Purpose of Position
Provides for Speech/Language pathology services to the patients served by the Agency in order to promote recovery, ensure medical safety, prevent disability, restore function and promote healing. Participates with other personnel in the development of agency policies and programs necessary to achieve agency objectives as they relate to patient care.

Description
1. Assessment of patient functional status when appropriately requested by physician, patient, significant other, or intro-agency referral. Uses appropriate tests and measurements in developing a comprehensive plan of care to insure effective patient outcome.
2. Develops a speech-language therapy care plan based on evaluation and establishing treatment goals, combined with clinical judgment regarding patient/family input, history prognosis, functional status including patient and/or family as appropriate and in cooperation with the patient's physician.
3. Teach swallowing precautions and speech-language home programs, instruct in swallowing safety awareness and interpret implications of treatment to patient and family.
4. Assess need for adaptive equipment, make recommendations and work with providers to insure anticipated outcomes.
5. Recognizes team approach for total patient care in multi-discipline cases and initiates and participates in case conferences.
6. Implements direct speech therapy services according to the plan of care.
7. Instructs and provides documented supervision of the Home Health Aide plan of care every 14 days.
8. Re-evaluate patients status and effectiveness of treatment, as ongoing aspects of care and reports changes or concerns to physicians with appropriate documentation.
9. Performs complete and timely record keeping of skilled care according to Agency policies and purposes of documenting accountability of care given for continuity of patient care, for planning and evaluating services and for statistical purposes.
10. Instructs patient/family/significant other in patients total Speech Therapy treatment program.
11. Make appropriate and/or institutional referrals for evaluation and/or rehabilitation.
12. When Speech Therapy is primary clinician or part of a team, instruct and/or supervise health care personnel regarding follow through of selected aspects of Speech Therapy treatment program.
13. Participates in multidisciplinary case conferences to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment plan and develop a coordinated plan of care.
14. All other duties as assigned.

Consistently provides service excellence to all patients, family members, visitors, volunteers and co-workers in a manner that reflects VNA's commitment to CARES: compassion, accountability, respect, excellence and service.

Qualifications

• Master's degree, with emphasis on Speech/Language Pathology from an accredited university.
• Licensed to practice Speech-language Therapy in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
• CPR Certification required.
• Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech/Language and Hearing Association, or is accomplishing the Clinical Fellowship year pursuant to the above while under the supervision of a SLP who has a Certificate of Clinical Competence.