What is the difference between supervising SLPA’s and Mentoring CFY’s?
Speech Language Pathologists have the option to supervise speech language pathology assistant’s (SLPA’s) or become a mentor for Clinical Fellows who are working towards their SLP License. There are many reasons why most SLP’s decide to become supervisors, whether that is to earn an extra income on the side, or they are passionate about helping other therapists grow and succeed in the field of speech language pathology. Now, you might wonder what some key differences between supervising SLPA’s are and CFY’s. I will go ahead and break down the key differences between them.
Before we get started, let me clarify a few keywords for you. You will notice that I will be referring a lot to direct and In-direct supervision, so in order to better understand, let me explain to you briefly what is meant by each one.
Direct supervision refers to on-site observation of the supervisor while the SLPA if performing therapy.
In-direct supervision refers to when the supervisor is not in the same physical space as the SLPA. Some of the supervision activities that are in-direct include:
Demonstration
Reviewing records
Watching and evaluating pre-recorded therapy sessions provided by the SLPA
Monitoring activities
Providing feedback and guidance to the SLPA
Discussing performance
Answering any questions the SLPA may have
Provide tools and resources as needed
Immediate supervision refers to when a supervisor is physically present when the SLPA is conducting therapy with the patient
SLP Supervisor for SLPA’s
Requirements:
The SLP supervisor must be licensed in the state of practice. Ex. If SLPA is in California, the supervisor must be a licensed SLP in the state of California
The SLP Supervisor must have a minimum of 2 years of professional experience providing direct therapy to patients
And of course, must have a master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology or Communication Disorders and have an SLP license
Responsibilities:
Provide appropriate amount of supervision based on the SLPA license requirements of the State
The SLP supervisor should discuss areas of improvement
The supervisor should co-sign/sign all formal documentations and informal progress notes.
Supervisor must ensure compliance with all laws and regulations governing the practice of
speech-language pathology
The SLP supervisor cannot supervise more than two SLPA’s at the same time
Continuing Education:
At least 6 hours of continuing education in supervision training is required before supervising the SLPA
After the first 2 years, 3 hours of supervision training is required every 2 years.
CFY Mentoring/supervision
In this section, I will be referring to segments. Please note that a segment is referred to 1/3 of the Clinical Fellowship experience.
Qualifications:
The mentor/supervisor has to have CCC-SLP throughout the entire Clinical Fellowship experience
The mentor should not be related to the Clinical Fellow
The mentor should have at least 9 months of full-time experience working as an SLP after getting their CCC-SLP.
Responsibilities:
Meaningful mentoring and feedback
Assisting the Clinical Fellow in developing clinical skills
Must complete all records and feedback/ratings on time
Must provide minimum required on-site and in-person supervision
The minimum requirements are 6 hours of on-site in-person direct and in-direct supervision for each segment
This equals a total of 18 hours of direct and 18 hours of indirect supervision for the entire Clinical Fellowship experience.
There should be no more than 6 hours of observation hours completed in 1 day
**Note: some of the indirect supervision consists of reviewing reports, treatment records, plan of treatment and etc. as well as monitoring the CFY participation in meetings and conferences
Feedback Sessions:
The mentor should provide at least one feedback session to the Clinical Fellow per segment
The feedback session includes performance feedback (ex. Strengths and weaknesses of the Clinical Fellow, goal setting, and etc.)
The mentor should provide written copies of the feedback to the Clinical Fellow
The CFY must receive a score of “2” or higher on all the skills during the final segment
Completion of Clinical Fellowship Experience:
Minimum of 36 weeks of Clinical Fellowship experience working under a CCC-SLP
Minimum of 1, 260 hours of Clinical Experience
If you are interested in becoming a supervisor, we have opportunities available for you. If you are located in Los Angeles area, you can supervise Clinical Fellows, and if you are not local, you can still supervise SLPA’s as long as you are certified in the state of California. You can apply here: SLP Supervisor – Speech Improvement Center
Supervising SLPA’s vs. CFY’s
Table of Contents
What is the difference between supervising SLPA’s and Mentoring CFY’s?
Speech Language Pathologists have the option to supervise speech language pathology assistant’s (SLPA’s) or become a mentor for Clinical Fellows who are working towards their SLP License. There are many reasons why most SLP’s decide to become supervisors, whether that is to earn an extra income on the side, or they are passionate about helping other therapists grow and succeed in the field of speech language pathology. Now, you might wonder what some key differences between supervising SLPA’s are and CFY’s. I will go ahead and break down the key differences between them.
Before we get started, let me clarify a few keywords for you. You will notice that I will be referring a lot to direct and In-direct supervision, so in order to better understand, let me explain to you briefly what is meant by each one.
Direct supervision refers to on-site observation of the supervisor while the SLPA if performing therapy.
In-direct supervision refers to when the supervisor is not in the same physical space as the SLPA. Some of the supervision activities that are in-direct include:
Immediate supervision refers to when a supervisor is physically present when the SLPA is conducting therapy with the patient
SLP Supervisor for SLPA’s
Requirements:
Responsibilities:
speech-language pathology
Continuing Education:
CFY Mentoring/supervision
In this section, I will be referring to segments. Please note that a segment is referred to 1/3 of the Clinical Fellowship experience.
Qualifications:
Responsibilities:
**Note: some of the indirect supervision consists of reviewing reports, treatment records, plan of treatment and etc. as well as monitoring the CFY participation in meetings and conferences
Feedback Sessions:
Completion of Clinical Fellowship Experience:
If you are interested in becoming a supervisor, we have opportunities available for you. If you are located in Los Angeles area, you can supervise Clinical Fellows, and if you are not local, you can still supervise SLPA’s as long as you are certified in the state of California. You can apply here:
SLP Supervisor – Speech Improvement Center
If you want to know how to become a licensed SLP in California, please visit:
How to Become a Licensed SLP in California – Speech Improvement Center
For other job opportunities with Speech Improvement Center, please visit:
Careers – Speech Improvement Center
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