Speak Out June 2021

From the President

Thanks once more for picking up or clicking into the June edition of Speak Out . How are you doing? What’s interesting or engaging you? I’m being swept along by a feeling of optimism, in the face of everything going on at the moment. If you were one of the attendees at the SPA Conference at the beginning of this month, you may well be having similar thoughts. There was a massive amount of information and resource-sharing pouring out over three days, with chat boxes constantly being updated with ideas and questions. By the end of the conference, I literally had to lie down on my office floor for a couple of minutes, mind buzzing. I shouldn’t have been surprised. We’re kind of like that as a profession, aren’t we? Optimistic, enthusiastic, and bright. Helping and contributing is what we do. Building on each other’s ideas and enthusiasm just seems to be default operational mode. This spirit continues in this edition of Speak Out , which take an in-depth look at our work alongside allied health assistants. Given that over the past few years there’s been an increased recognition of the need for speech pathology, and we are scrambling to keep up with demand, allied health assistants are perhaps even more needed than ever before. The contribution of several perspectives here from National Office might help you to optimise the way you work with AHAs. As Associate Professor Sally Hewat describes, we’re living in a transformative age. There are massive, sudden, and often unpredictable shifts occurring across the political, economic, societal, technological, and cultural landscapes. And they’re becoming more frequent over time. As a result, I always value the members@work section of Speak Out , and this issue is no exception. We have a number of pieces for you to read, looking at the impact of supports in Vietnam, technology in remote areas, and the increasing demand and opportunities present in voice banking. Speaking of opportunities, before we know it Speech Pathology Week will be upon us. The theme for this year is 'Communication is everyone’s right'. There are digital and physical kits available to

start this conversation. The more support that we have around this year, the more successful we’ll be. You may well have an incredible idea already for your workplace or environment (and we can’t wait to hear about it). But if not, the Branches are all coming up with initiatives for August 2021. They would be more than happy to have you come along. Find our Branch details on the SPA website, by clicking Members, and then Branches. And let’s face it, who wouldn’t want to pick up just a fraction of the energy and happiness displayed on this edition’s cover? Tiyana Jones brings together a group of Masters graduates to reflect on the nature of speech pathology, and the advantages of working within a female led profession. She asks us to identify our heroes and those who pave the way for us. She challenges us to continue preparing for our next generations. For me, a great place to start in identifying heroes was at the awards ceremony this month, in which Dr Mary Claessen and Associate Professors Marleen Westerveld and Tanya Serry were recognised as Fellows of the Association. All three have had significant impacts on how I personally conduct my own clinical practices. I’m continually influenced and inspired in equal measure by colleagues in the profession. Before I go, I’d like to share a moment with you. Last week, I was on yet another Zoom conference, and there was a contingent of Melbourne-based speech pathologists online. Nearing the end of the fourth city lockdown, one joked “everyone hates Melbourne.” Every other participant very swiftly jumped in and mentioned how the opposite is in fact true. Victorians are our heroes. For those 2902 members, and on behalf of the other nine thousand of us: thank you for furthering the profession by linking together and continuing to advance the profession in new ways. And, yet another highlight in this issue is reading about the Welcome Night at ACU. After this lockdown, there will be other nights just like this, and all over the country too. We’re optimistic, and (spoiler alert) we’ll be going Beyond Borders before you know it.

Tim Kittel

Tim Kittel National President

4

Speak Out | June 2021