Do my students need a specific amount of hours?
While we do need to keep an eye on hours in general, especially in their last semester, we always stress to the students that they should be focusing on experiences to help prepare them after graduation and not on clockhours. There’s so much to be learned, like scheduling or billing, that doesn’t involve clockhours at all. Likewise, if a student obtains the 375 hours they need for ASHA certification, they are still expected to continue the learning process and work their established schedule until the end of the semester.
I work on a holiday when the university is closed. Does my student still need to come?
Yes! Your student is to follow your schedule, not the university’s, even when it involves emergency closings, like a snow day.
Do I have to do a midterm even if the student is just with me for half a semester?
We do understand the desire to keep paperwork to a minimum! As part of the supervisory process, it’s important to give your student that necessary feedback halfway through. If you talk to your liaison, they can share with you information on how to “duplicate” your midterm, allowing you to edit it for your final performance evaluation. This will be a time saver at the end of the semester. You can also find those instructions in our section on Calipso.
Can students bring university tests to evaluate some of the clients I have on caseload?
Students have access to a limited amount of diagnostic tests in our Performing Arts Library that they can check out and bring to external sites. All other materials in our clinic are accessible to students to reference on-campus only, but they are encouraged to use them to review test manuals, spark ideas for their own lesson plans, or make educational use copies of workbook materials.
I have multiple students. Are they allowed to co-treat?
In most cases, now that the pandemic is over, students co-treating are required to split minutes. That being said, if multiple students are actively involved the entire time, based on your clinical judgment, they are both permitted to count the entire time.
I am sick/on vacation/have a planned leave. Does the student need to come in anyhow?
While you can ultimately determine what is most appropriate for your student and facility, some suggestions we have
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Have your student work with another SLP that meets ASHA’s supervisory requirements.
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Have your student shadow and learn from other disciplines to expand their knowledge of the setting.
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Oftentimes, it’s so busy at the placement that students don’t always have the luxury to explore therapy materials or work on chart review skills (even with clients no longer on caseload), so this is a great opportunity to come in and practice.
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Get caught up on documentation or work ahead with lesson plans/reports
Whatever ultimately works best, please communicate any schedule alterations with your liaison.
What can count as clockhours?
Students can count time when they’re with a client or caregiver, much in the same we would bill insurance. They cannot count documentation time unless it’s at point of service and they’re doing client education on goals and progress. If students are in a care meeting, they can count the time they are actively discussing the client but not the time they are passively listening. Clients or caregivers must be present in real-time, so a phone call discussion can count for clockhours, but not an email.
ASHA’s 2020 standard V-C states: Only direct contact (e.g., the individual receiving services must be present) with the individual or the individual’s family in assessment, intervention, and/or counseling can be counted toward practicum. When counting clinical practicum hours for purposes of ASHA certification, only the actual time spent in sessions can be counted, and the time spent cannot be rounded up to the nearest 15-minute interval.