Speak Out August 2018

Rachel stated that students “find the first two weeks more confronting than other placements because people are paying for their services which many of them struggle with emotionally with self-doubt etc. at first. Most of our students have reported that they have had more variety in their placements with us than anywhere else and that they've also felt more equipped to be an independent clinician than previously.” Beth, Lauren and Rachel have had very positive experiences working with many students in their practices. They have kindly provided their top tips for speech pathologists considering supervising a student in private practice. Top tips for speech pathologists working in private practice considering clinical education • Jump in! Give it a go! Start small and adjust the placement model as you work through the process. • Provide clear expectations and orientation at the start of the placement. • Ask a few clients what they think about working with students – if they sound positive, you might be on the right track! • Regularly check in with the students. • Set aside regular reflection and feedback time • Consider each student as an individual as their personal factors and learning styles may impact on the placement. • Try taking a pair of students so they can support and upskill each other. Peer learning models reduces time spent in general Q&A so the questions students bring to you tend to be more advanced and specific. It also helps the students emotionally to cope better with the placement. • Write a consent form for your clients to sign If, after reading the report and this article, you are considering supervising a student, then: • Read the “Looking Ahead” and the "Planning a Clinical Education Placement” Appendix of SPA’s Clinical Education in Australia document; • Contact the clinical educators at universities conducting speech pathology courses. See a list of courses on the SPA website; • Read SPA's position statement "Clinical Education" and SPA's FAQ "Private Practitioners as Clinical Educators"; • Be mindful of any billing requirements when you have students are working with clients receiving support through programs such as Medicare, NDIS etc. Please contact the Association if you require more information. regarding working with students. Seeking written consent is sensible business practice, but the process of writing the form will also help you to consolidate your thoughts about why you want to offer student placements and how it will work. • Remember, the university is available to support you. Having a good rapport with the clinical education coordinator can help make the process go more smoothly. aside for students throughout placement- schedule this into your calendar in advance.

Beth Causa and speech pathology students

Similarly, Lauren indicated that while clinical education is “a significant investment of time and effort”, it makes her feel good that she is giving back to the profession and her workplace understands that they are ultimately ensuring the development of a new generation of speech pathologists. Rachel indicated that overall students have probably slightly enhanced the profitability of her practice; “we have the advantage of having high demand for our services, so the students often see clients that otherwise couldn't afford therapy (or as much therapy) or do assessments and reports that otherwise clients would have to wait longer to have”. All therapists indicated times are hardest when they have had a poor performing student or a student who has needed more support than typical, “it has negatively affected our business/ earnings when we have had poor performing students as this burns huge amount of time with little to no business benefit”. In addition to positive impact on their own professional learning and business related outcomes, Rachel, Beth and Lauren also reported feedback from clients working with students has been overwhelmingly positive. “Clients enjoy the enthusiasm the students bring, and the value added to their session” indicated Lauren. “For the most part, clients have been extremely supportive” said Beth. “I talk to clients about it at intake. All clients are given the choice: no students at all, students observing only, or students directly involved. Most choose the latter. A couple are upfront in saying no to students (so the students just wait at a local cafe or in the car for that session!). I’ve only had three clients in two years come back to me with a clinical issue relating to student work, so I think that’s a very positive outcome”. Rachel also stated that clients' experiences are overall very positive. She is aware that “not everyone wants student delivered therapy but for those who are interested it is a very valuable option as it enables higher frequency and lower cost therapy for many clients/families. It's a useful adjunct to our other clinical services”. And what about the students, do they enjoy a clinical placement in the private sector? Again, the answer is overwhelmingly positive. The Association gets many queries from early career speech pathologist who are considering working in private practice. If they have not had any prior experience in this sector they can find this workplace unfamiliar. Clinical placements in this sector ensure new graduates understand how the private sector operates and what they can discuss with business owners and colleagues when discussing jobs in this setting. Lauren says students providing therapy to clients of a private disability provider “enjoy being able to see the clients in context e.g. difficulties with funding, interactions with families and support staff and how this is not always a clear-cut process as it may appear in lectures. They enjoy seeing the client centredness they need and how they need to modify their activities for the clientele”.

Nichola Harris Senior Advisor, Professional Practice

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August 2018 www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

Speak Out