SLPA CA how to get supervised fieldwork hours??

[gigislp]

Hi guys! I was wondering if there is anyone who went the SLPA route in CA or who has info about that. Experience from other states is welcome too! I have to wait a year to apply to graduate school so I'm considering the SLPA route until I can start graduate school. I don't want to do an associate program because by the end of the year I will have the equivalent of a bachelor's in speech pathology. As far as I understand from the CA SLP website  (https://www.speechandhearing.ca.gov/applicants/app_pack_slp_assist.shtml ) if I get fieldwork experience on top of my bachelor's degree I can get SLPA certified. My program does not provide clinical experience (just the 25 observation hours). So how do I get fieldwork experience that will be acceptable for SLPA certification? I know in other states you are supposed to "find an SLP that will supervise you." How do I find and convince an SLP to supervise me? Also say I do find an SLP, what does this look like though? What will I be doing? What will the supervising SLP have to do? What are the steps/paperwork for the whole process? I'm also confused because if an SLPA can't work as an SLPA until they are certified, how can they work to get the hours to become certified? 

Btw, here is what I found from the CA SLP website that makes me believe all I need is fieldwork experience:

"...evidence of completion of a bachelor's degree program in speech-language pathology or communication disorders from an institution listed in the "Accredited Institutions of Postsecondary Education" handbook issued by the American Council on Education, and completion of the field work experience as required in Section 1399.170.10(c)(2)(B) from a Board-approved program, or completion of a minimum of seventy (70) hours of field work experience or clinical experience equivalent to that required in Section 1399.170.10(c)(2)(B) in a bachelor's degree program as recognized in this subsection."

 

[nitak]

Do you already have a bachelors in CD/SLP? If you do, you need enroll in a SLPA program (Loma Linda, CSUN, CSUEB) in order to get the 100 clinical hours required for your license. I did Loma Linda's program and it took 3 months. If you do not have a bachelors in CD/SLP you need to do an associates program which is 2 years. These are the only options to get certified in CA. You cannot get your SLPA license without going through an accredited program. If you decide to go the former route then you can contact SLP's in your area to see if they can supervise you for your hours if accepted to a program. I would look up clinics on yelp and just call or email the clinic directors. Hope this helps!

[SAktan]

Hi, I've been a SLPA for 5 years in CA. I did not follow the steps that the previous person stated.

 

I received a bachelor's in Speech-Language Hearing Science in Pennsylvania, and the hours which I received through my undergraduate program were enough for me to become certified. However, CA has increased their hours to 100. TYou can simply reach out to pediatric clinics in your area and explain that you are looking for 75 more hours of fieldwork experience to become a licensed SLPA. You can present the application to them which is listed on the website you provided in your post. In this case, a SLP from the clinic will be asked to take on a student (this would be you) for X amount of time.

Once you have completed the hours, you can apply for the SLPA license. The process will take anywhere from 1 to 3 months depending on other applications at this time. Once you receive the license and license number, you can simply apply to SLPA jobs in the state that you are licensed (in your case CA). The company you interview for will always have a supervisor SLP ready to take you on. You don't just need to convince someone to be your supervisor - there is already a system for this which SLPs must adhere to (check ASHA website for more information on SLP supervision requirements). You should always ask questions about what your supervisor will expect from you in your interview to ensure that they have a supervision system in place. There is also a supervision form which you will need to submit to your state once you have accepted a position including your signature and your supervisor's signature. This is very important. 

Please let me know if you need any links!

Good luck!