change? Are multiple sites and travel involved? How is it reimbursed? Is there CF supervision available on site? Is there a non-compete clause? If so, what is the time frame? Discipline related salary reports represent mean and median wages earned by all SLPs in any given survey period. They typically do not report on first time CF wage earners, nor individuals with less than four years experience. For example, in the 2008 ASHA Schools Survey: Annual Salary Report, individuals with four to six years experience averaged annual academic salaries in elementary school settings of $47, 547, but the highest average salary in combined school settings across the nation of $65, 592, was only achieved with 19 to 24 years experience ( uploadedfiles/research/memberdata/schools08salaries.pdf).