Speech Language Pathologist

About this role

Position Overview:

Speech & Language Pathologists provide services to develop, enhance, or restore functional communication, speech, language, and/or feeding/swallowing skills of clients whose abilities to communicate effectively and/or to eat safely and efficiently are threatened or impaired by physical, cognitive, social-emotional, and sensory impairments.

Speech & Language Pathologists at NAPA Center complete skilled assessments and provide skilled intervention to infants, toddlers, children, and adolescents with a variety of diagnoses that impact speech production, receptive language, expressive language, social-pragmatic skills, and feeding/swallowing skills within the professional scope of practice.

The role requires all therapists to work as part of a multidisciplinary team and provide evidence-based interventions to clients that include complex communication and feeding needs.

Requirements

• Minimum qualifications include completion of at least a Master of Arts or Applied Science in Speech-Language Pathology, Communication Disorders, Communication Sciences and Disorders, or equivalent, from an accredited university.
• Must have and maintain state license with the appropriate licensing board.
• Clinical Fellows are welcome to apply. However, licensed SLPs must have and maintain ASHA CCC credentials.
• Experience in a pediatric setting with exposure to children and/or young adults with complex disabilities is preferred.
• Background clearance by the DOJ and FBI.
• Annual TB test clearance.
• CPR and First Aid certificates.
• Good physical health and fitness, including the ability to frequently perform, on a daily basis, the following movements over a 6-8 hour period without experiencing pain or abnormal fatigue:
• Lift, push or pull up to and including 50 pounds with hands and wrists as therapeutic handling is manually intensive
• Independently transfer dependent patients up to 85 pounds
• Independently offer contact guard assistance for ambulatory patients of up to 125 pounds
• Maintain extended periods of standing and/or sitting on the floor for up to 7 hours per day
• Move from floor to standing position back to floor frequently (6-7 hours) throughout the day
• Create a safe, professional, and supportive environment where clients, families and colleagues feel empowered to succeed.
• Ability to communicate confidently and effectively with clients and other medical professionals.
• Display a level of professional empathy towards clients and the ability to develop rapport.
• Maintain appropriate professional boundaries with clients and their families.
• Exercise discipline by completing all documentation, reporting requirements and training in an accurate and timely manner.
• Team player that can demonstrate the values for working as part of multi-disciplinary team to advance a client’s needs.
• Demonstrates the ability to take on additional responsibilities with time, including assessment and development of treatment plans for more complex cases, supervision of therapy aides/volunteers and additional clinic responsibilities.
• Ability to travel for periods of time for training/treating may be required.

Responsibilities

• Assessment, diagnosis, and treatment with documentation of speech, language, social communication, cognitive-communication, and feeding-swallowing disorders primarily in the pediatric population.
• Possess general knowledge of child development to assess and refer families to other disciplines when appropriate.
• Assess a client’s communication and/or feeding/swallowing skills using a variety of standardized tools and clinical observation/informal analysis to identify primary impairments and determine a plan for treatment.
• Utilize multiple frames of reference to inform practice, including but not limited to: neurodevelopmental, developmental biomechanical, sensory integration, motor learning, cognitive, and rehabilitation.
• Create tailored treatment plans to address client’s limitations, taking into account their age, abilities, and other medical/physical factors.
• Involvement with patient, family, and caregivers to train, teach, and provide strategies to improve communication in all environments.
• Assessment, development, application and/or training in the use of aided communication devices.
• Demonstrate understanding of the use of various AAC systems and access methods, including, but not limited to, eye gaze and switch access.
• Demonstrate understanding of assessment and treatment of oral-pharyngeal motor skills, feeding/swallowing mechanics, and sensory-based feeding difficulties.
• Utilization of multi-modal communication strategies (manual signs, Augmentative and Alternative Communication, verbal language, gesture, body language, partner-assisted scanning, etc.).
• Prescribe home exercise programs for patient/caregivers to promote carryover and generalization of skills obtained during therapy sessions for continued progress in the community.
• Adapt environments and processes to enhance functional performance of clients in and out of therapy sessions.
• Actively participate in professional development, including continuing education opportunities provided through the organization, from outside providers, as well as through opportunities offered as part of regular clinical supervision
• Maintain impeccable documentation. Ensure that treatment notes are recorded accurately and timely in the electronic health record system, according to the policies of NAPA Center.
• Report writing, including but not limited to evaluations, progress reports, school district annual IEP reports, assistive technology.
• Act as a member of an interdisciplinary team to create a comprehensive developmental approach to client-centered care.
• Develop rapport with clients and families to build a relationship of trust and mutual respect.
• Work closely with administrative staff to manage the schedule and ensure that time is being used productively.
• Provide input into the development of clinical practices and procedures.
• Act in accordance with all company, legal and industry policies and ethics.
• Comply with all professional development requirements for maintenance of registration as a Speech & Language Pathologist with the appropriate licensing board.
• Work in a healthy and safe manner and encourage others to do the same
• Company Values:
• All NAPA Center employees must demonstrate the company’s core values, which include:
• Love –NAPA is a family business built on the love that parents have for their children. Embody NAPA’s spirit of love through kind actions, warmth, and communication used every day.
• Share - strive to collaborate and educate as part of the NAPA team, so that our clients and their families leave NAPA with positivity and hope.
• Grow – evolve, engage, and continue to learn, from our clients, our colleagues and our industry so that we truly offer the best therapy possible.
• Hope – believe in the potential of every child and commit to helping them succeed, giving families hope when others have failed.