By: Suzanne Bonifert, MS, CCC-SLP, Vice President of Professional Services
As we head into the fall, I am filled with so much gratitude as I consider all the work our committees have been doing to serve the members of the Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association (TSHA). The umbrella of Professional Services covers the places where you work every day as speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and audiologists. We are here to help and support you in your places of employment. The chairs and committee members have worked tirelessly to serve you this past year. Let’s highlight some of the accomplishments thus far.
The Business Management Committee led by Ronda Polansky and Pam Ragland submitted an article to the Communicologist and also created and revised resources for the TSHA website related to issues of reimbursement, documentation, insurance changes, and challenges.
The Cultural and Linguistic Diversity (CLD) Committee led by Maria Resendiz and Lauren Weathers also submitted a Communicologist article and distributed the new cultural and linguistic diversity companion to members.
The Medical Speech Pathology Committee led by Julian Garcia and Ashley Brown scheduled five professional talks for the TSHA webinar series. On October 4, Teresa Drulia will be presenting on “Hard to Swallow: Facts about COPD and Dysphagia,” a timely topic in our current post-COVID-19 environment. In addition, the committee hosted a successful forum and networking event at the TSHA 2023 Convention.
The Public School Committee led by Kendall Cain has been working on promotion through social media. You may have seen some posts highlighting committee members and their workplaces. You will be seeing more from the Public School Committee on social media to encourage and uplift our public school SLPs as well as to provide tips and tricks. Finally, this committee has been updating their resources for public school SLPs on the TSHA website.
The Public School Advisory/Joint TSHA-Texas Council of Administrators of Special Education (TCASE) Committee led by Cherry Wright held their yearly forum at the TSHA Convention and continues to serve public school SLPs by receiving and disseminating input that impacts TSHA and TCASE members.
The SLP Assistants/SLP Assistants’ Supervisors Committee led by Venessa Grandjean and Elisa Martinez presented at the TSHA Convention and updated resources on the TSHA website related to issues relevant to SLP assistants and supervisors.
The Telepractice Committee led by Maria Resendiz presented at the TSHA Convention and is currently updating resources for the TSHA website. Telepractice has exploded since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and there are many updated resources available for speech-language pathologists and audiologists.
The University Issues Committee led by Chris Bolinger and Karen Hennington has been busy updating content on the TSHA website and conducting an all-directors meeting in May. This collaborative forum with representation across the state was an excellent opportunity to brainstorm and get feedback on current hot topics. In addition, an all-directors listserv has been developed to facilitate communication.
Clearly, there are many initiatives underway to serve you. We are so grateful and thankful for the work of each of these chairs and their committee members. I would also like to thank our two councilors, Melanie Van Noy and Lisa Rukovena, who work with me to help support each of these committees. It is truly a team effort, and we have one of the best in Professional Services. Do you have questions or thoughts about how we can help you as TSHA members? Do not hesitate to reach out to us. We welcome your questions and feedback as you are the reason why we are here.
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