Recruitment and Retention of Speech-Language Pathologists: An Integrative Approach to the Shortage

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Recruitment and Retention of Speech-Language
Pathologists An Integrative Approach to the
Shortage

• Susan Graham, Douglas ESD
• John Tracy, Salem Hospital

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Purpose of Presentation

• The purpose of this presentation is twofold
  first to describe the progress in the state for
  improving statewide access to training and
  second, to describe successful strategies for
  recruiting and retaining speech-language
  pathologists.

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The Nature of the ShortageSurvey Results

• National Data
• OSERS (1990-2001 school years) listed speech
  impaired as a shortage in Oregon each year
• ASHA 2004 Schools Survey (4000 surveyed with 2,
  692 respondents)
• 62 said job openings more numerous than seekers
• 80 on West Coast said job openings more numerous
  than seekers
• Statewide Data
• Oregon 2005 survey approximately 60 positions
  open at mid-year

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Factors Underlying the Shortage

• Inadequate Number of Graduates
• Portland State takes 25 each year with majority
  remaining in Metro. Area
• University of Oregon takes 25 each year with 50
  leaving the state and 50 staying in or near Lane
  County
• Two training programs entertaining a combined
  distance graduate program

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Factors Underlying the Shortage

• Access to Training
• National certification and training program
  assures basic levels of competency but limits
  innovative approaches to delivery
• Program cost with limited funding for remaining
  state programs
• Focus on on-campus offerings and full-time
  enrollment only

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Factors Underlying the Shortage

• Past Focus Has Been on Short Term Recruitment
• Recruit to meet immediate or short term needs
• National recruitment minimally fruitful
• Strategies utilized often ineffective

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Short Term Recruitment StrategiesResearch-Based
Recruitment

• Teaching Research Institute 2002 Survey
• 265 respondents 33 SLPs all new to employment
  setting

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Short Term Recruitment StrategiesResearch-Based
Recruitment

• TRI 2002 Survey Results
• Top issues of importance
• 1. salary (exclusively SLPs)
• 2. support for continuing education
• 3. caseload size

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Short Term Recruitment StrategiesResearch-Based
Recruitment

• TRI 2002 Survey Results
• Top effective advertising strategies
• 1. word of mouth
• 2. internet-agency web site
• 3. quality of life (out of state)

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Short Term Recruitment StrategiesResearch-Based
Recruitment

• Rehabilitation Journal of Healthcare Management
  Survey
• 500 PTs, OTs and SLPs surveyed with 325
  respondents
• Top 5 issues of importance specific to SLPs,
  useful for recruitment and retention.
• Accomplishing career objectives
• Balance between work and home life
• Flexible schedule
• Adequate support staff
• Realistic work load

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Short Term Recruitment StrategiesResearch-Based
Recruitment

• Recommendations for Advertising
• Involve SLP in process Ad content, contacting
  candidates
• OSHA Shortage Survey indicated most effective
  advertising media
• Agency web site
• ASHA Leader
• Job aspects to showcase in advertising
• Technology
• Quality of life
• Reasonable case load
• Use of ASHA workload analysis
• Continuing education benefits
• Recommend use of one clearing house Teaching
  Research Institute Special Education Recruitment
  and Retention Project
• Post resumes
• List positions
• Link to EdZap
• National advertising for Oregon

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Short Term Recruitment StrategiesResearch-Based
Recruitment

• Follow-up with Potential Candidates
• Continuous follow-up
• Flexibility with tours, talks and timelines
• Cultivate with care-treat minority as majority
• Showcase the culture and introduce to best
  representatives

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Short Term Recruitment Strategies

• Career Fairs at University Training Programs
• Began in 2006
• Organized by the OSHA Ad hoc committee on
  shortages
• Rated by all participants as highly successful
• Plan to continue yearly, organized by National
  Student Speech-Language Hearing Association
• Focus on filling positions and developing long
  term contacts for near future
• second year students - jobs
• first year students - practicum and student
  teaching opportunities
• seniors and post bacs - what the various
  employment settings offer

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Short Term Recruitment Strategies

• Career Fairs at University Training Programs
• Portland State University April 7, 2006

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Long Term Grassroots RecruitmentA Long Term
Recruitment Strategy

• Grassroots recruitment kit
• Grow Your Own
• Speech-Language Pathologist
• Based on Project from OMNIE Ohio Masters
  Network Initiatives in Education

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Long Term Grassroots RecruitmentA Long Term
Recruitment Strategy

• Grow Your Own Speech-Language Pathologist
• Kit contents
• Contents can be downloaded from the Teaching
  Research or Oregon Speech-Language and Hearing
  Association web site.
• The DVD can be obtained from the Ohio
  Speech-Language and Hearing Association OMNIE
  Project.
• Also available is the Reward Yourself kit with
  pamphlets available from the American
  Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
• (See resources on the last slides.)

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Long Term Grassroots RecruitmentA Long-Term
Recruitment Strategy

• Grow Your Own Speech-Language Pathologist
• Potential Candidates
• High school students who are looking for a
  rewarding career
• Community college students who want to continue
  school while working.
• Local students who are in university programs
• Teachers in your district who are looking for a
  career change
• Speech-language pathology assistants currently
  working in your area
• People in your community who may have background
  in communication disorders

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Long Term Grassroots RecruitmentA Long-Term
Recruitment Strategy

• Grow Your Own Speech-Language Pathologist
• Stipend
• The Oregon Speech-Language and Hearing
  Association received a grant from the American
  Speech-Language-Hearing Association that covered
  the costs of publishing the kits and provided
  (20) 150.00 stipends for SLPs to make
  presentations to local groups on the profession.

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• OMNIE DVD
• Video clips of SLPs in a variety of activities
  and settings
• Kathy Heslep, SLP
• VTS_05_1.VOB

Dont Miss the Bus Communication Happens in the
Schools!
Allison Smith, SLP VTS_03_1.VOB
Matt DeMooy, SLP VTS_15_1.VOB
JoAnn Coffin, SLP VTS_07_1.VOB
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Approaches to Retention

• Teaching Research Institute Top 3
• Developed from survey data
• The 3
• Time to regularly meet with supervisors SLPs
  salary
• Regular or frequent meetings with SLPs
• Observation of other staff

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Approaches to Retention

• Journal of Healthcare Management Big 3
• Specific to speech-language pathologists
• The 3
• Flexible schedule
• Accomplishing career objectives
• Proper training

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Approaches to Retention

• Ad Hoc Committee on Shortages Speech-Language Top
  3
• Taken from CEC 1998 for special educators based
  on literature review
• The 3 (6/9 respondents)
• Provision of collaboration opportunities with
  special and general educators
• Administrators have realistic expectations
  regarding scope and accountability
• Principals acknowledge importance of SLPs in
  educational process

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Approaches to Retention

• The Effects of Caseload Size
• High caseload size predictive of low job
  satisfaction
• High caseload a major factor in causing SLPs to
  leave the profession
• Spending excessive time beyond the regular work
  day predictor of SLP attrition

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Oregon Speech-Language and Hearing AssociationAd
Hoc Committee on Shortages of SLPsINITIATIVES
AND ACHIEVEMENTS
Access to Training

• Initiative Increase number of students in SLP
  graduate programs

• 1. Proposed distance or summer graduate program
  to Oregon training program directors. (Sept.
  2005)
• 2. Completed survey of distance education
  programs. (Aug. 2006)
• 3. Distance graduate program identified Nova
  Southeastern University recognized by OSHA
  board. (Oct. 2006)
• 4. Developed Oregon cohort in cooperation with
  Nova Southeastern University. (Sept. 2006)

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Oregon Speech-Language and Hearing AssociationAd
Hoc Committee on Shortages of SLPsINITIATIVES
AND ACHIEVEMENTS
Access to Training

• 5. ODE funded scholarship for members of the Nova
  Oregon cohort of 5,000.00 to 10,000.00. Also,
  each member received a tuition discount of
  5,400.00.
• 6. Participated with Oregon School Personnel
  Administrators Assoc. in development of
  legislation to increase number of scholarships to
  21 for Chemeketa SLPA program and 10 for a new
  Nova cohort in Fall 2008.
• 7. Developed cohort support system in
  cooperation with Teaching Research Institute.
  (Mar. 2007)
• 8. Nova program began. (Aug. 2007)

• Initiative Increase number of students in SLP
  graduate programs

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Oregon Speech-Language and Hearing AssociationAd
Hoc Committee on Shortages of SLPsINITIATIVES
AND ACHIEVEMENTS
Access to Training

• Initiative Increase availability of practicum,
  student teaching and externship sites and
  efficiency of student placement.

• 1. Introduced students at both training programs
  to availability of sites through career fairs.
• 2. Finalize model of partnership between
  regional ESDs and two state university training
  programs in practicum, student teaching and
  externship identification, contracting and
  student placement. (In Process)
• 3. Add listing to Spec. Ed. Recruitment and
  Retention Project at Teaching Research Institute
  web site of available ASHA certified supervisors
  in all K-12 districts and ESDs. (In Process)

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Oregon Speech-Language and Hearing AssociationAd
Hoc Committee on Shortages of SLPsINITIATIVES
AND ACHIEVEMENTS

• Recruitment

• Initiative Develop yearly career fairs at both
  university training programs.

• 1. Facilitated first career fairs held at PSU
  and U of O. Employers invited were K-12 school
  districts and ESDs in the state. (PSU Apr 2006
  U of O May 2006)
• 2. Expanded number of employer types invited
  increased the size of the venues and change date
  for U of O career fair. (U of O Dec. 2006 PSU
  Apr. 2007)
• 3. Program departments and National Student
  Speech-Language Hearing Associations on both
  campuses take over and sustain career fair
  organization and operation. (Apr. 2007)

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Oregon Speech-Language and Hearing AssociationAd
Hoc Committee on Shortages of SLPsINITIATIVES
AND ACHIEVEMENTS

• Recruitment

• Initiative Develop a local recruitment strategy.

• 1. Began development of Grow Your Own plan.
  (Apr. 2006)
• 2. Obtained grant request to the American
  Speech-Language Hearing Assoc. for stipends and
  other funds for project. (Grant awarded Apr.
  2006)
• 3. Produced and distributed Grow Your Own
  kits. (Oct. 2006)
• 4. Presented committee strategy and the Grow
  Your Own kit at COSA and OSHA conferences and
  distribute kits. (Oct. 2006)

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Oregon Speech-Language and Hearing AssociationAd
Hoc Committee on Shortages of SLPsINITIATIVES
AND ACHIEVEMENTS
Recruitment

• Initiative Develop a local recruitment strategy.

• 5. Remaining Grow Your Own kits mailed to K-12
  districts and ESDs, to assure every school
  district and ESD to have one model kit for use in
  local recruiting. (Dec. 2006)
• 6. Contents of Grow Your Own kits available on
  the Teaching Research Institute and OSHA web
  sites for downloading. (Feb. 2007)
• 7. Presentation on local recruitment using the
  Grow Your Own kit at the OAESD conference.
  (May 2007)

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Oregon Speech-Language and Hearing AssociationAd
Hoc Committee on Shortages of SLPsINITIATIVES
AND ACHIEVEMENTS

• Retention

• Initiative Identify and disseminate research on
  retention of SLPs.

• 1. Research summaries provided as part of the
  two presentations previously described. (Oct.
  2006)
• 2. Include research summaries on retention as
  part of final report of committee actions. (Oct.
  2007)
• 3. Disseminate report at the OSHA fall
  conference. (Oct. 2007)
• 4. Send copies of report to all SPED directors
  in the state. (Oct. 2007)

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Recruitment and Retention Integrated Studies

• Harrington, Beam and Laurel, 1992 ERIC document
  identified five factors specific to recruitment
  and retention of 1,800 PTs, OTs and SLPs
  practicing statewide in New Mexico.
• The Five Factors for SLPs (no order of
  importance)
• 1. Professional relationships, program
  philosophy and environment
• (relationships with co-workers in the
  discipline, administrative
• support, relationships with co-workers in
  other disciplines, program
• philosophy, supervisors and working
  environment)
• 2. Job location and benefits
• 3. Types of clients and caseload
• 4. Opportunities for advancement
• (access to university courses, tuition
  assistance, relevancy of
• courses provided by employer, release time
  and opportunities for
• advancement and other challenges)
• 5. Flexibility in work schedule including
  ability to work part-time

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Recruitment and Retention Integrated Studies

• Edgar and Rosa-Lugo, 2007 Language, Speech and
  Hearing Services in Schools surveyed over 500
  SLPs working the public schools of Central
  Florida on critical factors of the job
  environment affecting recruitment and retention.
• 1. Overwhelming workload (amount of time spent
  on paperwork,
• attending meetings, collaborating with
  teachers, providing direct
• services and other assigned duties)
• 2. Misunderstanding of SLP role by
  administrators
• 3. Salary
• 4. High caseloads
• Three Major Concerns
• 1. Lack of training in supervision and mentoring
• 2. Size of caseload
• 3. Misunderstanding of role of SLP by
  administrators and other
• educational professionals

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Bibliography

• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
  (2002) a. A workload analysis approach
• for establishing speech-language caseload
  standards in the schools (Technical report)
• Rockville, MD.
• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
  (2002) b. Omnibus survey caseload report SLP,
  Rockville, MD.
• Blood, G.W., Ridenour, T.S., Thomas, E. A.,
  Qualls, C.D. Hammer, C.S. (2002).
• Predicting job satisfaction among
  speech-language pathologists in public schools.
• Language, Speech and Hearing Services in the
  Schools, (33), 282-290.
• Jacoby, G.P., Lee, L., Kummer, A.W., Levin, L.A.,
  Creaghead, N.A. (2002). The number of
  individual treatment units necessary to
  facilitate functional communication improvement
  in the speech and language of young children.
  American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology,
  (4), 370-386.
• Mullins, F, Morris, S., Reinoehl, K. Retention
  and Recruitment of Special Educators
• and Related Services Personnel State Plan
  and Strategic Plan Provisions,
• ERIC Document EC 306559, 1997.
• Randolph, D. S. (2005). Predicting the effect of
  extrinsic and intrinsic job satisfaction
• factors on recruitment and retention of
  rehabilitation professionals.
• Journal of Healthcare Management, (50),
  49-60.

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Additional Resources

• Oregon Speech-Language Hearing Association
  contact for the Ad-Hoc Committee on SLP Shortage
  http// www.oregonspeechandhearing.org/
• Oregon Special Education Recruitment and
  Retention Project job postings, mentoring,
  scholarship possibilities http//www.tr.wou.edu/rr
  p/index.htm
• American Speech and Hearing Association lists of
  Bachelors and Masters programs nationwide
  http//www.asha.org
• Oregon Board of Examiners in Speech and
  Audiology Licensing information, laws governing
  for SLPs and SLPAs http//www.oregon.gov/BSPA/ind
  ex.shtml
• Teacher Standards and Practices Commission
  Licensing Information
• http//www.tspc.state.or.us/
• University of Oregon, Communication Disorders and
  Sciences
• http//education.uoregon.edu/field.htm?id45
• Portland State University,Communication Disorders
  Program
• http//www.sphr.pdx.edu/academics/
• Chemeketah Community College
• Speech-Language Pathology Assistant Program

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Thank you