Few careers are as satisfying as those in the healthcare industry, and specializing in speech pathology can be especially rewarding. When you help patients communicate more effectively and overcome hearing, speech, and language barriers, you improve their lives.
As with other healthcare careers, though, you must be well-trained before you can enter the profession. When you're responsible for the welfare of others, you have to prove you know what you're doing and that your own personal values are above reproach. You've already completed undergraduate and at least some graduate coursework. You probably also need to complete an internship or externship—some form of supervised, on-the-job training. Most states require this training. New York, for example, requires at least 36 weeks of 35-hour-a-week training before it will issue you a license. In addition, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) has similar requirements for earning national certification.
This training period can be incredibly valuable not only for mastering the principles of speech-language pathology, but for learning to interact with patients and work as part of a healthcare team. Things can and do go wrong sometimes, though.
How do you handle it when they do? You can contact the Lento Law Firm at 888-535-3686 or online.
The attorneys at the Lento Law Firm are committed to helping you reach your education goals and join your profession. They understand the challenges you face, particularly the challenges that come with residency programs. They know the law as it applies to students and trainees, but they also know how residency programs work and what's required by your state licensing boards. Whatever problem you might be facing, the Lento Law Firm is on your side and ready to help.
Speech-language Pathology Internships and Externships.
Most states have training requirements you must complete before you can be licensed as a speech-language pathologist. That can involve an internship or an externship, either as part of your education program or in some other clinical setting, such as a hospital, a private clinic, or a community health center.
ASHA recommends you complete your training as part of a clinical fellowship (CF) and provides a list of skills all trainees should master during their CF experience. These include skills in
- Assessment
- Treatment
- Professional Practice
- Interpersonal Relations
No matter what your specific training situation may be, you can expect to get practical experience in the day-to-day responsibilities of a speech-language pathologist. Under the supervision of a licensed pathologist, you'll learn how to deal with patients, how to communicate effectively with colleagues, and how to employ principles of ethics and professionalism.
Disciplinary Expectations
As you work through your training program, you'll be subject to disciplinary expectations. These might include
- School or Training Program Rules: If you're completing a residency or fellowship through your university, you'll still be subject to the same university rules and regulations as you were in the classroom. That includes your school's Code of Conduct and federal Title IX prohibitions on sexual misconduct. In addition, your academic department will likely have specific guidelines about professionalism it will expect you to follow.
- Facility: If you're working in a facility, whether that's a hospital, a clinic, a community center, or a private practice, you'll be expected to abide by that facility's employee policies. Those are typically collected in an employee handbook. Keep in mind that should you violate these policies, you won't just lose your job. You'll lose your residency status, and that could ultimately keep you out of the speech-pathology field altogether.
- State Licensing Boards: Your state licensing board will expect you to meet certain criteria before granting you a license. Any type of misconduct could interfere with your application.
- Certification Organizations: Finally, the ASHA and other professional certification organizations will have their own rules and regulations regarding conduct. If you want to earn national certification, you'll need to follow these as well.
In most instances, you won't just be subject to one set of rules but several. That can sometimes become confusing, and it's one of the reasons having an attorney from the Lento Law Firm on your side can be so valuable.
Typical Disciplinary Issues
Every school, clinic, hospital, and agency has its own rules, and we couldn't possibly list them all here. What we can do, though, is offer some guidance on the most common types of disciplinary issues most speech-pathology residents and fellows face.
- Practice-Related Misconduct: As you might expect, you'll be held accountable for knowing all the professional duties and obligations of your position. You need to develop a facility for working with patients, for example. You also need to be able to communicate effectively with your colleagues, and to know what your ethical responsibilities are. Any lapses in your ethical or professional behavior are grounds for disciplinary action.
- Substance Abuse: Healthcare workers are always under the microscope when it comes to issues of substance abuse. Obviously, you can't do your job effectively if you're under the influence. Beyond this, though, as a professional in the public eye, you have a responsibility to maintain the highest standards of personal ethics and moral behavior.
- Fraud: Any type of misrepresentation can get you into trouble, whether it's involvement in some sort of complicated insurance scheme or simply misstating your professional credentials.
- Sexual Misconduct: Sexual discrimination and harassment in any form can lead to the most severe types of disciplinary action. Even an inappropriate comment can be enough to get you dismissed from your program. And make sure you check your employee handbook for information on romantic relationships with colleagues.
Whatever offense you've been accused of committing, you need the very best help you can find to defend yourself. The attorneys at the Lento Law Firm are well-versed in your rights under the law, but they're also familiar with how healthcare organizations and industries work. Any time you run into trouble, they can help you figure out who to talk to and what to say. But they can also be fierce in defending your rights and getting you the justice you deserve.
Defending Yourself
Of course, how you go about defending yourself from a misconduct charge will depend on the specifics of your training program. At a minimum, though, there should be clear investigation and adjudication processes in place, and you should have some important rights to help you protect yourself.
Most organizations' judicial procedures have five parts.
- Initial Review: Any time someone lodges a complaint against you, your program should conduct an initial review to determine whether that complaint is credible and actionable. You're not going to face disciplinary action just because a patient doesn't like your hairstyle.
- Investigation: If the program decides to investigate further, it will likely provide you with a Notice of the Charges. This should include details of the allegation and an explanation of your fights. In addition, you should have the opportunity to give your side of the story. Of course, investigators will also talk to witnesses and gather any relevant physical evidence.
- Proposed Sanctions: If the investigation finds evidence of misconduct, your program will probably propose a sanction or punishment for your offense. You can accept this sanction, but you are under no obligation to do so. Instead, you can request a formal hearing.
- Hearing: Hearings give you the chance to make your full case. You get to offer opening and closing statements, to submit evidence, and to call witnesses to testify. Keep in mind, though, that hearings aren't the same as criminal court proceedings. For instance, the standard by which decision-makers determine your guilt won't be “beyond a reasonable doubt.” Instead, decision-makers will be required to find you guilty if they are more than fifty percent convinced you committed an offense.
- Appeals: You should also have the right to appeal the hearing outcome. However, grounds for appeal are usually strictly limited to procedural matters, and they don't involve a hearing. Instead, typically, a single administrator reviews the documentary evidence before rendering a final decision.
A hearing isn't a legal proceeding. If it were, any attorney might be able to help you. What you need, though, is an attorney who understands the very particular exigencies of residency program judicial procedures. What you need is a Lento Law Firm attorney.
The Lento Law Firm's Education Law Team is experienced in defending clients from all types of charges. They know what kinds of arguments work best with panels and committees; they're skilled at organizing evidence; they know your rights and how to best use them to your advantage. You never want to face a threat of dismissal all on your own. You need someone from the Lento Law Firm at your side.
The Lento Law Firm Can Help
“Speech-language Pathologist” is a position in the public trust. The one thing that can doom a career faster than any other? An allegation of misconduct during your residency.
There's too much at risk to ever take such an allegation lightly. You need the best help you can find—someone who knows the law, who has a background in representing students and trainees, and who has experience helping professionals defend themselves. In short, you need an attorney from the Lento Law Firm.
If you're facing disciplinary action for any reason, find out exactly what the Lento Law Firm can do for you. Contact the Lento Law Firm today at 888-535-3686 or use our automated online form.
