UW-Eau 克莱尔 expands speech therapy and audiology service options 为 社区

The 威斯康星大学欧克莱尔分校’s 交流障碍中心 (CCD) is expanding its speech-language health care service options to respond to 社区 needs after the announcement that multiple clinics and 医院 are closing in the Chippewa Valley.

圣心脏医院在欧克莱尔和圣心脏医院. Joseph’s Hospital in Chippewa Falls will close along with several Prevea Health clinics in the region in March and April, reducing the available speech therapy and audiology services.

“随着HSHS和Prevea的关闭, we, 在CCD上, have experienced an increase in the number of people from the Chippewa Valley inquiring about and accessing our speech and language services,林赛Pohlen说, CCD导演. “This has provided our student clinicians with the opportunity to earn clinical hours and has diversified their clinical experience. The 交流障碍中心 is grateful to be able to serve those in our 社区.”

在校园的 CCD provides speech-language pathology services across all age ranges, 从童年早期到成年晚期. All services are free and provided by undergraduate and graduate students who are pursuing degrees in speech-language pathology, 听力学或其他类似专业.

Services are supervised by UW-Eau 克莱尔 faculty members who are licensed speech-language pathologists (SLPs) with expertise in all service-delivery areas. The CCD provides individual and group services both in person and via telehealth.

“While the CCD currently maintains a waiting list 为 individual services, existing groups have the capability to incorporate additional clients,波伦说. “We are striving to balance the needs of our students and the health care and service needs of the 社区.”

UW-Eau 克莱尔’s Communication Sciences and Disorders program also is preparing additional professionals to address the 社区’s long-term speech therapy and audiology service needs.

The program offers a variety of options 为 students to earn a degree, 本科和硕士都有. 作为一名SLP需要硕士学位, but individuals can practice as a speech-language pathology assistant (SLPA) under the supervision of an SLP in a variety of service delivery settings. Both SLPs and SLPAs are needed across the region and state to fill numerous open positions, and especially to start new private-practice clinics to meet the growing need 为 services.

The department offers both an on-campus and online master’s degree. 作为这个项目的一部分, students gain academic and clinical experience with individuals of all ages, 最终导致作为SLP的许可. Graduate students in the online program complete their clinical 培训 in 网站s within their home 社区. Graduate students in the on-campus program complete their clinical 培训 by providing services both within the CCD on campus, but also in conjunction with 社区 SLPs throughout the Chippewa Valley.

 与学校的区域特殊服务学生建立伙伴关系, 医院, nursing homes and outpatient clinics are critical 为 培训 the next generation of SLPs.

“Closures of these regional health care partners have negatively impacted this 培训 program, in addition to reducing the health care options 为 people throughout the region,劳拉·普林斯说。, 惩教署外部就业协调员. “We are grateful to other regional partners who have stepped in to assist students in finishing their clinical 培训.”

对于那些想要获得学士学位的人, the traditional on-campus program is recognized throughout the region 为 high-quality education. 最近, 添加新证书, allowing CSD students to complete the 培训 required to become an SLPA. 从2024年秋季开始, 学生可以完成整个学士学位, 包括SLPA证书, 在一个完全在线的格式.

“We hope that adding a fully online option will allow prospective students throughout our region, 整个威斯康辛州, to get access to this 培训 program without having to uproot their entire life to move to Eau 克莱尔博士说。. 艾比Hemmerich, CSD系主任.

额外的SLPA选项是可能的，这要归功于9美元.4 million Work为ce Innovation Grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. UW-Eau 克莱尔’s multiyear award focuses on strengthening the regional work为ce with new health-related career options and programming.

“The CSD program has effectively leveraged the resources of the WEDC Work为ce Innovation Grant to serve the health care needs of northwest Wisconsin and beyond博士说。. 卡门·曼宁，学院院长 教育与人文科学学院 and co-primary investigator 为 the WEDC grant.

有关SLPA计划的更多信息, on-campus bachelor’s degree and the online bachelor’s degree, 参观 传播科学与疾病学术课程 网站.