Speech Pathology Australia - Allied Health Assistant Feature

in focus

Member perspectives Working with AHAs

Members from a range of practice areas and states share their insights, experiences and tips on working with AHAs to ensure a mutally rewarding relationship.

J enna Mottin is Co-Founder and Director of TalkHQ Speech Pathology, a private practice with four physical clinic locations and various outreach circuits across North Queensland. TalkHQ was established in 2014 by Jenna and Julie Sexton, speech pathologists who grew up rurally and wanted to help children succeed without distance as a barrier. It is a solely paediatric practice and due to the rural locations, the speech pathologists are generalists. Jenna discusses some of the procedures and insights that has made working with an AHA a valuable experience for the TalkHQ team. Why did you choose to work with AHAs? We choose to work with AHA's due to an increase in our waiting list in our rural clinics. But also, the challenges we faced recruiting speech pathologists to our rural facilities. We also work with AHA’s to increase dosage requirements for some therapy approaches to achieve best evidence- based practice. How many AHAs do you work with and how were they recruited to your workplace/PP? We currently work with two allied health assistants, both of whom had a relationship with TalkHQ. Could you provide some examples of activities/ tasks you support and supervise AHAs to carry out/ complete? • Delivering structured activities to increase dosage for children with speech sound difficulties. Jenna Mottin Co-Founder TalkHQ Speech Pathology, QLD

From TalkHQ in Northern Queensland is Alex Hartley, speech pathologist and team leader, and Elise Teitzel AHA.

What CPD/supports would you recommend investigating for yourself before working with AHAs? (training in delegation etc.) • Reading all of SPA's documents on working with AHA's and support workers. • Collaborating with speech pathology colleagues around their processes. What do you and your AHA do (and avoid) in order to work well together? Scheduled meetings to touch-base around the therapy program for the clients are useful, as are scheduled meetings to touch-base around the business standard operating procedures that are not clinical in nature. What procedures do you have in place to support the work you do with an AHA? We have structured delegation templates in our practice management software where communications can be logged.

• Delivering structured language group therapy. • Creating resources (i.e., visual supports etc) for families.

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Speak Out | June 2021