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professional practice news

Managing challenging clients and situations

One of the highlights of the National Conference for me was participating in the ‘Managing challenging clients and situations’ panel discussion. I loved the opportunity to not only hear the views of the panel members (Kellie Dell’Oro, Meridian Lawyers; Leanne Toby, Guild Insurance; Chris Wilson, SPA’s Senior Advisor Professional Issues) on the three scenarios presented, but also to listen to the questions and comments from the audience. If there is one thing speechies enjoy it’s a lively conversation! In this article I thought I would discuss one of the scenarios that is causing many members angst – dealing with discordant parents. Most clinicians who work with paediatric clients will have come across this scenario; the parents of the client they are seeing are separated or divorced and their relationship is acrimonious. The clinician often feels like the meat in the sandwich and she/he can often spend as much time managing the situation between the parents as she/he does working with the child. The law in this situation is quite clear, unless there is a Family Court Order restricting access to the child or information about the child, then both parents are entitled to attend speech therapy and/or access health related information. So, easier said than done I hear you say… you are absolutely right! Here’s how I would deal with this challenging situation. Step 1 Think about the variety of situations that could possibly arise. • Parent 1 doesn’t want parent 2 to know that the child is attending speech therapy. • Parent 1 doesn’t want parent 2 to receive a copy of the report. • Parent 1 is bringing the child to speech therapy and parent 2 wants to come as well but both parents don’t want to be in the room together. • Parent 1 and 2 share custody of the child 50:50. The parents want to attend therapy on the week they have custody. How are you going to maintain communication regarding home practice and progress? • You are asked by parent 1 to write a report to be used in court proceedings. Step 2 Think about how you are going to obtain detailed information about the parents’ situation in a sensitive and unobtrusive way so that you are forewarned of any potential problems. Step 3 Develop policies and procedures that will allow you to obtain information and manage situations should they arise. Step 4 Think about (and practice) how you will gather information and discuss your policies and procedures with a parent.

Step 5 Seek advice (either from a lawyer or from SPA) if a challenging situation arises before a problem occurs. Two resources that you may find valuable when you find yourself confronted by challenging situations are: • Guild’s SAFETY tool which has been designed to promote risk based thinking in the workplace. It acts as a quick reference guide for managing any risk and is available in the Resources section of SPA’s website , and • SPA’s Private Practice Member Community which is a closed Facebook group where SPA members working in private practice can post comments and questions and share information about how they deal with challenging situations. Most importantly, remember, being prepared to deal with these situations is the best defence and will help to avoid disputes or claims being made against you and don't forget that you are not alone. Others will have found themselves in similar situations and SPA staff are always willing and able to support you through a difficult time. Christine Lyons Senior Advisor Professional Practice

Multisensory Instruction in Language Arts 1 Teacher Training Course Gain the skills to teach writing, spelling and reading to primary school students. January and July Sydney and Melbourne Additional course Melbourne, September school holidays Contact Robyn Grace 03 9889 4768 robyn.grace@spaldingaustralia.com.au

28 Speak Out August 2014

Speech Pathology Australia