Speech Pathologist -Inpatient Spinal Cord Injury Therapy

About Shepherd Center


With five decades of experience, Shepherd Center provides world-class clinical care, research, and family support for people experiencing the most complex conditions, including spinal cord and brain injuries, multi-trauma, traumatic amputations, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and pain. An elite center ranked by U.S. News as one of the nation's top hospitals for rehabilitation, Shepherd Center is also recognized as both Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems. Shepherd is the only rehabilitation facility in the nation with an intensive care unit on-site, allowing us to care for the most complex patients and begin the rehabilitation process sooner. Shepherd Center treats thousands of patients annually with unmatched expertise and unwavering compassion to help them begin again.


Shepherd Center's culture is one of hope, humor, and hard work. You will enjoy career growth, strong relationships with co-workers, strong support from leadership, and fun activities that have kept over 12% of staff members working at Shepherd for more than 20 years.


The speech-language pathologist treats patients referred for cognitive-communication and or dysphagia impairments. These patients range in age from adolescents thru geriatric. This role collaborates as part of an intra-disciplinary team leading cognitive, language, dysphagia and when deemed appropriate Augmentative Alternative Communication services. The speech-language pathologist collaborates to facilitate patient rehabilitation and recovery, as well as provide education and training to their care partners.

Job Responsibilities:

• Evaluates patient's speech, language, cognitive, and swallowing abilities and develops a Plan Of Care that is individualized towards the patient's cognitive-linguistic and/or swallowing capabilities to maximize their functional independence and safety.
• Completes appropriate diagnostic assessments via standardized and non-standardized means to create an individualized and patient centered plan of care.
• Plans and delivers education and training so that the patient and/or caregiver understand the patients current cognitive-linguistic and /or swallowing capabilities and how these clinical recommendations can impact the patient's environmental and safety needs.
• Integrates comprehensive diagnostic information to differentiate between motor speech, cognitive-communication, language, voice and dysphagia disorders.
• Makes recommendations for specialty services or consultations as needed.
  
• Uses evaluation and treatment findings to determine appropriate discharge planning needs.
  
• Effectively participates in intra-departmental staff meetings, and intra-departmental discipline/program committee assignments.
• Will participate in education programs by teaching and/or supervising students.
• Participates in research projects as warranted by departmental and/or organizational needs.
• Completes all required Speech Therapy documentation in accordance with the polices and expectations of Shepherd Center.
• Performance is consistent with Shepherd Center standards, clinical policies, and adheres to State of Georgia licensure and ASHA Certification guidelines.
• Adheres to Professional behaviors and expectations.
• Practices proper safety techniques in accordance with Center and departmental policies and procedures. Responsible for the reporting of employee/patient/visitor injuries or accidents, or other safety issues to the supervisor and in the occurrence notification system.
• Actively participates in center-wide initiatives that affect speech therapy practice and delivery
• Effectively Collaborates with team members, other colleagues and community stake holders.
• May float to inpatient or post-acute programs to provide patient evaluation or treatment sessions as needed.
• Performs other duties as required/requested.

Required Minimum Education:

• Master's or Doctoral degree from an accredited program in speech-language pathology.
  

Required Minimum Certification:

• Licensed to practice in the state of Georgia.
  
  
• Current certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech Language Hearing. Association or eligible for completion of Clinical Fellowship leading to ASHA certification.
  
• BLS Certification.
  
  

Required Minimum Experience:

• Placement within programs will depend on prior experience with given population and/or successful completion of identified clinical competencies.
  
  

Required Minimum Skills:

• Basic computer skills.
  
  
• Effective time management skills.
  
  
• Knowledge in diagnosis and treatment for speech, language, cognitive, swallowing impairments.
  
  
• Able to design a plan of caregiver that is patient centered with ability to address functional needs based upon the patient and caregiver environment of care.
  
  
• Successful completion of identified core competencies pertinent to specific treatment setting as it relates to age specific patient needs (i.e. adolescent, adult and geriatric)
  
  
• Demonstrates competency in time management, organization, planning to manage and maintain the demands of patient care caseload and all corresponding job responsibilities.
  
  
• Takes initiative for personal and clinical growth via opportunities for continuing education and maintaining licensure and certification.
  
  
• Communicates effectively using timely verbal, non-verbal and written communication.
  
  
• Collaborates with the organizational support structure (ST Therapy Manager, Program manager and/or director) in adapting to the changing work demands and environment.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Exposure or experience with diagnosis and treatment of patients with neurological impairments.
  

Physical Demands:

• Delivers therapy in a variety of modes such as at bedside, wheelchair level or in a table top manner.
  
• May involve walking or standing or exerting up to 15 pounds of force occasionally or a negligible amount of force frequently to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects, including the human body. May include assisting with and/or performing transfers as appropriate and positioning of patients, consistent with lifting up to 30 lbs.
  

Working Conditions:

• Normal patient care environment.
  
  
• Some potential for exposure to blood and body fluids.
  
• Some potential exposure to infectious viruses.
  

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all job duties performed by the personnel so classified.