SpeakOut_April2014_FINAL_eCopy

speak out APRIL2014

Futuredirections TheAssociationcelebratesa strong start to the yearwith thecompletionof theSenate Inquiry submissionand2014–2016StrategicPlan

Submission to the Inquiry into theprevalence of different types of speech, language and communication disorders and speechpathology services inAustralia

SenateCommunity AffairsReferencesCommittee

February 2014

speak out APRIL2014

National Office Level 2/11–19BankPlaceMelbourneVIC 3000 T 1300 368835 F 03 96424922 E office@speechpathologyaustralia.org.au Chief ExecutiveOfficer Gail Mulcair T 039642 4899 E execassist@speechpathologyaustralia.org.au SpeechPathologyAustraliaBoard DeborahTheodoros –President Gaenor Dixon – VicePresident Communications MegMaggiore – VicePresident Operations

Highlights in this issue...

StacieAttrill –Director FelicityBurke –Director TennilleBurns –Director TeenaCaithness –Director Michelle Foley –Director RobynStephen –Director

FollowSpeechPathologyAustralia via:

https://www.facebook.com/SpeechPathologyAustralia

https://twitter.com/SpeechPathAus

Page10, ICP2014: Get involvedduring the Weekof IncreasedAction,May5–11!

http://instagram.com/speechpathologyaus#

http://www.youtube.com/user/SpeechPathAus

Copyright©2014TheSpeechPathologyAssociationof Australia SpeakOut is theofficial bi-monthlymagazineof TheSpeech PathologyAssociationof AustraliaLtd. SpeechPathologyAustralia (SPA) owns thecopyright to SpeakOut andnopart of thismagazine maybe reproducedwithout theexplicit permissionof SPA. Advertisements Please refer to the ‘Publications’ menu at www.speechpathology australia.org.au to view the 2014 SpeakOut ad kit. Any queriesmay be directed to LanaBusby, PublicationsOfficer T 1300 368835 E pubs@speechpathologyaustralia.org.au AdvertisingBookingDates for June 2014 SpeakOut The official booking formmust be received at National Office by COBMonday 5May 2014 . NewSouthWales – JesicaRennie NorthernTerritory –ErinCoonan Queensland –SimoneHowells, LeanneSorbelloandCatherineHicks SouthAustralia –EmmaLeesonand JosieKemp Tasmania –KateDay Victoria –ShaneErickson WesternAustralia – JohannaEppler Please see thewebsite for BranchEditor contact details. Disclaimer To the best of TheSpeechPathology Association of Australia Limited’s (‘theAssociation’) knowledge, this information is valid at the time of publication. TheAssociationmakes nowarranty or representation in relation to the content or accuracy of thematerial in this publication. TheAssociation expressly disclaims any and all liability (including liability for negligence) in respect of use of the information provided. TheAssociation recommends you seek independent professional advice prior tomaking any decision involvingmatters outlined in this publication. Print Post ApprovedPP349181/01711 ISSN 1446-053X SpeakOut BranchEditors ACT – via pubs@speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

Submission to the Inquiry into theprevalence of different types of speech, language and communication disorders and speechpathology services inAustralia page4: Se ate I quirysubmissionupdate; Page13: Remember to register for the2014SPANationalConference– connections: client.clinician.context .

February2014 SenateCommunityAffairsReferencesCommittee

contents 3 From thePresident

10 ICP2014 12 AHPAupdate 13 2014National Conference 15 National CPDupdate 18 Professional PracticeNews Are youagold star employer? 20 BranchPages: • NewSouthWales • Queensland • SouthAustralia • Tasmania • Victoria • WesternAustralia

4 AssociationNews

• Senate Inquiry update • FebruaryBoardmeeting report • 2014ResearchGrant program • National Office staff update • EOIs for JCPSLP Editor • CPSP update • Closing theGap • SPAOnline update

9 Spotlight on

Professional Support

2 SpeakOut April 2014

SpeechPathology Australia

From thePresident

Themomentumof theyear continues togrowaswe deliver this SpeakOut, suggesting that 2014will be oneof thebusiest andmost significant yearsyet for SpeechPathologyAustraliaand itsmembers.

By now youwill have received a copy of the StrategicPlan 2014–2016whichwill guide the Association over the next three years. The three strategic imperatives – Influence, Professional Standards, FutureReady – underpinnedby professionalism, excellence, client focus, and innovation provide a strong framework for the Association. The goals andobjectives reflect a professional environment that will undergo considerable change over the next few years. I hope that asmembers youwill be excitedby this plan andwill engagewithSPA inwhatever capacity you can to execute these goals. You told us in your feedbackwhat youwanted, and I believe that this plan reflects your collective input. The success of its implementation relies heavily on your engagement with theAssociation at local, Branch, and national levels. A very successful global launch of the ICP2014 occurred late February through a GoogleHangout with the participation of representatives from six speech pathology associations. I hope thatmany of youwatched this event live, or have since been able to view it. Therewas considerable interest around theworldwith 368people signing up for the Hangout, 167people live-viewing the event and over 400 viewing it onYouTube. TheHangout resulted in over 500,000 tweets, a classic example of the power of social media, and the extraordinary reach of this form of media. With the ICP2014 now officially launched, we must now operationalise our activities for the year. To this end, theWeek of IncreasedAction (5–11May) will highlight the goals of ICP2014 around theworld and heighten awareness of communication disability. SPAwill run a daily email campaign to invitemembers tobe involved during thisweek of international effort, aswell as toprovide news of activities around the world.We encourage our large student cohort to exercise their enthusiasm, intelligence, and creativeminds to ‘spread theword’ about communication disorders during thisweek and

throughout the year. SpeechPathologyWeek in August will have a renewed focus onNation for Communication, our national campaign for the ICP2014. TheSenate Inquiry has been initiatedwith over 310 submissions presented to theCommittee, an excellent outcome for this very important and strategic initiative. The planning for hearings and site visits around the country by theSenate Committee is underway and all memberswill be informed of this program in due course. applications. These grants provide seed funding to enable ourmembers todevelop and initiate research projects thatmay ultimately lead to larger projects and contribute to the evidence base of the profession. I strongly encourage you to apply for these grants to support your research. As part of SPA’s commitment toProfessional Support and theMentoringProgram, Meredith Prain, Professional Support Advisor, will contribute a regular column to SpeakOut beginningwith this issue. This is an important program and one that I am sure all members will be keen to hearmore about. In further news fromNational Office, wewelcome two new staff members: CathyOlsson, Project Consultant, Disability, andDr RonelleHutchinson, Manager, Policy andAdvocacy. Includedwith this edition of SpeakOut is the 2013Annual Report that will be presented at theAnnual General Meeting at theNational Conference inMay. I hope thatmany of youwill attend theConference andwill take the time to join theBoard of Directors, our CEO, and National Office staff at theAGM to review the considerable achievements of theAssociation in 2013. I look forward to seeingmany of you there. It is that time of the year againwhen the ResearchGrant Program is open for

DeborahTheodoros National President

SpeakOut April 2014

3

www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

associationnews

Inquiryof theSenateCommunityAffairs ReferencesCommitteeUpdate

Prevalenceof different types of speech, languageand communicationdisorders and speechpathology services inAustralia

TheSenate Inquiry has achieved agreat deal of interest and responseon behalf ofmembersof theprofession, consumersof speechpathology services, andawidenumber of alignedcolleagues andorganisations. Todate, weareaware therehasbeenover 310 submissions. Unfortunately, due to some technical issues and the volumeof submissions, theseare still beinguploaded to the SenateCommitteewebsite . SpeechPathologyAustralia’s submission to theSenate Inquirywasdelivered to theSenateon21February 2014. It is a comprehensive responsewhichextends to116pages, comprisinga90page report plus references, and incorporates 55 recommendations. Youcanaccess thedocument on the Association’s website . The submission covers a broad range of issues anddescribes the known prevalence, impact of communication and swallowingdisorders and services available (or not available) for specific client groups across the lifespan. The submission also outlineswhat is not known and requires further investigation. The submission is introduced in terms of communication needing tobe recognised as a basic human right, followedby an outline of the economic impact of communication and swallowingdisorders. It then discusses communication and swallowing disorders across the age spectrum of: Infants; Toddlers andPreschoolers; Primary School AgedChildren; Adolescents andYoungAdults; Adults; andOlder Adults and theElderly. Certain issues that occur across the lifespan are outlined including those relating to Mental Health; ComplexCommunication Needs; Access to justice for people with complex communication disability; andAccess to systematic support [through funding] across the lifespan.

We believe the submission strongly presents the value andbenefit of speech pathology services, aswell as the significant impact of untreated communication disability and swallowing difficulties on both individuals and society. Wewould like to thank themany members and clientswho contributed their expertise, insights and stories to theAssociation’s submission. In particular I would like to thankDr JemmaSkeat for her expertise and clear presentation of material as principal writer of the submission, before she resigned from theAssociation. I am aware shewas ably assistedby a number of contributors as clinical area experts. I would also like to thank certain memberswho contributed specific material, including JadeCartwright, Leanne Togher andProfessor Linda Worrall. And significant thanks is also extensive proofing and editing of the final report. Finally, I would like to thank the National Office team for their dedicated efforts inmeetingwhat was a very tight timeline to complete our submission by the due date. TheSenators are now finalising their plans for holdingPublicHearings across the country. They havewelcomed suggestions fromSpeechPathology Australia on potential site visits and key people and organisations tobe invited topresent at the hearings. Once plans are confirmed, thesewill be circulated tomembers. It is intended that theAssociationwill also invite media coverage of the hearings to raise greater public awareness of the reasons for the inquiry and the needs of those with communication and swallowing disability. GailMulcair Chief ExecutiveOfficer extended toDr Cori Williams and Gaenor Dixon, whoboth provided

Submission to the Inquiry into theprevalence of different types of speech, language and communication disorders and speechpathology services inAustralia

February2014 SenateCommunityAffairsReferencesCommittee

Data sources (and gaps in data) are discussed in relation to communication and swallowingdisorders inAustralia and the speech pathologyworkforce. Each section contains a range of recommendations, whichwithin the ExecutiveSummary are grouped under the following themes: • Recognising communication as a human right • Strengthening community awareness and responses to communication and swallowing disorders • Identifyingproblems • Strengthening support and services • Ensuring access to rights and justice for vulnerableAustralians • Ensuring access to fair, equitable and adequate services • Data resources –Building foundations for decisionmaking in the future Throughout the document we incorporated client andmember stories toprovide a ‘human’ element to the impact for people not receiving adequate services.

4 SpeakOut April 2014

SpeechPathology Australia

BoardMeetingReport–February2014 ThefirstBoardmeeting for the year was held 14–15 February 2014.

• Support for awardingboth the author and illustrator of thewinning book equally as a part of the Book of theYear Awards . • Following the sixmonth review of Member Communities , it was agreed that the Member Communitieswould continue as an operational area, supportedbyNational Office, with regular reviews to occur as a part of the social media reportingprocess. • Subcommittees of theBoard established including: > GovernanceSubcommittee , chairedby President, D Theodoros; > Finance, Audit andRisk

Some highlights from themeeting include: • The StrategicPlan 2014–2016 was ratifiedwith copies tobe circulated to themembership with theMarch edition of JCPSLP . • The draft National Inquiry submission gained in principle support, with the final document delivered to theSenateCommittee on 21 February. • Auditor, DMcGregor of McGregor West and FinanceManager, MMartin joined themeeting to discuss the 2013Financial andAudit Reports .

SPA’s StrategicPlan 2014–2016.

Subcommittee , chairedby VicePresident Operations, M Maggiore.

• Grant guidelines tobe developed to enable organisations working indevelopingnations to approach theAssociation for financial support. Each application receivedwill be consideredby theBoard. simulation in clinical training ’, preparedby AHill on behalf of theAssociation, approved for consideration byHealth WorkforceAustralia. • Submission ‘ Embedding

• Amendments to the

• Three Director nominations were receivedby theBoard. These nominationswill be

Professional Self-Regulation program to allow new graduates to obtain provisional CPSP status were discussed.

considered against the selection criteria by the newly appointed Governance subcommittee.

• Following the launch of the revised MentoringProgram , Professional Support Advisor, MPrainwas asked to review ‘ The role and valueof professional supervision ’.

TheBoardwill nextmeet on Saturday 16May 2014 ahead of the 2014National Conference Connections: client.clinician.context .

Reminder: 2014ResearchGrantProgram Inlinewith theAssociation’s commitment topromoting and funding high quality research, SpeechPathology Australia is pleased to offer research grants in 2014. Applications close Friday 25 July 2014 . Late applicationswill not be accepted.

ClinicianResearchGrants: Two grantswill be awarded, one of amaximum value of $5,000 and one to amaximum value of $10,000. These grants are available for clinically based research and are not available for research related to postgraduate studies or research undertaken by an academic. PostgraduateResearchGrant: Twograntswill be awarded, one of amaximum value of $5,000 and one of amaximum value of $10,000. These grants are available to speech pathologists enrolled in postgraduate studies. UndergraduateResearchGrant: Four grantswill be awarded of up to$600 each. These grants are available to entry-level students enrolled in a research program.

TheNadiaVerrallMemorial ResearchGrant: One grant will be awardedof amaximum of $5,000. This grant is awarded to research applications focusing on childrenwith communication disorders and their families. TheAssociation is dedicated to supporting the development of evidence-baseddata relevant to communication and swallowingdisorders andwas very pleasedwith the high number of grant applications received in 2013. Prioritywill be given to research applications that alignwith the Association’s strategic plan. Please refer to theSPAwebsite for further details.

SpeakOut April 2014

5

www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

associationnews

NationalOffice (NO)StaffUpdate

position inApril 2012. The scope of this role continued to grow and Jemmamoved into a role providing research and policy advice to awide range of national andBranch strategic activities. Jemma’s exceptional skillswere notably captured in themajor part of theSenate Inquiry submission andwewere very grateful for her significant contribution to the submission. Wewish her well and every success in her future endeavours. PracticeandClinical Support Advisor,NicholaHarris We are very pleased that Nichola is now

Welcome toRonelleHutchinson, ManagerPolicyandAdvocacy This newpositionwas created to

provide high level support to the strategic lobbying andpolicy activities of the Association. Dr RonelleHutchinson haswide experienceworking in health and social

policy areas, includingwith theRoyal College of General Practitioners and in the early childhoodpolicy context. Ronelle holds aPhD inSociology and aMasters inPublic Health. She hasworked at departmental andministerial council levels for a number of key projects, across health, education, early childhood and the community sector. Ronelle commenced on 24March andwewelcome her to the team. Ronelle begins at a very exciting time for the Association and is alreadyworking at full pace, driving our preparation for the hearingpresentation to the Senate Inquiry. Ronelle can be contacted at policy@ speechpathologyaustralia.org.au . ProjectConsultant–Disability, CathyOlsson As previously announced, we are pleased to confirm that CathyOlsson was appointed to theProject Consultant – Disability role and commenced in around theNDIS and other relatedmatters. Cathy brings awealth of experience to the rolewith almost 30 years of experience in the disability field. Cathy has already been involved in a range of speech pathology specific aswell as allied health consultationswith keyNDIApersonnel. Additionally, she is gatheringmember input andplanning for the challenging times aheadwith the full rollout of theNDIS, as well as how thiswill impact on the profession and consumers of speech pathology services. Cathy can be contacted at disability@speechpathologyaustralia.org.au . Farewell toDr JemmaSkeat, SeniorAdvisorResearchandPolicy It waswith great sadnesswe farewelled Jemma from theNO team early in February. February. This six-month positionwas created toprovide additional capacity and expertise to theAssociation’swork

a permanentmember of NO andwill continue towork twodays per week. Themain objective of Nichola’s role is to provide information and advice to speech pathologists and the public on professional and clinical matters. This involves being

responsive to enquiries and assisting in the review and production of resourcematerials formembers and the public. Nichola has already contributed a range of new and updated FAQs, aswell as other new resources. AssociationRepresentativeRoles SpeechPathology Australia recently announced our acceptance as a newmember of twopeak bodies: the

National AgedCareAlliance (NACA) and the National Rural HealthAlliance (NRHA). JadeCartwright (left), fromWA, was appointed as SPA’s representative toNACA basedon her extensive academic and clinical experience in theAgedCare sector. We’re alsopleased to announce that AmandaO’Keefe (left), from theNT, was appointed as SPA’sRural AndRemote Communities representative to theNRHA, aswell as representative on theAlliedHealth Professions AustraliaR&RCommittee.

Both Jade andAmanda have already introduced themselves via the respectiveMember Communities and are eagerly awaiting any feedback and issues thatmembersmaywish to discuss. Wewould like to thank all SPAmemberswho represent theAssociation on organisations for their dedication and commitment to supporting their profession.

GAILMULCAIR Chief ExecutiveOfficer

Jemma commencedproject work for theAssociation, coordinating theData Mappingproject in 2008 and subsequently conducted a further stage of this project in

2011. Jemma’s strong research skills andprojectmanagement efficiencywere recognised and she began a permanent staff

6 SpeakOut April 2014

SpeechPathology Australia

Expressionof Interest: JCPSLP Editor Applications close: Friday 9May 2014 ProposedHandover/Planning Commencement Date: From June 2014 The Journal of Clinical Practice inSpeech- LanguagePathology isSpeechPathology Australia’smajor clinical publication and provides aprofessional forum formembers of theAssociation. It is published three times each year. TheEditor, with support from an editorial committee, is responsible for ensuring each issue of JCPSLP contains a range ofmaterial that appeals toSPA’s broadmembership base. The termof appointment is two years (2015/2016) following a hand-over period with the existing editors. An honorarium is paid to the incumbent. Current joint editors, AnnaCopley and JaneMcCormack, will be responsible for theNovember 2014 issue of JCPSLP (Volume 16, Number 3) with an anticipated enddate of 27October 2014. The newEditor will commence onMonday 2 June inpreparation for the first planningmeeting for the 2015March issue. All applicantsmust hold currentmembership of theAssociation. TheEditormust have strong organisational skills and experiencemeeting deadlines andbudgets, aswell as broad professional experience andprofessional networks.While not essential, experience in editing, writing andpublishing is highly desirable, as is a higher degreequalification. Applicationsmay be from individuals or a joint co-Editor application. Please contact National Officeat execassist@ speechpathologyaustralia.org.au toobtain further details about theposition. Expressions of Interest, including abrief CV, shouldbe sent to GailMulcair, Chief ExecutiveOfficer at execassist@ speechpathologyaustralia.org.au by Friday 9May 2014 . Contact editor JaneMcCormack should you require any additional clarification regarding the role at jmccormack@csu.edu.au .

CertifiedPractising SpeechPathologist (CPSP)

Looking to 2015 renewals… SpeechPathology Australia (SPA) has a firm and overt commitment to strengthening theAssociation’s self-regulatory processes and professional standards. In looking to the future, SPAwill strengthen its resolve that itsmembers can demonstrate an objectivemeasure of actively undertakingprofessional development to the profession’s stakeholders – clients, carers, employers, peers, other allied health professionals, health funds and other thirdparty organisations. This is consistent with the ethos of, and need for, speech pathologists to continue to learn and extend their professional knowledge and practice skills. This can be evidencedbymembers undertaking sufficient continuing education tomeet the requirements of SPA’s Professional Self Regulation (PSR) program and thereby earn CertifiedPractisingSpeechPathologist (CPSP) status. TheAssociationwill continue toaim to strengthen thedemonstration ofmembers’ commitment andobligation toundertakeprofessional development – as reflected inearningCPSP status. SPA views continuingprofessional educationas an integral component of professional practiceandanunderlying responsibility of practising members. SPAwill continue tocommunicatewithmembers in regard to futuredevelopments and strengtheningof CPSP status, andwill be providing further information throughout this year andwith the2015 renewals. Newgraduateswill be furnishedwith specific information soon. General informationonPSR, includingdetailsonactivity types andpoints valueand the requirements tomeet CPSP status, canbe foundon theAssociation’swebsiteunder Information forMembers> Professional Self Regulation . Youcanalsocontact SharonCrane, Senior Advisor, Professional Education&Certification,whocoordinates thePSRprogramat National Officeon1300368835or viaemail on sapec@speechpathologyaustralia.org.au . DeborahTheodoros , National President, and GailMulcair , Chief ExecutiveOfficer If youundertookPSRactivities that count towardsCertifiedPractising SpeechPathologist (CPSP) statusbut didnot declare themwhen you renewedor areonDirectDebit, it’snot too late tosubmit your PSRDeclarationnow. Youcaneither download thePSRDeclaration formonlineandemail it in, or contactNational Office for anelectronic declaration tobeemailed to you.Once your record isupdated to reflect that youhavemet the requirements tobeaCPSP, youwill bemaileda revisedmembershipcertificate that includes yourCPSPstatus. Please feel free to contact SharonCrane, Senior Advisor, Professional Education&Certification, on 1300368835or email scrane@speechpathologyaustralia.org.au . SharonCrane SeniorAdvisor Professional EducationandCertification (CPD&PSR) Youcan still submit PSRpoints for your 2014 renewal – it’s not too late to earnCPSP status for 2014.

SpeakOut April 2014

7

www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

associationnews

Close theGap–SigningStatement of Intent

On 20March 2014 it was not onlyNational Close theGapDay, but also the day that Indigenous Allied HealthAustralia (IAHA), AlliedHealth Professions Australia (AHPA), AHPA’s 18member organisations and four affiliate organisations signed a Statement of Intent towork together to achieve equality in health status and life expectancy betweenAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians by year 2030. SpeechPathology Australiawas very pleased tobe signatory to the Statement of Intent as one of the member organisations of AHPA. RepresentedbyGail Mulcair, CEO, SpeechPathology Australiamade a commitment to joint activities that will build and strengthen the allied healthworkforce tomeet the complex healthcare needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. As Chair of AHPA, Professor Lyn Littlefield stated, “this includes increasing the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people participating in the allied healthworkforce and strengthening the cultural responsiveness of all allied health students and graduates”.

Patricia Thomas (National President, AOA), Senator FionaNash, SpeechPathology AustraliaCEOGail Mulcair andProf Lyn Littlefield (Chair, AHPA) at theAHPAStatement of Intent signing ceremony, held onNational Close theGapDay at Parliament House, Canberra.

SpeechPathology Australia looks forward toworking alongsideAHPA and the IAHA on this important initiative.

The signing ceremonywas held at Parliament House inCanberra and waswitnessedby theSocial Justice CommissionerMickGooda andSenator theHon. FionaNash, AssistantMinister for Health.

GAILMULCAIR Chief ExecutiveOfficer

ICP2014officially launchedon Friday21February,withSPA PresidentDebTheodoros (left) takingpart in theGoogleHangout discussionabout theglobal scale of communicationdisorderswith theheadsof sixof theworld's speechpathologyorganisations. Checkout #ICP2014 orwatch it via www.communication2014.com . Left:Checkout theRCSLT's VoiceBoxworthywinner Jack Johnsonwithcomedianand #ICP2014 supporter LeeMack. VoiceBox isa joint initiativeof theRoyal Collegeof Speechand LanguageTherapistsandThe CommunicationTrust anduses joke telling to raiseawarenessof the importanceof communication. Checkout Jack’swinning jokevia our Facebookpage !

SPAonlineupdate

SPAFacebookandTwitterhighlights fromFebruary toApril 2014 included...

Left: SPAstaff celebrated theNational StrokeFoundation's launchof theStroke

SolidarityString duringApril. The

stringsymbolises the connectionbetween people touchedby stroke.Wearing it showsweareunited andpart of theglobal movement tostop stroke–Wear it. Show it. Share it. #fightstroke #strokesolidarity

8 SpeakOut April 2014

SpeechPathology Australia

spotlightonProfessionalsupport

Providingexternal supervision ina rural setting Manynewgraduates and sole practitioners seekmentoringdue to a lack of supervision in their workplace.While SpeechPathology Australia recommends that all practising speech pathologists receive supervision, this is often not the case. The case study belowdemonstrates an example of amodel of external supervision. Setting up external supervision is SpeechPathology Australia’s preferred optionwhen there are no sufficiently experienced staff within the organisation toprovide discipline specific supervision, rather than seekingmentoring as an alternative to supervision. MeredithPrain Professional Support Advisor (Tuesday only)

What is your background as a speechpathologist? I trained inWesternAustralia and spent timeworking in the city aswell as the country for the first five years after graduation.Whileworking in theKimberley region ofWA, I metmy husband and eventuallymoved to Wentworth in far westernNSW. I have spent the last 12 yearsworking in and aroundMildura, Victoria. My clinical experience ismixed, although strongly based in community health service delivery. I am interested in complex communication needs and rural and remote practice. How longhave youbeen supervising speechpathologists? I have engaged in informal mentoring with other speech pathologists over the last few years. This ismy first experience as an external clinical supervisor. I also have experience supervising undergraduate speech pathologists. How longhave youbeen supervising speechpathologists as an external supervisor? Not long! Since the beginning of this year, although planning commenced towards the end of 2013.We are really just commencing our supervision “journey”.

andmetropolitanareas, however in rural and remotepractice, distance plays aprohibitive role for accessing professional development and face-to- face support. Advances in technology havemuch improved this situation, for examplewebinars and reduced rates for accessingonline (post-conference) workshops areexcellent options now onoffer.Metropolitanagencieswho arededicatedand responsive in their support of speechpathologists across the statealsoplay a key role. Additionally, I have found that engagingwithour local networkof speechpathologists, whether attendingmonthly gatherings, maintainingemail contact, having regular “go-to” therapists, or attending theannual Christmasdinner, is crucial for feelingconnectedand sharingnew learningandexperiences. Over time, any awkwardness related tobeingnew toanarea, or recently graduated, is transcendedby the familiarity that comes with long-term local networking. Although my ownattendanceat our local monthly meetings hasbeen verypoor over the last few years (acombinationof being amother to threeboys and livingona propertywell out of town), I continue tophone, email and text other local (andmetropolitan!) speechpathologists regularly. Ongoing support by employers, or finding the time if workingprivately, remain key issues to the successof these largely unfunded, self-drivengroups. I feel reallypleased tobeable tooffer support toother speechpathologists, andproud that anagency I worked in for 10 years is committed to theprocessof clinical supervision, external or otherwise.

Howdid this happenandwhat are the structures andprocesses to support thismodel of supervision? TheAlliedHealth Team Leader at SunraysiaCommunityHealthServices, the employing community health agency, approachedme during the second half of 2013 as theywere havingdifficulty recruiting into aGrade 2 vacancy. Theywere considering employing a new graduate but recognised that therewould need tobe a strong clinical supervision framework in place todo this. My own 10 years experienceworkingwith the agency putme in a goodposition to be able toprovide not only the clinical aspect of supervision, but also support in understanding the setting and community partners. These experiences are constantly drawn on during supervision sessions. The support providedby SunraysiaCommunity HealthServices in formalising the structure, guiding the process through an agency-wide clinical supervision procedure, providing templates for tracking sessions, contracts and goal- setting andbeing on the end of the phone to answer initial set-upquestions has been critical for helping usmove seamlessly into active, regular clinical supervision sessions. What do you see as key issues regardingprofessional support in rural areas? Positions in rural and remotepractice continue tobeprimarily “sole therapist” and rural speechpathologistsbecome quite innovativewithwaysof achieving professional support. Timeand critical mass are key issues affecting speechpathologists inboth rural

AmberBaird SpeechPathologist

SpeakOut April 2014

9

www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

ICP2014

ICP2014:Weekof IncreasedAction: 5-11May

Communication International Project 2014 Despitethe catchy name, 5–11May is our first opportunity to shout the importance of communication disorderswith a truly (loud) international voice! During theMonth of IncreasedAction, each country involved in the International CommunicationProject 2014 (ICP2014) will ramp up their activities to amplify ourmessage that communication is vital to life around theworld. Wewill ask you to carry out one simple activity each day of theweek. You’ll be providedwith the resources and tools to carry themout. Each activitywill take between 5 and 15minutes: • Sign the ICP2014Pledge • Join the Thunderclap • Write a letter • Take a picture (or video) • Start ameetingwith 5minuteswithout words • Connect • Keep on talking Further information and resources are available at www.nationforcommunication.org andwe’ll send you daily email reminders through theweek. Use the handy activitymenu to findother activities to celebrate theweek and add to our joint effort around the world.

10 SpeakOut April 2014

SpeechPathology Australia

CommunicationAmbassadors The ICP2014 and Nation for Communication isn’t just about speech pathologists. The opportunity to communicate is a basic human right. Nation for CommunicationAmbassadors are clients, family members, colleagues and community leaders – anyonewho believes communication is vital to life. If you know of someone who isn’t a speech pathologist whowouldmake a great spokesperson for communication, why not approach them to become anAmbassador? Ambassadors receive information and resources, aswell as support for their activities. Students It’s no secret that SpeechPathology Australia loves students andwants them tobe involved in the ICP2014 and Nation for Communication . We’ve put together information for students about being part of the ICP2014, aswell as how tomake themost of campaigning activities. Visit the campaign resources section of www.nationforcommunication.org .

www.nationfor communication.org

Can’t get enough of Nation for Communication ? www.nationforcommunication.org contains: • Campaign information and news • Downloadable resources • Picture galleries • Stories and activities from Nation for Communication Champions around the country For any information about the ICP2014 and Nation for Communication , contact JoWood at jwood@ speechpathologyaustralia.org.au and 1300368835.

SpeechPathology Week2014 24-31August Nation forCommunication For ideasand inspiration, visit www. nationforcommunication.org

SPA’sBookof the YearAwards2014 Shortlist announced: 27 June Winnersannounced: 14October

SpeakOut April 2014

11

www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

AHPAUPDATE

Advocating for the roleandvalueof alliedhealth professionals–AHPA reviews2013

KeyObjective2. RaiseAHPA’sprofile In addition to themanymeetings that undoubtedly raised AHPA’s profile, several AHPA articles appeared in national newspapers, health industrymagazines and eBulletins, promoting the role of allied health professionals andputting the allied health case in health policy. KeyObjective3. DevelopAHPA’s capacity AHPA’sBoardmembers and all itsmany representatives now have access to itsweb-based information sharing system “ahpaonline” – the “filing cabinet in the cloud”. This enables efficient access toAHPAdocuments andplanning tools wherever the person is – at home, at an airport, in the office or at ameeting. AHPAgrew in2013! TheAHPABoardwelcomed two newMembers in 2013: the AustralianPhysiotherapy Association and theAustralasian Society of GeneticCounsellors; and twoAffiliates: Diversional Therapy Australia and theHearingAidAudiometrist Society of Australia. The 22 national organisations inAHPA collectively have over 80,000membersworking throughout Australia –with over 11,000 in rural and remote communities. Planning for2014 Participants in the planningday heard from theActingChief AlliedHealthOfficerMarkBoothwhoprovided an update of the new government’s various reviews and views on the Australian healthcare system. With this informationandwith last year’s achievements as abackdrop, further discussionswerehadandAHPA’s key objectives for 2014wereagreedanda variety of strategies to facilitate their achievementwereproposed. AHPA’sOperation Plan for 2014will be finalisedat theMarchAHPABoardmeeting. Current activities AHPA’s year has startedhectically, not onlywith its strategic planning, but also inparticipating in thegovernment’s MedicareLocal Review, contributing toconsultationsby the National Disability InsuranceAgency, selectingandappointing AHPA representatives to theCommitteedevelopingAN- SNAPV4and to theNDISAssistiveTechnologySector ReferenceGroup, and last but not least –planninganevent inParliament HouseonClose theGapDay (20March) “Allied Health –Statingour Intent” –whereAHPAandmanyMember organisations alongwith IndigenousAlliedHealthAustralia, signeda statement of intent to improveFirst Australianhealth andwellbeing. LinOke ExecutiveOfficer, AHPA

2013 in review In early February this year all of AHPA’sMembers and Affiliates came together for a strategic planningday. The day commencedwith a review of howwell AHPA hadmet its three key objectives in 2013.

KeyObjective 1. Advocate for alliedhealth AHPA’s strategic priorities in 2013were: • Disability • AgedCare • eHealth • Mental Health • PrimaryHealthCare • Workforce – including regulation

PositionStatementswere developed andpromoted at everymeetingwith politicians and government bureaucrats andmany submissionsweremade. The appointment of DavidButt as theChief AlliedHealth Officer in theDepartment of Health andAgeing gaveAHPA an excellent point of referencewithin theDepartment and goodworking relationshipswere establishedwithDavid and his key staff members. AHPAprovided themwith a ‘ready reference’, detailing each of the allied health professions. During the year AHPA responded tomany requests for allied health representatives to sit on national committees and advisory groups. AHPA now has representation on just over 30 such bodies, advocating for the role and value of allied health professionals.

12 SpeakOut April 2014

SpeechPathology Australia

2014nationalconferencenews

18–21May, 2014 CrownConferenceCentre,Melbourne,Australia

to key client outcomes.Whilst this masterclass utilises paediatric data and examples, the concepts discussed apply equally to an adult population. AssociateProfessor JacintaDouglas , invited presenter of

ProgramUpdate connections: client.clinician.context has provided an excellent range of high quality presentations under a number of topics that will be of interest to a wide cross section of the profession. TheCPC hopes toprovoke discussion amongst delegates through its plenary sessions’ relevance to speech pathologists. Dr SusanLangmore will provide an overview of FEESwith regard to the prediction and prevention of aspiration will outline the best predictors of dysphagia for clients in a variety of settings, discusswhy aspiration is not the best predictor of pneumonia, and teach clinicians techniques tominimise the risk of pneumonia for clients. Importantly, clinicianswill learn how develop care plans for individualswith severe dysphagia. Thismasterclass is of great benefit to cliniciansworkingwith dysphagia. Professor SueRoulstone ’smasterclass focuseson the pneumonia in patientswith dysphagia. Dr Langmore

the 2014 Elizabeth UsherMemorial Lecture, will present on her many years of research with individuals

with an acquiredbrain injury. In particular AssociateProfessor Douglas will discuss a therapeuticmodel aimed atmaximising social connection through the delivery of effective and collaborative communication intervention. Thismodel developed utilising the perspectives of clients and their close others depicts the multidimensional and cyclical nature of the process of self-conceptualisation. Data supporting the effectiveness of the newly developed intervention focusingon copingwith communication breakdownwill be used to illustrate therapy developedwithin the context of the client’s self-concept and associatedgoals. Any changes to the programwill bemade immediately to the online RegistrationBrochure, so it is suggested you visit thewebsite from time to time. Youwill be contacted directly if anymajor change affects your registration. However if youwish to make a change to your registration please contact Alana Veres at conf2014@speechpathologyaustralia. org.au .

Registernow for the 2014NationalConference We can now count theweeks until the Conference. TheConference program and online registration are available from the Conferencewebsite . The ConferencePlanningCommittee (CPC) is encouragedby the number of registrations receivedprior to the close of the early birddate. We ask that you read through the Conference program, select the sessions that youwish to attend, and then proceed to the online registration. Thiswill ensure a faster registration process and less chance of being loggedout. Someworkshops have limited attendance so avoid disappointment and register today! Therewill be NO waiting list for any sessions.

development of functional, outcome-based interventions.

Professor Roulstone will explore a variety of models for

measuring outcomes, outline how todesign and apply outcome-based interventions, and assist clinicians to identify those interventions best suited

SpeakOut April 2014

13

www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

2014nationalconferencenews

connectionswith a night of costumed triumphal pageantry. The Melbourne 2014MasqueradeBall will reflect Melbourne as amarvellous, multifarious, multifaceted, andmulticultural delight. Delegates shouldmerrilymingle and masquerade. Your aim is to remain disguised until midnight chimes. A three course, all-inclusivemeal will be served and “Chunky Jam” will ensure a great night’s entertainment is hadby all. TheGuild InsuranceConference Dinner is includedwith all Full Practicing Member andNonMember Conference registrations. If you did not indicate on your registration form and nowwould like to attend, or if youwish topurchase additional tickets, please contact the National ConferenceManager. Sponsors&Exhibitors TheCPCwould like thank all the Conference sponsors and exhibitors. There are a few stands and smaller sponsorship opportunities available, so if you knowof any company thatmight be interestedplease contact Pamela Richards, National ConferenceManager. Call forStudent Volunteers/Assistants TheCall for Student Volunteers/ Assistants is now closed and unfortunately it was not possible for all applicants tobe accepted. Thank you to all the studentswho submitted an application. Call forSessionChairs Kerry Ttofari Eecen, ScientificProgram Sub-CommitteeChair would like to thank thememberswho have volunteered to chair a session at the 2014National Conference. Full details regarding the session andpresenters biographieswill be sent out before the end of April 2014.

Accommodation PRConferenceConsultants is ready to take your booking. To view the hotels and apartments available please visit theConferencewebsite and the accommodation link. Bookings can be made online. PublicTransport Trams andTrains For full details of public transport, how topurchase aMYKI ticket and how to get to/fromCrownConferenceCentre, please visit http://ptv.vic.gov.au . If travellingby train, it is recommended you disembark at either SouthernCross or Flinders Street stations. Airport Shuttle Skybus operates a shuttle service from theMelbourne airport to the city centre. Tomake a booking, please visit www.skybus.com.au . At the time of printing a return ticket costs $26. Taxis are also available from the front of Melbourne airport. Car Parking SpeechPathology Australia has negotiated complimentary parking for delegates driving to theNational Conference. Please park in the “Westend/Multideck” car park and collect the ticket upon entry. A validating machinewill be located near the ConferenceRegistrationDesk toprovide an exit ticket. Only one ticket per day is provided. For further details about transport to theConference, please visit www.speechpathologyaustralia. org.au , 2014National Conference and then the Getting toCrown ConferenceCentre link at the bottom of the page. TheCPC looks forward to seeing you at the 2014National Conference.

Skydeck ‘TheEdge’ Competition

May Event e-News will include the last of the competition questions. If youwould like the chance to goout on ‘TheEdge’ please ensure you enter the competition. Four luckywinnerswill be drawn during Pre-Registration onSunday 18May 2014. RestaurantNight TheRestaurant Night, a long standing Conference tradition, will be held on Tuesday evening. To help facilitate the process and have a clearer estimate of participant numbers, we ask members to select their restaurant preference at the time of registration. Four restaurants of various cuisines have been selected. At theConference delegateswill be asked to re-confirm their attendance bymorning tea Tuesday 20May so restaurant reservations can be finalised. Payment for the dinner anddrinks is tobemade directly to the restaurant on the evening. Guild Insurance ConferenceDinner

Melbourne 2014 culminateswith the eagerly anticipatedConference Dinner. TheGuild InsuranceConference Dinner, tobe held in the plenary room, level 2 of theCrownConference Centre, will provide a fitting conclusion to connections: client.clinician. context ! Melbourne 2014 invites you to “mask up” and celebrate your new

Diane Jacobs ConferenceConvenor 2014 PamelaRichards National ConferenceManager

14 SpeakOut April 2014

SpeechPathology Australia

continuingprofessionaldevelopmentnews

National Officehas a 1300 368 835 number to supportmemberswithinAustralia tohave equity inphoningNational Office for the cost of a local call.Whenphoning about CPD, pleasehave your SPAmember number ready tohelpus assist you as efficiently aspossible.

The 2014National Tour speaker is Dr JuliaStarling – “Supportingupper primaryolder school-aged children andadolescentswith language and literacydifficulty: Time for some creative thinking!” Dr JuliaStarling is presenting a two-dayworkshop on the nature and impact of, and interventions for, older school-aged children and adolescentswith language and literacy difficulties. The content will include both school-based and clinical management approaches. The flyer for the 2014National Tour which outlines the objectives and content of theworkshop is available on theSPAwebsite under News andEvents > AssociationNational Tourwebpage .

Location Brisbane

Dates

Thursday 20 and Friday 21 February 2014 – SOLDOUT

Monday 31March and Tuesday 1April 2014 – SOLDOUT

Melbourne

Thursday 26 June and Friday 27 June 2014 – ONLINEREGISTRATION NOWOPEN

Darwin

Monday 4August and Tuesday 5August 2014 – ONLINEREGISTRATION NOWOPEN

Adelaide

Thursday 7 and Friday 8August 2014 – ONLINEREGISTRATION NOWOPEN

Perth

Thursday 21 and Friday 22August 2014 – ONLINEREGISTRATION NOWOPEN

Hobart

Thursday 30October and Friday 31October 2014 – ONLINEREGISTRATION NOWOPEN

Canberra

Thursday 13 and Friday 14November 2014 – OPENINGSOON

Sydney

TheAssociation is alsodelighted that Dr CarolineBowen ispresentingworkshops for SPA across anumber of states in 2014...

Known throughout theSLPprofession for her www.speech-language-therapy.com website, CarolineBowenPhD haspractised inAustraliaas aclinical speech-languagepathologist for over 40 years. She is anHonoraryAssociate inLinguistics atMacquarieUniversity inAustraliaandan HonoraryResearchFellow inSpeech-LanguagePathology at theUniversity of KwaZulu-Natal in SouthAfrica. Tending to liveout of a suitcase, her currentworkloadcomprises research, writing andconstructingandpresentingContinuingProfessional Development events: nationally around Australiaand internationally inadozenormorecountries. Her professional expertise is inchildren’s speech sounddisorders and she is intensely interested in thepart families canplay in intervention.

The planned itinerary includesworkshops that ran in early April inPerth andMelbourne, and events that are open for online registration inSydney inAugust, and thenworkshops inSeptember in Toowoomba, Townsville, Brisbane and Tamworth. Dr Bowen has announced that 2014will be her last year presentingworkshops inAustralia, so register early to avoid disappointment as these events are expected to sell out fast and therewon’t be repeats!

SpeakOut April 2014

15

www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

continuingprofessionaldevelopmentnews

SOLDOUTCPDevents–whydowecap workshops? While it is SPApolicy to open online registration aminimum of threemonths prior to the event date, we are often able to open registrationmuch earlier. Maximum numbers for events are set in conjunctionwith speakers; to allow opportunity for discussion, small groupwork, and interactionwith the Speaker. To avoiddisappointment, it is advisable tobook earlier rather than later. A number of workshops have sold out, andmembers can add their name toWait lists by emailingAnita on professionaleducationadministration@ speechpathologyaustralia.org.au . If an event ‘sells out’ and there is sufficient interest, SPAwill liaisewith presenters tooffer the same event at a later date.

CPDprogram... To view events open for online registration, watch out for themonthly Events e-News or check out theSPAwebsite under UpcomingEvents , or if youwould like to seewhat events are open and upcomingwithin your Branch, there is awebpage on theSPAwebsite that provides up-to-date information onCPDEvents planned for your state and territory. Go to News andEvents > CPDEvents > CPD BranchEvents . Events open for online registration (at the time of going toprint) are listedbelow. CPDEvents Register before theEarlybird rate for 2014SPACPD Events and save $66… Book before the Earlybird closingdate to savemoney, to assist CPD committees in planning, and to avoid the disappointment of finding theworkshop has soldout. newsouthwales Saturday 12April 2014 SydneyHow can aSpeechPathologist workmore effectivelywithDentists andOrthodontists (an evidenced based approach) by Dr DerekMahony Monday14July2014 SydneyAssessment andManagement of Paediatric Dysphagia and FeedingDifficulties by KellyWeir Monday 25andTuesday 26August 2014 SydneySpoiled for Choice andSoundReasoning by Dr CarolineBowen Thursday 28August 2014 SydneyChildhoodApraxia of Speech (CAS) by Dr CarolineBowen Monday 8September 2014 TamworthChildhoodApraxia of Speech (CAS) by Dr CarolineBowen Tuesday 9September 2014 TamworthSoundReasoning by Dr CarolineBowen northernterritory Thursday 26andFriday 27 June2014 Darwin National Tour 2014 Supportingupper primary childrenandadolescentswith languageand literacydifficulties: Time for somecreative thinking!” by Dr JuliaStarling Registrations arenowopen for the2014CPDEvents listed.

TriciaChardon QueenslandCPDCoordinator

CPD–who’swho in2014... SPAContinuingProfessional Development (CPD) activities are supportedby a strong andwonderful teamof SPAmembers in eachBranch.

• 2014ACTCPD Leader isKatinaSwan.

• 2014NSWCPD Leader isChristineSheard.

• 2014NTCPD Leader isMelissaRidd.

• 2014QLDCPD Leaders areMaureen Liddy andStellaMartin.

• 2014SACPD Leader isBarbara Lyndon.

• 2014TASCPD Leader is AlisonGardner.

• 2014VICCPD Leaders are LindaCrisci and KateBridgman.

• 2014WACPD Leader isKellyRobinson.

TheCPD Leaders and committees are supportedby paid staff, who areSPAmembers. These includeCPDCoordinators inNewSouthWales, Queensland, SouthAustralia, Victoria andWesternAustralia:

• Shirani Gomes, NewSouthWalesCPDCoordinator

• TriciaChardon, QueenslandCPDCoordinator

• CatherineQuin, SouthAustralianCPDCoordinator

• ErinMasson,WesternAustralianCPDCoordinator

BranchCPD committees are supported in the running of their events by staff based at National Office –SharonCrane, Senior Advisor, Professional Education&Certification (also aSPAmember) andAnitaRodricks, in her new role as Professional EducationAdministration.

16 SpeakOut April 2014

SpeechPathology Australia

Made with