Uniformity Across the States - You're Dreaming!

Hey, folks!

Today I feel the need to bring an issue into the light that I think many Speech Language Pathologist's (SLP's) across the nation would agree with.

My husband and I had considered moving elsewhere within the U.S., including the states of Texas and Idaho. I contacted their respective state licensing boards to receive clarification of acceptance via ASHA Certification (CCC's) in the absence of a U.S. graduate level education. To my disappointment, I never received a definitive response. Fortunately, Florida did accept my CCC's alone as an avenue for Florida state licensure.

America is funny that way – each state has its own rules and regulations. There is no such thing as uniformity across the nation.

Not all states will solely accept ASHA Certification, despite completion of the MRA program which proves Australian SLP qualification is the equivalent to that of an American graduate level education. This makes me sad as the world is becoming a platform for information- and resource-sharing on a global scale. Our profession needs to keep up with this current trend.

You can look up SLP license requirements on a state by state basis here.


This brings me to another very IMPORTANT point:

It's not only difficult for foreigners to gain state licensure. I have been in touch with many American citizens, who have completed their education within America yet have experienced great difficulty applying for state licensure, and in particular, transferring their license between states. Some of the stories include living on the borderline between two states but only being able to be licensed and work in one, and struggling to keep up with all of the differing requirements to maintain two, or multiple, state licenses.

Something needs to be done about this inconsistency. We need to advocate for our profession and increase awareness of this issue.

When I attended ASHA's Annual Convention in Orlando, Florida, last year, I was highly intrigued by a poster session presented by Shelly Chabon (PhD, CCC-SLP). She outlined the vast differences in renewal fees across the states, highlighting just one of the many drawbacks to maintaining multiple state licenses. Fortunately, Shelly has given me permission to show you two photographs that I took of her poster:

Presentation by Shelly Chabon (PhD, CCC-SLP). Photo taken by Maree Richardson. 

Presentation by Shelly Chabon (PhD, CCC-SLP). Photo taken by Maree Richardson. 

What have been some of your experiences applying for state licenses, transferring licenses interstate, or maintaining multiple state licenses?

Have a great week,

Maree

My Pathway to Florida Licensure

Hey folks!

In my second post (the main reason I started this blog) I talked about transferring my degree internationally and my path to gaining U.S. national certification as a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP). Today, I thought I would share in more detail how I obtained state licensure to work as an SLP within the state of Florida.

In Australia, registration with the national certifying board, Speech Pathology Australia (SPA), is not a requirement, nor does a license exist. Successful completion of intensive, undergraduate courses accredited by SPA is what's required to practice. When I moved to America, you can imagine how mind-blown I was when I was told that I not only needed to be registered on a national scale through the American Speech, Language and Hearing Association (ASHA), but also obtain a license to practice at state level. Whaaaattt?!


The Florida Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology stipulates three possible pathways to obtaining state licensure:

1. Licensure by Evaluation of Credentials (i.e. Master's or doctoral degree and their accompaniments).
2. Licensure by Endorsement from Another State/Territory (i.e. holding a valid license or certificate in another U.S. state or territory). 
3. Licensure by Endorsement of Certificate of Clinical Competence by ASHA (i.e. currently holds a CCC from ASHA). 

I pursued route number 3. More information about all pathways to obtaining a license in the state of Florida can be found here and here.

The good news is that obtaining my state license was a quicker process than national certification. It was simply a matter of completing the application, paying fees, completing a couple of online courses, and submitting supporting documents. The application can be completed online, which can be found here.

As a foreign candidate who obtained my CCC's through the Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA), rather than undergoing U.S. graduate level education, I felt it was necessary to clarify that the Florida Board would accept my application upon completion of all the requirements specified in pathway number 3. Thus, I contacted the Florida Board in written form to discuss my situation as a foreign candidate.

Did I receive a definitive answer? Drum roll please...


YES!

I had in writing that the Florida Board would accept my application as long as I successfully completed all of the requirements set out in route number 3.

Each U.S. state holds its own set of requirements, some more strict than others. This is a very important topic which deserves a blog post of its own, so I will discuss this another time.

Who else out there has gone through a state licensure process? If so, which state? What did the process entail?


Have a great week,

Maree

Surprise Trip!

"Surprise!" I shouted as I greeted my best friend and my parents at their doorsteps. Yes, you guessed it. I have been back on home soil!

Greg landed a work contract in North Sydney, Australia, this year. With two more weeks of freedom before my job started, I decided to jump on board for his first work trip. It was only a very short trip, a few days in length. The best part about it - my family and friends didn't know! I could hardly contain my excitement on the flight over.

When we flew into Sydney, the sun was shining, the birds were singing, and boats were lounging on the peaceful waters of Sydney Harbour. We checked in early to our hotel to freshen up after the long flight. Showering after flying long distance is one of the best feelings in the world. It makes you feel human again. Similar to the feeling of showering after a long, hot day in the shearing shed (that's the farm girl side of me talking)!

The first thing on my to-do list was to surprise my best friend, Rach, who had recently moved to Sydney. To ensure she would be home, I called her on Facetime to 'catch up' and find out her schedule for the day. Greg had the brilliant idea of shutting the curtains and switching the bed lamp on in our hotel room to create the illusion that we were in Florida, where it was night-time. I had asked Rach for her address a week in advance, stating that I had a parcel to send her. Little did she know that the parcel was me... :)

I found Rach's apartment, rang the buzzer and said "Ma'am, I have a parcel for you to sign off on". "Okay, I'll be up in a minute", she responded. Her series of reactions were priceless. She froze, gasped, swore, attacked me with a huge hug, and trembled for the following 10 minutes in complete shock. It's all captured on video, too. I wish I could post the video here, however I don't think Rach would be happy with me if I showed the rest of the world what she looks like in her pyjamas. ;)

Blackwattle Bay and Sydney CBD. Photo credit to Will Jury.

Stand up paddle (SUP) boarding in Mosman.

The next thing on my to-do list was to surprise my parents. I was warned that I should ensure Mum was not standing on a hard surface when I surprised her, because, well, you know what mothers are like.

It was not quite the 'wow factor' I was going for, as Mum was not going to be home the night I had planned to come home. Thus, I called my parents just before my flight, telling them that there would be a very important package waiting for them at Parkes airport that afternoon. Of course, neither of them 'clicked' that it would be me, so I bluntly told them outright what the 'important package' was. My brother also made it home for the weekend. Needless to say, Mum and Dad said it was the best surprise that they could ever ask for. Daughter points right there! ;)

After a joyous weekend, I flew back to Sydney and caught up with a couple more of my besties. Since leaving the country and talking with foreigners, I have found a new appreciation for Sydney. It really is a unique city. I would recommend taking a ferry ride across the Harbour - superb views of the iconic Harbour Bridge and Opera House.

Harbour Bridge and Opera House.

Ferry ride across the Harbour.

Outside Luna Park. Happy faces!

I also went out to dinner with Greg and his two work mates from New Zealand. I had spent time with these Kiwi's in England and Germany a year ago (on another one of their work trips). They are some of the most intelligent guys I know, with a wicked sense of humour. I haven't heard from them since they lost the Cricket World Cup to Australia this weekend... Go figure. ;)

If you're ever on the north side of Sydney Harbour, I recommend dining at a little Indian Restaurant called Harbourside Indian Restaurant. The service is exceptional, price is reasonable, and the views - SPECTACULAR. You can see for yourself here.

Although a very short trip, it was perhaps one of the best I've ever taken. I find that when I am strapped for time, I don't take it for granted. I make the most of each and every moment.

Who else has visited Australia? What were your experiences?


Have an awesome week,

Maree

Reaching Out on Social Media

Hello, world!

My train of thought today veers from the heavy topics to a more light-hearted one. 

I thought I would share my favorite social media platforms for reaching out to others who have moved/worked abroad or those who are thinking of doing so, primarily in the field of Speech Language Pathology (SLP). I will continue to add to this list as I discover more resources.

Facebook Groups:

• SLPs Going Abroad - a special shout out to this group, administered by an SLP who moved abroad. I have been fortunate to connect with some really awesome SLP's who are 'in the same boat as me' (i.e. have/are experiencing the trials and tribulations of transferring their degrees internationally). 
• Speech Pathologists at Large
• Travel Therapists

Twitter Hashtags:

• #MoveSLP - this hashtag was created by @WeSpeechies administrators.
• #WeSpeechies - this hashtag was created by Australian SLP's. The weekly chats have enabled me to connect with an informative group of SLP's from all over the world.
• #SLPeeps - this hashtag enabled me to link up with a supportive bunch of American SLP's, who I had the honor of meeting face-to-face during the 2014 ASHA Convention in Orlando, Florida. 

#SLPeeps at #ASHA14.   Photo credit to LessonPix.

Blogs:

I have stumbled across a few blogs about traveling SLP's within the United States (nationally):

• Keeping up with the Joneses
• The Ramblings of a Traveling Speech Therapist
• Talk it Out - Traveling Speech Therapist
• Wandering Ways with Travel Speech Therapy

I have not come across any blogs about SLP's traveling/working abroad (internationally). As I blindly navigated my way through this process, I thought this area needed some attention. That is why I started this blog.

An array of blogs and websites appear when you Google search ' working abroad'. I would love to hear from anyone in any line of work who has traveled and worked abroad. It is always inspirational to hear other people's stories.

What have you used to get in touch with people around the world?

Have a great day, 

Maree

What Visa Do I Need?

Hello, folks!

Today we're going to talk about Visa's. Boring, I know. Nonetheless, it's very important for international travel of any kind.

The U.S. offers a range of non-immigrant visa's for temporary stay for tourism, business, visiting, studying and exchange purposes (find out about each of them here). However, applicants who hold these visa's are restricted from employment outside of their visa's conditions. Basically there are two pathways to obtaining the right to work in the U.S.:

1. Temporary, non-immigrant employment visa based on the planned employment purposes. The caveat is that the candidate must be sponsored by a company. The paperwork required to file for sponsorship can be time-consuming. Unfortunately, more highly-skilled, foreign candidates can be declined employment in place of a lesser-skilled, citizen (my husband experienced this difficulty trying to find work in Australia a few years ago). Even when sponsorship is successful, this temporary visa lacks stability because the company can forfeit sponsorship at any time, and there are lots of requirements to satisfy in order to maintain or extend it. You can find more info about non-immigrant employment visa's here.
2. Immigrant visa for permanent residence. This includes family immigration, inter-country adoption and fiance (marriage) visa's. The advantage of this route is that once a permanent immigrant visa is obtained, you have a permanent "right to work" that is not tied to any specific company. The downside is that the route to obtaining said visa can be long and relatively expensive, as outlined here. 

America prides itself on its independence, and so it should. However, the consequence of it not being a part of the Commonwealth made it difficult for me to obtain the right to work here. Classed as a visitor, I was denied employment, health care and indefinite stays in the U.S. I felt like I'd been stripped of my identity. Consequently, my husband and I chose to go down the immigration path for permanent residence in our respective countries. Perhaps the most interesting experience of the process was the medical examination. These were my lasting thoughts:

...prepare to walk in single file from room to room for a two hour period, naked under a thin hospital gown, being poked and prodded in all places imaginable. In other words, say good-bye to your dignity! 

So, was the year-long, grueling process for permanent residency worth it? In my opinion, yes. Arriving into the U.S. on a permanent residency visa for the first time, I actually felt like this country wanted me. I am now entitled to health care, employment, and that pesky social security number which is required for sooooo many things. 

Here's a shout out to anyone else out there who has gone/is going through visa processes to work in another countries. No matter where you are in the world, I would love to hear your stories!

Have a great week,

Maree

Culture Shock!

Travelling to a new place is exciting. Moving to a new place is a whole different ball game.

During the long-distance portion of our relationship, Greg and I would save up enough money to visit one another every 6 months. He worked the red-eye shift at Walmart (difficult for a person who prefers a ‘normal’ sleep schedule), and I worked in a coffee shop (difficult for someone who hates coffee).  We knew we would only have a couple of weeks together, so we would make an effort to visit different attractions and see and do as much as possible within that time period. I think you generally see what you want to see when travelling. You don’t really experience the differences between two countries until you are living somewhere else, both good and bad.

I try to embrace my uniqueness, and it does come in handy for those times when you want to be noticed e.g. interviewing for a job or making friends at the local tennis club. The other day, three employees in Publix (the local supermarket) asked me where my accent was from and struck up conversation, interested to hear all about my life. American’s think Australia is some kind of exotic oasis where everything is trying to kill us. They love icons like Steve Irwin and Crocodile Dundee, to the point where I’ve been asked if I know them – “Oh yeah, he’s my Uncle” I once replied. Basically, it’s ‘cool’ to be an Aussie in the States.

Getting back to my point – when you live somewhere new, you need to work to earn money and do all those tasks that ‘normal’ people do. You do things 10x slower than everyone else because you’re learning a new way of doing things. You constantly experience the feeling of moving one step forward and two steps back. No matter how hard you try to ‘fit in’, there’s always someone there to let you know that you don’t. There’s two words for this:

Culture Shock! 

No one can ever prepare you enough for it. But you do grow because of it.

I thought I would share a few of America’s idiosyncrasies:

• Everything is about convenience – drive through banking; drive-through pharmacy; drive-through Krispy Kreme Doughnuts; electric garage door openers; the mailman not only delivering mail to your mailbox but also picking up any mail you need to send. (I must say I have grown to enjoy the latter two conveniences)!
• FOOD. EVERYWHERE. There are billboard advertisements for fast-food restaurants every few hundred meters along the freeway. There are so many chain restaurants that I am constantly hearing about new ones. In Australia, you can almost count them on one hand.
• Cheap beer prices. (I also appreciate this one)!
• The health care system is complicated (let’s no even go there, or this blog post will never end)!
• I am constantly learning new lingo. Here’s a few of my favourites:

1. It’s “How are you doing?” in America, not “How are you going?” like in Australia. American’s will reply to the latter with “Going? I’m going nowhere. But I’m doing well, thanks”.
2. ‘shopping cart’ for ‘shopping trolley’
3. ‘gas’ for ‘petrol’. People will ask "Have you got gas?" – makes me laugh every time.
4. ‘Quick Lube’ / ‘Jiffy Lube’ is the name of some mechanic stores. 
5. ...and last but not least, you say ‘I’ve lost my flip flop” when at the beach, not “I’ve lost my thong”. (From personal experience, you only make that mistake once)! 

On that note, have a great week! 

Maree

Transferring SLP Credentials Internationally

Moving from Australia to America meant I had to endure the task of transferring my credentials internationally. Let me tell you, it was a rollercoaster ride! That’s why I started this blog. I hope to educate and inspire others about this uncharted territory. Here's how it all began...

My husband, Greg, and I met on a college campus tour at the University of Newcastle in Australia, about five years ago. Prior to leaving on his international exchange, Greg’s mother told him not to go falling in love with any Aussies. Whoops – sorry Mum! Needless to say, my father spat his mouthful of coffee out when he heard I was dating a ‘yank’. After four years of countless Skype calls with dodgy Internet connection, and plane flights that left us with shrunken wallets, we got married. As anyone else who has endured a long distance relationship would know, next came the landslide of questions, including the inevitable "Where are you going to live"? I find this question really difficult to answer. How can you pick just one place to settle in for the rest of your life? Sure, lots of couples get married, settle down and have kids. But my husband and I, we are a different kind. Currently, we live in a cute little house in Sarasota, Florida: a stone’s throw from Siesta Key Beach which was recently voted as the number 1 beach in America and number 14 in the world by Trip Advisor Traveler’s Choice. Tough life, I know. ;)

Siesta Key Sunset. Image taken by Maree Richardson.

One of the biggest, and perhaps most interesting, hurdles to obtaining my certification in America was the difference between the tertiary education programs and qualification standards for SLPs in both countries. In Australia, completion of undergraduate courses accredited by Speech Pathology Australia (SPA) are required to practice. My course was a four year, intensive program with a strong emphasis on hands-on clinical work (practicums) from the very beginning. In America, a four year undergraduate degree and a two year graduate degree is required to practice with supervision, PLUS a Clinical Fellowship (CF) year to practice unsupervised. Does this mean that education standards are more advanced in the US? No! To put it into perspective, I acquired over 900 hours of clinical work throughout my four year program. For students who are educated in America, the American Speech, Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) stipulates that “a minimum of 400 clock hours of supervised clinical experience” during their graduate level studies are required for certification. Additionally, full-time study in Australia equates to 16 credit hours per semester, highlighting the intensity of the programs. Alternatively, full-time study in America constitutes 12 credit hours per semester. I can see the advantage to both programs. Students who are educated in America gain a broader understanding of general concepts, studying subjects outside of their main course during their undergraduate years. Those educated in Australia achieve the same result in a more time-efficient and cost-effective manner.

Initially, I set out planning to undergo a Master’s Degree, thinking that was the be-all and end-all to obtaining certification in America. I studied for and took the dreaded GRE, an exam that undergraduate students take for admission into a graduate level program. To cut a long story short, I was declined entry into a graduate degree program despite meeting all of the requirements. There has to be another way for an SLP to gain certification to work in the States.

Good news – THERE IS!

Foreign individuals are afforded an alternative path to certification. After some late night Google searches, my tech-savvy husband came across the Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA). Little did I know that this document was going to become my Bible during the certification process.

What is the MRA?

In 2008, the MRA was signed by six internationally recognized professional Associations for the profession of Speech Language Pathology: United States; Canada; England; Ireland; New Zealand; and Australia. It became effective on January 1, 2009.  The MRA was designed in response to the need for increased international trade and mobility, and thus recognizes that Speech Language Pathologists who have gained acceptance and recognition from their home Association should also be recognized by other Associations. In other words, it recognizes that my intensive undergraduate degree, which provides full qualification to practice in Australia, is the equivalent of the United States’ requirement of graduate level education. You can find more info about it here.

As stated in the MRA, a SPA certified Speech Language Pathologist “will be granted” ASHA certification through the following procedure: 

• Obtain a letter of ‘good standing’ from home Association, SPA, attesting that I hold certification as a Certified Practicing Speech Pathologist.
• Send application form and applicable fees to the new Association, ASHA.
• Sign a declaration of disclosure regarding any convictions for criminal offences.
• Sign a statement of consent to allow all disciplinary boards to share information.
• Show evidence of passing the ASHA-approved national certification examination.

I pursued this path and was awarded my Certificate of Clinical Competencies (CCC’s) in February, 2015 - happy days! As there was so little knowledge out there about the MRA and transferring credentials internationally, I took the round-a-bout way of getting to this point – lots of P.A.P.E.R.W.O.R.K. And phone calls. Oh, and did I mention fees? Yes, there were lots of fees to pay. Joy. Therefore, my wish is to assist others in achieving successful transition of their SLP international credentials in the most efficient and least stressful way possible (i.e. halve the paperwork, phones calls and fees). For any Aussies thinking of working as an SLP in the USA, the 5 dot points listed above are all you need to complete. Here is further explanation of each one:

• To obtain a letter of ‘good standing’ from SPA, you need to be awarded Certified Practising Speech Pathologist (CPSP) status by participating in the Professional Self Regulation (PSR) program. This means accruing 20 points through professional development activities annually. You can find more info about it here. (This requirement is the reason why the certification process through the MRA takes one year to complete).
• The application form and fees, declaration of disclosure and signed statement of consent can be found here.
• The ASHA-approved national certification examination is the Speech-Language Pathology Praxis Exam (5331). You can find more info about it here.

The reason I’m focusing on Aussie SLPs moving or thinking of moving to America is because I have found it difficult to find any. I reached out on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook, and found quite a few SLPs who moved between the US, the UK, Canada and New Zealand, and even a few who made the move from America to Australia, but only a couple who have made the same transition as me.

I guess sometimes in life you have to take the path less traveled.

It should be noted that registration is not a requirement within Australia, nor does a license exist. Successful completion of undergraduate courses accredited by SPA are all that's required to practice. You can imagine how mind-blown I was when I was told that I not only needed to be registered on a national scale through ASHA, but also obtain a license to practice a state level. America is funny that way – each state has its own rules and regulations, there is no such thing as uniformity across the nation. The bad news is that not all states will solely accept ASHA Certification, some require completion of an accredited Master’s degree. This rules out some states I can work in (e.g. California). Fortunately, Florida stipulates three possible ways of obtaining state licensure, one being the acceptance of ASHA Certification. The good news is that obtaining a state license is a much quicker process than national certification. It’s simply a matter of filling out some forms, asking ASHA to kindly send proof of your CCC’s, and verification of any state or international licenses you hold elsewhere. Oh yes and I almost forgot, there’s a fee. ;)

You can look up requirements on a state by state basis here.

I would like to invite anyone who has had to start work in a new country to share their story, thoughts and insight. I'll also welcome all comments, questions and discussion from anyone who has moved, is thinking about moving, or those just interested in the topic.

Have a great day!

Maree

About Me

Hi!

I’m Maree and I’m an Ameristralian. For those of you who don’t follow Reddit: I was born in Australia, but currently live in America. I am an Australian citizen, and an American permanent resident. Basically, I have strong affiliations with both countries. Some of you may be wondering ‘Why would she move to America when she comes from the best country in the world?’ – Good question. All I can say is I met a boy and the rest is history.

I’m a farm girl at heart. I was raised on my family’s property near a small village called Tottenham, the closest town to the geographical centre of New South Wales, Australia. My family owned a mixed farming enterprise of livestock and cropping, primarily raising sheep and growing wheat. Experiencing droughts and floods, physical labour and the outdoors, I feel this lifestyle was character-building and promoted self-sufficiency. A well-rounded education was valued in my family, so my brother and I were sent to boarding school in Orange, New South Wales, Australia. Living away from home from the age of 12 was no mean feat, but I feel lucky to have been bestowed such a privilege. My independence grew fourfold and I made lifelong friendships, many who I treasure so dearly to this day. From there I moved even further away from home to study at the University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. I met a handsome American exchange student named Greg during Orientation Week, who I now proudly call my husband. Once I completed my University studies, graduating as a Speech Language Pathologist, my husband and I moved to Sarasota, Florida, USA. This was a huge step for a small town country gal who had never been on a plane before meeting her husband. A wise man once told us that if you stuck a pole from Newcastle, Australia directly through the centre of the earth it would come out the other side in Tallahassee, Florida, USA. Seriously, I could not live any farther from home if I tried. The moon, perhaps?! 

Currently, my husband works as an IT Consultant, which has taken him on many adventures around the world (some of which I have got to go on!). Recently certified as a Speech Language Pathologist in America, I’m about to begin my first 'Speechie' job at an early intervention centre. I’m excited to discover what this next chapter of my life will bring.

Have a great day!

Maree

Greg and Maree.  Photo credit to Cindy Habel Photography.