Speak Out August 2021

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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August 2021 | Speak Out