Speech Pathologist

Speech Pathologist

Core Duties:

• Develop coherent treatment strategies.
• Incorporate new clinical procedures sufficient to perform clinical services independently.
• Conduct patient assessments; provide treatment interventions and consultation to other health care professionals.
• Use instrumentation (e.g., videofluoroscopy, nasendoscopy, stroboscopy, computer technology) to observe, collect data, and measure parameters of communication and swallowing, or other upper aero-digestive functions in accordance with the principles of evidence-based practice.
• Provide prevention, screening, consultation, assessment and diagnostic, treatment, intervention, management, counseling, and follow-up services for disorders of speech and language, including comprehension and expression in oral, written, graphic, and manual modalities.

Additional Duties: NMCSD Speech Pathologist

• Provide in-patient and outpatient care involving a full range of speech and language pathology evaluation and treatment services to include, but not limited to: selection of screening and assessment instruments for speech, language, cognitive function, voice, fluency, and/or swallowing disorders, interpretation of patient evaluations and soundness of treatment plans.
• Evaluation and interpretation of assessments, make recommendations for therapeutic intervention and referrals for other services; design and implement a treatment plan that meets evidence-based practices patterns.
• Management of complex patients with sensory, motor, physical, cognitive, or other issues. Responsible for making clinical management options, decision making, analyzing complex data, risk, complication, morbidity, and mortality evaluations to include modification of tracheoesophageal voice prosthesis and laryngectomy tubes. Evaluate and select patients with tracheostomas who may or may not be ventilator dependent for fitting speaking valves and swallowing functions with speaking valves in place.
• Work with physicians on flexible/ nonflexible, rigid endoscopy with stroboscopy, nasopharyngoscopy, fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing with/without sensory testing, and videofluoroscopic modified barium swallow exams; and independently conducts acoustic and perceptual speech and voice evaluations.
• Provide patient and family education and counselling regarding cognitive communication, speech- language, voice and swallowing disorders, treatment plans to include patient homework assignments, treatment progress, diet, and exercise, prognosis, and community resources.
• Prepare documents for physician's review for various entities to include but not limited to, disability, VA, and the DMV.

Qualifications: NMCSD Speech Pathologist

• Possess a minimum of 2 years of acute and/or rehabilitation hospital-based experience within the past 4 years as a credentialed Speech and Language Pathologist working with individuals with traumatic brain injury and other neurological disorders. To include conducting clinical bedside swallow assessments, Modified Barium Swallow Studies, diagnostic evaluations of neurogenic speech, language and cognitive disorders, and implementation of evidence-based interventions for cognitive-communication disorders.
• This position is subject to credentialing per 5.2.6.4.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Degree: Master's degree in speech pathology or communication disorders.
• Education: Graduate from a college or university that includes at least 18 semester hours in the field of speech pathology by a regional accreditation organization and a speech pathology academic program accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation of the American Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).
• Certification: Maintain current certification of Clinical Competency in speech-language pathology (CCC- SLP) from ASHA.
• Experience: As required to meet clinical competency requirements as specified in the service-specific credentialing instruction.
• Licensure: Current, full, active, and unrestricted license to practice as a speech pathologist as required in the TO.

Work Schedule:

Services shall be provided Monday through Friday, between the hours of 0700 and 1700. Shifts will normally be scheduled for an 8.5-hour period, to include an uncompensated 30-minute meal break, respectively. HCW on a regularly scheduled alternative workweek shall not work longer than ten (10) hours in a day within a 40-hour workweek. Overtime is NOT authorized. Services are not required on Federal Holidays. In no instance will the HCW be required to provide services more than 80 hours per two-week period.