Speak Out August 2021

SPEAKOUT AUGUST 2021 THE MAGAZINE FOR AUSTRALI N SPEECH PATHOLOGISTS

Book of the Year shortlist announced

2021 RESEARCH GRANT AWARDS

Aged care advocacy & news

Ethics: Ceasing services

Are you ready for a CPSP member audit?

Coping with COVID-19

Connect

SpeechPathologyAustralia

National Office Level 1/114 William Street Melbourne VIC 3000 T 1300 368 835 F 03 9642 4922 E office@speechpathologyaustralia.org.au Chief Executive Officer Gail Mulcair T 03 9642 4899 E execassist@speechpathologyaustralia. org.au Speech Pathology Australia Board Tim Kittel - President Maree Doble – Vice President Operations Kathryn McKinley – Vice President Communications Inma Beaumont – Director (external) Copyright©2021 The Speech Pathology Association of Australia Speak Out is the official bi-monthly magazine of The Speech Pathology Association of Australia Ltd. Speech Pathology Australia (SPA) owns the copyright to Speak Out and no part of this magazine may be reproduced without the explicit permission of SPA. Write to us Letters can be sent to publications@ speechpathologyaustralia.org.au. Letters may or may not be published in future issues of Speak Out magazine at SPA’s discretion. Advertisements Please refer to the 'Publications' menu at www. speechpathologyaustralia.org.au to view the 2021 Speak Out ad kit. Any queries may be directed to SPA Publications Manager Rebecca Faltyn Advertising booking dates for October 2021 Speak Out . The official booking form must be received at national office by COB 10 September, 2021. Disclaimer To the best of The Speech Pathology Association of Australia Limited’s (‘the Association”) knowledge, this information is valid at the time of publication. The Association makes no warranty or representation in relation to the content or accuracy of the material in this publication. The Association expressly disclaims any and all liability (including liability for negligence) in respect of use of the information provided. The Association recommends you seek independent professional advice prior to making any decision involving matters outlined in this publication. Print Post Approved PP349181/01711 Print ISSN 1446-053X Digital ISSN : ISSN 2208-7125 Erin Coonan - Director Alison Smith - Director Lucy Sutherland - Director Bronwyn Sutton - Director T 1300 368 835 E publications@ speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

@SpeechPathAus

speechpathaus

SpeechPathAus

Speech Pathology Australia

Do you have an idea for a story?

If you have an idea for a story that you think may be of benefit to the profession and membership it could be suitable to publish in Speak Out. We'd love to hear from you. To receive the editorial/contributor guidelines please contact the Publications Manager Rebecca Faltyn, rfaltyn@ speechpathologyaustralia.org.au Speak Out Branch Editors Please see the website for Branch Editor contact details. Connect with the profession Speech Pathology Australia supports a number of member communities on Facebook. These popular communities allow members to share information, collaborate and provide mutual support. Members may join and participate in as many groups as they like. You will need to make a request to join each group and can remain a member of the group/s while you are a SPA member. Please remember, the member communities are not a forum for advertising products, services or events. Acknowledgement We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of lands, seas and waters throughout Australia, and pay respect to Elders past, present and future. We recognise that the health and social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are grounded in continued connection to culture, country, language and community. Do you have a question about your membership? The Association's membership team remains available to answer any of your questions about your membership or member resources. Member communities

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Speak Out | August 2021

Contents

August 2021

5

TBC 11

16

10

24

30 12

42 46 0 7

Regulars

Features

Ethics: Ceasing services

24

From the President

4

New project to capture workforce data Research grant award recipients

5

Training in End of Life clinical practice

31

Supervision and the experienced speech pathologist

36

10

Speech Pathology Week is here!

12

Book of the Year shortlist announced Supports to help cope with COVID National Conference 2022

13

Cover pic: The Book of the Year shortlisted books have been announced. Planning is well underway for the announcement of the winning books on 29 October.

19

22

Aged care update

26

11

In practice - Collaboratives in professional practice and ethics

40

Branch News

44

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August 2021 | Speak Out

Association NEWS

From the President

Hi and welcome to the August edition of Speak Out . My apologies if you feel you’ve waited a bit longer than usual for this edition. It’s kind’a my fault. Mid last week, I opened an email from National Office, asking me very politely if I’d written my introduction to this issue yet. Obviously, I was confused. Surely, I’d only been asked to do that a few days ago? But when I checked, it sure was past the 14-day mark. How did that time pass so quickly? My bad. Since our last Speak Out everything became slightly more challenging. I’m not the only one who’s been busy. Like most allied health providers, we’re living hectic lives. Lives involving imminent, real, or very prolonged lockdowns. Lives looking after families and friends. Multiple people working and learning from home. All the while, trying to be the best speech pathologists we can be. Our profession isn’t alone in the situation, but we do deal with real lives, and are keenly aware that many of the people with whom we engage are particularly vulnerable. Then we add into this mix the fact that speech pathology is experiencing a period of high demand, it’s no wonder some things can get on top of us. Thanks for picking up this issue. If you’ve looked at the contents list, I’m sure it’s going to be tempting to flick straight to the section reflecting on the 2021 Conference, before moving then the 2022 Conference announcements. No one will blame you for that. (I mean, Beyond Borders just keeps looking better and better!). But just before you do reach those pages, you’ll find a page preceding this, which lists services you can ring if things are getting on top of you. Don’t flick past that page. Stop there, and if you think you just might benefit from chatting things through, just make contact. Over the next year, SPA will be releasing additional materials that may also prove helpful. Some of these focus on the profession and our clients. You’ll read in this issue about the significant strategic initiative we’re working on with AHP Workforce, in which we’ll be mapping supply and demand of speech pathology services. This will help us to target areas of particular need. The Communication Hub project also surges ahead, helping us to further the SP2030 aspirations of Communication Accessible Communities, and Clients Driving Service Delivery. Other initiatives look to keep us the best we can be. We’ll be looking at strategies and ways in which we can identify when we’re reaching a point where we need to take care

of ourselves and colleagues, and take steps. While August so far is shaping up to be an even busier month for me than usual, it’s been so much fun. Over the past two weeks I zoom-attended the NSW and WA Branch meetings. It was great to meet new people and put faces to names. Different ways of celebrating SPW were discussed, but both with the same amount

Tim Kittel

of enthusiasm. I also managed to travel to Tasmania, and finally be in the same room as people with whom I’ve been catching up for the past two years. Again, brilliant to be part of a brains trust prioritising areas that are unique to Tasmania, and devising ways of moving the profession forward. So, it’s been busy, and yet there’s nothing more energising than seeing people work together. A setback for this month has been the postponement of the Speech Pathology Week Forum, which was to be held on August 23. At this stage, the plan is to hold this discussion in December. But this doesn’t stop other events currently being planned. Last year was a predominantly online event. Hopefully we can continue to hold events in states and territories where a physical presence is permitted. And in the other states, we’ll keep online, and keep sending the message that communication is everyone’s right. While this month tests us, especially the sizeable proportion of our members in New South Wales, traditionally August is also a time to celebrate. The Book of the Year shortlist has been released. Our professional learning hub has more offerings than ever (and if you’re quick you might just catch the 20% discount in the lead up to SPW). And of course, it’s our SP week. Join in as best you can! If like me, you’re accidentally letting a few important things slip, maybe there’s a reason for it. And if you need help, the best news is that you’re a part of our 12 thousand strong gang. We’re all looking out for each other. Have a great August.

Tim Kittel National President

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Speak Out | August 2021

Association NEWS

New project to capture data about the profession

We are pleased to welcome Dr Nicole McGill to the Senior Advisor Evidence Based Practice and Research role. Nicole will be taking over this role from Dr Cori Williams. Dr Cori Williams will continue with the Association on specific projects as she moves towards retirement. Dr Cori Williams has been pivotal in supporting SPA and the membership recognising the importance of evidence-based practice and more recently advocating for the Evidence Based Practice for Speech Pathology in Australia be a core association document. Dr Nicole McGill is an adjunct research associate at Charles Sturt University. Her research interests include speech pathology waiting lists, service delivery and access, rural health, workforce issues, and childhood speech sound disorders. Her recent research explored speech pathology waiting lists and waiting list management strategies throughout the world. Nicole is passionate about translational research and evidence- building in real-world clinical contexts. Nicole was an associate investigator on a NSW Health Translational Research Grant (2017-2019) and was the recipient of Speech Pathology Australia will be working with Drs Anna Moran and Susan Nancarrow from AHP Workforce, the SPA membership, employers and peak bodies to capture and understand the speech pathology workforce and to understand the future needs of the profession and community. From 25+ years examining the Allied Health Workforce internationally, AHP Workforce understand that accurate and reliable workforce data will underpin the realisation of the aspirational vision for speech pathology in Australia outlined in Speech Pathology 2030 - making futures happen. AHP Workforce is working alongside two data partners to create Australia’s first interactive geospatial map of the speech pathology profession. This map will enable a comparison of speech pathology ratios by geographic area and population demand, determined by a range of factors, including age groups, socio-economic status and health determinants.

For this to provide the best quality data for the profession, the Association and AHP Workforce will need your help and participation! In the second half of this year, we will launch a campaign to gather data from you that will inform the workforce map. The tool is only as good as the data you can provide us! So please take the time to respond to the questionnaire when it lands in your inbox. If you have any queries about the project please contact Stacey Baldac, sbaldac@speechpathologyaustralia.

Introducing Dr Nicole McGill Senior Advisor Evidence-Based Practice and Research

Speech Pathology Australia’s Nadia Verrall Memorial Research Grant in 2018. Her prior research includes collaborating with clinicians and researchers to design a website and evaluate its effectiveness in supporting children and families on waiting lists via a randomised controlled trial. Nicole has published journal articles and presented her research at conferences both nationally and internationally. Her

Photo used with permission from Kellie Crosier Photography

previous academic roles include rural health academic network coordinator, project officer, guest lecturer, tutor, and research assistant. Nicole has also worked clinically as a speech pathologist across health, disability, education, and private sectors and is looking forward to collaborating with speech pathologists in her new role as Speech Pathology Australia’s Senior Advisor Evidence Based Practice (EBP) and Research.

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August 2021 | Speak Out

Association NEWS

Are you ready for a certified practising member audit?

•

It is a professional responsibility of certified practising members to ensure that they meet the eligibility requirements for Certified Practising Speech Pathology (CPSP) status and provide evidence if selected for an audit. Speech Pathology Australia undertakes audits to offer assurance to the public and other stakeholders that certified practising members are meeting the specified continuing professional development (CPD) and recency of practice requirements. As a member of the National Alliance of Self-Regulating Health Professions (NASRHP), Speech Pathology Australia is required to audit 5% of certified practising members. From July 2021 we will be sending out audit notifications to randomly selected members to ensure we meet our 5% audit requirements. Members will be notified by email if they have been randomly selected for an audit. Requests for extensions are possible; however, you must follow the required process, please refer to the CPM Audits Frequently Asked Questions page on the

have not met the CPD requirements,

• have not met the recency of practice requirements, or any combination of the above. It is a professional responsibility of all members to keep accurate records and, if randomly selected for audit, to submit requested evidence by the due date. Here’s what to do to get ready 1. Complete your CPD record for 2020/2021 (1/7/20- 30/6/21). An easy way to do this is to use the online CPD record. Log into your member account on the SPA website and select the ‘My PSR’ tab. An advantage of using the online CPD record is that your points will automatically transfer to your online PSR declaration when you renew your membership. 2. Make sure you have CPD evidence available. How much evidence? If you are selected for an audit, you will need to provide documentation to evidence accrual of the minimum 20 points. 3. Make sure you have met the applicable recency of practice requirement.

website for further information. Members can fail an audit if they •

do not submit required documents by the due date,

What are the recency of practice requirements? Recency of practice requirements vary depending on years since graduation, provisional or full CPSP status, and years since completing the re-entry program.

At the time you renew(ed) your SPA membership, when did you graduate?

Minimum speech pathology practice hour requirement

Approximate equivalent in weeks

Five or more years ago

1000 hours in the five years prior to membership renewal or application. 200 hours since graduation

Worked full time for 27 weeks, or three days a week for 12 months.

More than three and less than five years ago

Worked full time for six weeks

Less than three years ago

Provisional-CPSP members have three years from course completion to accrue 200 practice hours and fulfil specific CPD requirements to be eligible for full CPSP status.

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Speak Out | August 2021

Association NEWS

• CPD points cannot be carried forward to another membership year • CPD activities must be relevant to professional practice as a speech pathologist, extend skills and knowledge and be related to the speech pathologist’s professional development plan. • CPD activities may be speech pathology specific or non-speech pathology specific, however a minimum of 10 CPD points per membership year must be accrued in professional development activities related to clinical practice. • It is expected that professional development activities be evidence-based. For more information go to: www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/psr

Re-entry graduates After successful completion of the re-entry program, members have four years to accrue a minimum of 200 speech pathology practice hours. By five years post program completion members must have met the minimum 1000 practice hour requirement to be eligible for CPSP status. What are the continuing professional development requirements? The continuing professional development requirements apply to both provisional CPSP and full certified practising members. • A minimum of 20 CPD points must be accrued each membership year. • A maximum of 12 points can be earned in each activity type.

New position Senior Advisor Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Strategy and Practice

We are very pleased to welcome Tara Lewis to the SPA team in a newly created position of Senior Advisor, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Strategy and Practice. Tara is an Iman woman who lives and works on Yuggera Country. Since her graduation as a speech pathologist, Tara has always had a strong desire and commitment to ensuring Aboriginal ways of knowing, being, doing, seeing and belonging are centred within her speech pathology practice. Early on in her career, Tara was awarded the prestigious award of Indigenous Allied Health Professional of the Year by Indigenous Allied Health Australia. Tara has worked across a range of Aboriginal children’s services, maintaining efforts to ensure that speech pathology services are community driven and culturally safe and responsive. Additionally, Tara has contributed to curriculum development and education of undergraduate speech pathologists in the area of culturally safe practice.

Tara has also previously contributed to a

Tara Lewis

range of Association activities in the area of culturally safe and responsive practice and research, including being inaugural chair of the Association's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Committee and participation on the Reconciliation Action Plan working party, to form the Association’s first ‘Reflect’ RAP. In this new paid position, Tara’s scope of work will include contributing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspective to inform Association functions and activities, providing advice to the Board and management, as well as providing leadership and support for the development of cultural responsiveness and culturally safe practice within the profession.

Welcome Tara, we look forward to your contributions in this very important role.

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August 2021 | Speak Out

STUDENT spotlight

By Brittany Fong Second year student - Masters of Speech Pathology in University of Melbourne December, December, this is the month to remember! See you in Australia before then, or else we’ll see you when 2022 ends. It has been a tumultuous two years for everyone since the dawn of COVID-19. I’m sure that you’ve heard and read many stories of this pandemic’s impact on parents, children, teachers, healthcare professionals, store owners, airlines, and lipstick companies. However, do you know the tale of the speech pathology students who are studying half of their Australian degree outside of Australia? No? Well, here’s their story. The title of this article is inspired by the name of one of of our Facebook chat groups. I’m in the chat with 11 other overseas students studying an Australian speech pathology (SP) degree. We’ve had this chat since the beginning of 2021, which is also the starting point of this story. In the chat, we mainly update each other on the latest news of individual travel exemptions into Australia. Australia closed its borders to non-residents on 20 March 20, 2020. Australian Government’s Bureau of Statistics calculated that the number of international arrivals reduced from 2.3 million to 21,000 from January to April of last year. Travel exemptions have been the only way to return to Australia and are continually being updated by the Department of Home Affairs. The 12 SP students are approaching the halfway point of their degrees and clenching their teeth in anticipation to return before December. Their university has requested that the overseas students return to Australia before then, or else, they defer their course. At this point, it’s a race against time. Fortunately, they have one saving grace: individual travel exemption #11. Department of Home Affairs lists out two important conditions: 1) a student must be in their last two years of an allied health degree, and 2) must have a confirmed placement in a medical setting starting within two months from the date of the student’s exemption application. Condition one, check. Condition two, to be confirmed. Through the sudden lockdowns and ever-changing restrictions, the student's placement coordinator has thankfully been able to source medical placements and See you in Australia!

Brittany Fong

provide well-written placement confirmation documents. Condition one, check. Condition two, check. Of the 12 SP students, four applied for an exemption, three were rejected, one was exempted. Now, let’s first diverge into the story arch of the exempted student, who we will call Carey. Carey is a Filipina student in her 20s, who is keen to change from working in the corporate world to working with children in healthcare. Before moving to a new country, she shared that it was difficult to make time to say farewell on such short notice, while balancing packing and booking flights. Carey has already finished her two-week quarantine and has moved into her accommodation. She is busy with her load of online studies, but grateful, that she is where she needs to be to pursue her career in speech pathology. The end of Carey’s story arch concludes very nicely. However, let’s backtrack to the three students with the rejected exemptions. They, along with the other eight overseas students in the Facebook chat, are waiting for the next chance to apply for an exemption. The opportunity to apply will be in a couple of months when the university assigns the next round of student placements. This will be the last chance to get an exemption this year. This is the story for now. This is one of the many stories of students’ lives who are affected by COVID-19. Given the ever-changing nature of the global pandemic, we continually adjust to the shifting conditions and deadlines. It’s an odd sensation. So much time is spent waiting, yet it feels like a race against time to return to Australia. Leaving behind the life in your country is dependent on an email from the Department of Home Affairs with the words “exempted”. Until then, we await that email. The 11 of us hope for it. We hope to see Carey. We hope to fly into Australia by December. More than that, we hope to continue our education so that we can become dedicated speech pathologists. We await the moment where we finally message into our Facebook chat group and know with all certainty that we’ll “see you in Australia!”

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Speak Out | August 2021

THE ULTIMATE RECORDING SOLUTION SPEECH PATHOLOGISTS

Student PD

It is with much excitement that the University of Melbourne Speech Pathology Students’ Society invites you to a workship titled SPSS x Hanen Professional Development Workshop: Parent Led ntervention. This is an open invitation to all university students. The presentation will include: • Rationale for involving parents in their child’s early language intervention. • An overview of It Takes Two to Talk® for Parents of Children with Language Delays. • Assessment and collaborative goal setting. • Introduction to the Hanen teaching-learning cycle. It will be a highly interactive and engaging event, with opportunities to get all your questions answered live. When: 13 September Where: Zoom Purchase tickets here

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In the upcoming August edition of Student eNews meet lecturer and speech pathologist Danielle Czapnik who will share her insights on her career to date, some of the challenges and diversions her career has taken along the way. Look out for the Student eNews in your inbox later this month. Contribute your ideas Do you have a story idea for Speak Out or the Student eNews? Or is there someone you think would be a good interview subject? Get in touch with the Association's Publications Manager, Rebecca Faltyn, publications@ speechpathologyaustralia.org.au to find out how you can contribute.

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August 2021 | Speak Out

Association NEWS

2021 SPA Research Grant Award

Twenty six applications for the New Researcher, Nadia Verrall Memorial and Queensland Registration Board Legacy Grants were received in 2021. Applications covered a range of areas of interest, including autism, feeding and swallowing, voice, child language and aphasia, using different research designs. Grateful thanks to all those who reviewed applications. The grant round depends on your contribution. Although there can only be a limited number of winners, all those who submitted applications are to be congratulated.

Successful applicants in the New Researcher and Nadia Verrall categories are detailed below. The outcomes of the Queensland Registration Board Legacy Grant category will be announced following ratification by the Board and the Queensland Registration Board Legacy Grant steering committee. If you’re wondering about previous successful projects, you can find a list here. Cori Williams Senior Advisor EBP & Research

New Researcher Grant

Lizz Hill Language and mental health among children with dyslexia following the transition to secondary school Oral language skills are critical for psychosocial health and academic success in childhood and adolescence and are predictive of skills in reading and writing. For this reason, children with poor oral and written language can experience behavioural issues, reduced psychosocial wellbeing, and poorer academic outcomes. These problems may be exacerbated over the transition to high school, which can be a stressful period for students with language and learning difficulties. Dyslexia affects approximately 10% of Australian children. Emerging research has shown clear associations between poor literacy and long-term psychosocial problems including anxiety and depression, academic truancy, incarceration, and suicide. However, exactly why these associations exist remains unclear. A potential explanation may be a link between oral language, mental health, and dyslexia as a considerable proportion of children with dyslexia present with oral language difficulties. To date, no study has explored contributions of oral and written language to psychosocial outcomes in children with dyslexia, and the exact nature of oral language skills in dyslexia remains poorly understood. This project will leverage recruitment and mental health data from an ongoing NHMRC project to explore oral and written language skills among children with dyslexia and their contribution to psychosocial outcomes following the transition to secondary-school.

Lizz Hill

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Speak Out | August 2021

Association NEWS

New Researcher Grant

Marleen Westerveld Inferential narrative comprehension in young school-age children on the autism spectrum Inferential narrative comprehension skills are fundamental to successful social interactions and show significant predictive and concurrent correlations with reading comprehension. This study builds on our pilot work and will investigate the structural language and cognitive skills (i.e., theory of mind [ToM]) underpinning inferential narrative comprehension in young school-age children on the autism spectrum, who as a group are known to struggle with social interactions, and are at increased risk of significant and persistent reading comprehension difficulties. We will recruit 60 children (40 diagnosed with ASD, and 20 typically developing peers, matched for age and gender) who are in their first year of schooling. Children in the autism group will be divided into below normal limits (SS<85) or within normal limits (SS≥85) on a standardised broad-spectrum language test. All children will participate in tasks measuring structural language skills, ToM, and narrative comprehension (comprising literal and inferential questions). The results from this study will provide a significant research contribution. The main clinical deliverable will consist of a research-informed tool for assessing inferential comprehension skills in young school-age children to help guide detailed goal setting and assist in targeted intervention planning. Jennifer Kefford Understanding the nature and prevalence of feeding disorders in young children with IgE-mediated food allergies In the past decade there has been a global increase in the diagnosis of food allergies, with Australia recognised as having one of the highest rates of food allergy in the world. In clinical situations, it has been observed that many children with feeding disorders present with current or previous food allergies. However, the prevalence and characteristics of feeding disorders in children with food allergies have not been thoroughly explored in the literature. The main objective of this project is to establish the prevalence and characteristics of feeding disorders in young children with IgE-mediated food allergies, the associated degree of parental stress and impact on quality of life. Data will be collected from three allergy clinics regarding children between the ages of 6 months and 4;11 years. Multi-site ethics approval is in place. The results of this study will provide clinicians with insight into the nature and extent of feeding disorders in children with food allergies to improve clinical awareness of this population and its presentation. More importantly, the findings will lay the foundations for further research into early intervention and education designed to address the evolution and impact of feeding disorders on these children and their families.

Jennifer Kefford

Nadia Verrall Memorial Research Grant

Marlene Westerveld

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August 2021 | Speak Out

Association NEWS

Get behind Speech Pathology Week

When this article was being written, metropolitan Melbourne was again back lockdown to combat the challenges thrown-up by a new outbreak of COVID-19. The Association’s national office was closed, and its staff were working remotely from their homes. Notwithstanding, planning for a new Speech Pathology Week is underway. This year, the Speech Pathology Week kit is back, along with the Speech Pathology Week digital campaign kit that proved so popular in 2020. The digital campaign kit is available for downloading from the Association’s website. The digital campaign kit includes a range of graphics and ideas about how members can use them to promote Speech Pathology Week and the week’s theme, via social media and other digital channels. Members will also find on the website, posters and fliers that can be downloaded and printed, either in their office or taken to a commercial printer. Everyone deserves to be understood – it’s a basic human right. There are 1.2 million Australians living with a communication disability. Every day speech pathologists work with these Australians to ensure that communication is everyone’s right. Recognising communication disability helps build a fairer society. Each year Speech Pathology Australia hosts Speech Pathology Week to create awareness of those in our community who have a communication difficulty and to promote the speech pathology profession. The theme for Speech Pathology Week in 2021 is ‘Communication is everyone’s right'. In 2021, Speech Pathology Week will run from 22-28 August.

Social media competition Following the success of last year’s Speech Pathology Week social media competition, it is on again in 2021. This year the prize is a $250 eftpos voucher. Entering the Speech Pathology Week social media competition is as easy as ABC. A. Take a photograph* of yourself with someone you believe is doing the most to advocate to ensure that communication is everyone’s right – they might be a friend or family member, or a professional colleague. And tell us how they are making a difference. (Make sure you have the person(s) approval to be used in the post!). C. Include the Association’s handle @ SpeechPathAus and the hashtag #SPweek or #speechpathologyweek. This is important! Otherwise the judges won’t see your entry! *NB. Do not post a photograph of anyone without their written permission, and be aware of copyright, privacy and related considerations. B. Post it on Instagram and/or Twitter

Michael Kerrisk Communications and Marketing Manager Join us for an online forum and discussion Monday 23 August On Monday 23 August, Speech Pathology Australia will host a forum around the theme for Speech Pathology Week in 2021: ‘Communication is everyone's right!’ The forum will be a panel discussion, facilitated by the Association’s National President, Tim Kittel. The panellists for the forum are: Meredith Allan, Disability Advocate and Consultant; Simon Oakley, Chair, Aphasia Victoria; Jewel Topsfield, Social Affairs Editor, The Age newspaper; and Jennifer Fitzgerald, Chief Executive Officer, SCOPE Australia AM. The event will commence at 7pm (AEST) and run for approximately one hour. It will be streamed live via the Speech Pathology Australia YouTube channel. The event will be watchable on a computer, mobile device or smart TV. Postpo ed! Look out for new details to come in your inbox!

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Speak Out | August 2021

Association NEWS

Book of the Year

Shortlisted books announced

Despite the challenges of COVID-19 there were a record 248 titles nominated for the Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year awards in 2021– up from a record 208 in 2020. All these books have now been shortlisted and a complete list is available from the Association’s website. Following shortlisting, the resulting books are judged in one of the four age-related categories: Birth to 3 years, three to 5 years, five to 8 years, and eight to 10 years. In 2020, the former Indigenous Children category was renamed the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Authored Children’s Book Award and its judging incorporated into the process for the four age-specific categories. This means that a book, written by an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander author, is eligible to win both the age- related category for which it has been nominated and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Authored Children’s Book Award category. In 2021, the Association welcomes Nikita Austin as our inaugural Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Authored Children’s Book Award judge.

The Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards are now in the eighteenth year. These highly valued awards are not possible without the ongoing support of Australian children's book publishers (mainstream and independent), and the authors and illustrators of these books. The awards would not be possible without the time and efforts of the members who volunteer as shortlisters and judges. A ginormous thank you must therefore go to the award shortlisters who worked their way through this year’s record number of nominations: Lyn Goodwin, Claire Monsour, Evett Lattouf and Natasha Barlow . The judging process is now underway, and thanks goes to all the volunteer judges. The winners in all categories will be announced on Friday 29 October.

Thank you to the 2021 judges

Birth to 3 Years Nisrine El-Choueifati Lisa Ey Iris Hor Rebecca Reinking

Three to 5 Years Christine Beal Jacqui Collins Lauren Haskins Meryl Lefort Olivia MacGinley Lindsay Potgieter Melissa Roberts Angela Spurway

Five to 8 Years David Earle Anna Gilmour Jacqui Hanna Melissa Hughes Julie Martin Danielle Ryan Lauren Scott Janice Zee

Eight to 10 Years Kate Augello Stephanie Douglas Malathi Ferdinando Emma Minchin Laura Nelson Pam Reed Casandra Tibika Kylie Johnson-Short

Sharon Smart Rebecca Star

Olivia Watchman Samantha White

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August 2021 | Speak Out

We’re all better for connecting together Sometimes, there’s a lot that can be learned from nature. Luckily, there are few things more Australian than coming together when things get tough. And right now, communities across Australia are doing what they can to help each other through some challenging times. That’s why Guild Insurance has come together with Speech Pathology Australia for over 17 years to help Australian speech pathologists not only today, but well into the future. To find out how we’re working towards a better tomorrow for you or to become part of our community,

visit guildinsurance.com.au or call us on 1800 810 213 .

Insurance issued by Guild Insurance Limited ABN 55 004 538 863, AFS Licence No. 233791 and subject to terms, conditions and exclusions. Guild Insurance supports Speech Pathology Australia (SPA) through the payment of referral fees. SPA are authorised representatives of Guild Insurance. Please refer to the policy wording and policy schedule for details. For more information call 1800 810 213 . SPE134745 Speech Pathology - Speak Out Magazine FP Ad - April Edition 03/20201

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Speak Out | August 2021

BECOME A REMOTE VOLUNTEER

Explore the world from home and help support change in developing countries by volunteering with the Australian Volunteers Program.

Visit australianvolunteers.com

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August 2021 | Speak Out

Ceasing services How to do it fairly and ethically

An increasing number of members are contacting the Association's Ethics Team to discuss ceasing service delivery for a client, with a particular focus on the ethical issues that arise. If you find yourself in this situation there are a number of things to consider to ensure that ethical obligations are met and clients are being treated fairly, and to reduce the possibility of unintended consequences, such as the clients feeling abandoned. Scenario 1 You have been working with an individual with a degenerative illness for about six months, at intake they presented with a voice disorder but have made good progress with therapy. Last week they had a stroke and now need an assessment for AAC. This isn’t something that you have a lot of experience with, and you think

The first action is to look at your policy on ceasing services, and follow the steps outlined. A key obligation is to support this individual to access another speech pathologist whose skill set is appropriate for their needs. If you know of someone who would be a good fit, through personal experience or another objective means, then recommending that speech pathologist specifically can be appropriate, otherwise you should provide a number of appropriate options and let the client know that although you haven’t worked with them before, they advertise that they have the appropriate knowledge and skills to assist them further. After this, it is advisable to have a face-to-face meeting with the client, and/or their carers, explain to them the situation and why you

Ethics

are referring them on. A meeting will allow for questions to be asked and frequently results in greater understanding of why cessation of your service is appropriate, which can reduce the likelihood of a negative response. Some other points to discuss with your client include whether the services are ending right away, or if they will continue for a set period of time. Also, how handover will occur, such as, whether you will write a progress or summary report for this client, and/or provide a verbal handover to the next speech pathologist. Scenario 2 You have been working with a family for a while and the communication has been challenging since day one. They have very high expectations of what can be achieved in one hour per week, and this isn’t attainable either for you, or for their child. You are starting to feel this might be all too hard, and that

you’d like to move them along. While you can cease services at any time when you are acting in accordance with your organisation’s ceasing services policy, there is a fundamental ethical question of whether you are still able to provide benefit to this client and whether this is a situation that could be salvaged.

you might need to cease services with this client. Ceasing services with this client is an ethically appropriate course of action in this situation to ensure the client is seen by a speech pathologist with appropriate personal competencies. Action should be taken quickly due to the client’s degenerative illness.

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Association NEWS

A professional relationship that supports the therapeutic process is necessary for provision of benefit; therefore, it would be appropriate to have a conversation with this family about what is achievable and reasonable within the bounds of the intervention you are providing. Can you either support them to adjust their expectations? Or, come to an agreement where everyone develops a greater understanding of why this has been challenging up to now, and how the relationship must function (from both sides) in the future, to support ongoing services. It may be appropriate to revisit conversations with the family about their underlying concerns and longer term goals for their child so you can reassure them that you are supporting them on that journey while working on session goals. It might be worth reviewing your ceasing services policy with the family, but also offering a flexible approach to problem solving their concerns for their child. Additionally it can be useful to reflect on why this client/family presented so many challenges, to review how you established, monitored and maintained the professional interactions you had from the start. Reflection can assist you to identify if there were other actions you could have taken earlier, that may have prevented the relationship becoming so fraught. Scenario 3 You are working with a client whose parent has recently started attending sessions. You feel uncomfortable in that parent’s presence as your every action is criticised. You

are starting to dread these sessions each week. After a last minute cancellation on their behalf you realise that you feel relieved that you won’t have to see that parent this week. You decide you are going to need to cease services with this family, but feel you can’t tell them it is related to the parent’s manner. What can you do? As health professionals we have a duty to act with professionalism, honesty and with an objective manner. It is better to address problems as they arise rather than leaving them so they could potentially become bigger problems and more difficult to deal with. There could be a number of reasons that could explain the parent’s actions or behaviour. You will need to have a discussion with the parent about what factors make a good working relationship and why this is of benefit to their child. Depending on the situation and context this may include a discussion about the parent’s understanding of the therapeutic approach you are using, concerns and goals for their child and boundaries around what is and what is not acceptable behaviour when you are working with their child. In this scenario it is important to use your clinical support network to help problem solve how to address the therapeutic relationship with the parent. This may include discussing the case within formal supervision or calling an ethics advisor at SPA. For further information on this topic, please watch the Ethics Collaborative check out the ceasing services FAQ and consider talking with a member of the SPA Ethics Team ethics@speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

Erin West has supported many members in her role as Speech Pathology Australia Advisor Professional Practice since 2017 and her knowledge about the NDIS has made it easier for many members to understand and work through the funding and reporting requirements of this scheme. I am pleased to let members know that Erin has accepted a new role at national office working in the advocacy team. She brings a great deal of practical speech pathology knowledge to the role of SPA Policy Officer, and while I know members will miss regular interactions with Erin she will still be actively working on your behalf. Erin can be emailed at ewest@ speechpathologyaustralia.org.au Nichola Harris Manager Professional Practice New policy officer role

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Ethics

HANDING IN YOUR RESIGNATION The ethical and professional factors

As a qualified speech pathologist there are ethical and legal factors to consider when you are planning to leave your current employment. The 2020 Code of Ethics obliges speech pathologists to act with professionalism, integrity, respect and honesty, at all times, but it can be especially pertinent during a difficult conversation. If you are considering leaving your current place of employment it is important to be honest and transparent with your employer about your intentions to leave and reasons for doing so. Whenever possible you should give your employer a reasonable notice period for leaving, provided in-person or at least in a discussion, and then followed up in writing. These discussions can be challenging: however, are made easier if you maintain a respectful and professional relationship with your employer from the start. You should consult your workplace contract for information on your agreed notice period and if necessary, seek HR advice if you need more support. When you are preparing to leave your employment, it is important you discuss and agree with your employer what duties will be completed by the end of your contract, or by an agreed date. Ethically, and legally, you are required to complete all of your clinical notes, clinical reports and assessments for all of the clients on your caseload and if you are an employee, return any equipment and clinical files that do not belong to you. It is important to adhere to client confidentiality and privacy policies throughout this process. It is also important you discuss and agree in advance with your employer if you will be providing a handover and if so, in what format, to avoid having a large

workload at the end of your contract. It is important to give your active clients notice of your intention to leave so that they have time to prepare for your leaving and do not feel abandoned. The exact details of what is told to the clients is at the discretion of the business owner, so should be discussed and agreed to prior to having that conversation with clients. Ideally this should be done face-to-face at your next appointment or via telephone and then followed up in writing if required. If you are a sole practitioner or there are no other speech pathologists within the business to takeover the client, then you are ethically obliged to give information about appropriate options for speech pathology services they can access to continue their care after your services end. It is unethical to try to take clients with you, give them information about your new place of employment or entice them away from their current service, unless this has been expressly agreed to by your current employer, preferably in writing. If there are concerns about access to ongoing services, it may be appropriate to have a conversation with your employer to explore options in that regard. Throughout the process it is important to maintain clear and respectful communication links with your clients and employer until all of your duties have been completed and finalised. If you are unsure about how to approach leaving your current place of employment, please contact the SPA Ethics Team for further support on ethics@speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

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WELLBEING

Coping with COVID

Coping with COVID-19, knowing people affected by it and following restrictions are all hard things we have to do right now. Many of us feel anxious, frustrated, lonely, exhausted, and overwhelmed. Talking to someone about how you feel, or getting advice on how to support others can help. Speech Pathology Australia's advisors have gathered together a list of services and resources that might be useful.

MENTAL HEALTH Head to Health https://www.headtohealth.gov.au

Suicide Call Back Service – 1300 659 467 24 hour support if you or someone you know is feeling suicidal Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia (PANDA) – 1300 726 306 panda.org.au 9am-7.30pm Monday to Friday Online support to women, men and their families to assist with recovery from perinatal anxiety and depression. Telephone information, counselling & referral service R U OK provides information for supporting others who may be struggling, including advice on how to start a conversation about their wellbeing. https://www.ruok. org.au/how-to-ask Provides phone and email-based support for adult survivors of childhood trauma and abuse, as well as for their supporters and the professionals who work with them. Available 9 am to 5 pm, seven days a week. Bravehearts: 1800 272 831 bravehearts.org.au The Bravehearts information and support line can be accessed by anyone wanting information or support relating to child sexual assault. Available 8.30 am to 4.30 pm, Monday to Friday. Living Well livingwell.org.au The Living Well app is specifically designed to assist men who have been sexually abused in childhood. They also provide face-to-face counselling in South East Queensland, as well as national phone and web-based counselling. SEXUAL ASSAULT/TRAUMA Blue Knot Foundation: 1300 657 380 blueknot.org.au

Funded by the Australian Government, Head to Health is a one-stop shop of all things related to digital mental health. There is specific information about COVID support. Life Line 13 11 14 Text: 0477131114 6pm- midnight lifeline.org.au 24 hour telephone and online crisis counselling, support groups & suicide prevention service. Beyond Blue – 1300 224 636 beyondblue.org.au Email and Chat also available from their website Telephone and online information and support to help everyone in Australia achieve their best possible mental health. Available 24 hours a day. See also: Beyond Blue Coronavirus Mental Wellbeing Support Service 1800 512 348 There is also an online chat service, forums, and other forms of support available. Kids Helpline – 1800 551 800 kidshelpline.com.au counsellor@kidshelpline.com.au Chat function also available on their website. 24 hour confidential and private counselling service specifically for children and young people aged 5 to 25 years. MensLine Australia – 1300 789 978 mensline.org.au 24 hour telephone and online support, counselling and information service for Australian men. Also for men who have difficulties with family violence.

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August 2021 | Speak Out