Fowler Retires - How Does Your Garden Grow? Not Quite as Well Without “Flower”

She presents as a soft spoken Louisiana country girl but was actually born and reared in England.  She plays a mean third base for the Louisiana Senior Olympics Softball Team in her spare time.  She has been Suzanne Pevey’s right-hand gal, running the office which manages not only our speech-language pathology/audiology board’s business but that of two other boards as well.  She has found time (and energy!) to hike the Alaskan Chilkoot Trail three times.  And she’s never lost her unflappable sense of humor even in the face of Murphy’s Law when everything that can go wrong, does.

        Yvonne Murley Fowler, affectionately known as “Flower” in the Board office, began working for the Louisiana Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology in the fall of 1979.  Yvonne worked part-time until the late 80s when changes to the practice acts of the speech-language pathology/audiology and social work boards along with the addition of the dietetic/nutrition board necessitated her full attention.  She has filled a variety of roles in the Board office from administrative assistant to carpenter.

        Licensees, Board members and former Board members have benefited from Yvonne’s care including her organizational skills, her “can do” attitude and her ability not to take herself (or them) too seriously.  Who can forget her cheerfully handling the LBESPA table at LSHA conventions and passing out candy?  But she will be missed the most by her co-workers in the Board office.  Suzanne Pevey noted “Flower has been a dedicated employee and a good friend who has shared her honesty, humor, and clear thinking with all of us.  It will be our memories and experiences with her that will get us through this difficult time of change.”  Debbie Pratt stated “The first things that come to mind when I think of Yvonne have always been her humor and her subtle way of dealing with difficult people.  I have always admired the way she handles a crisis.  More than anything I value her friendship.”  Judy Graham observes, “Yvonne is the glue and the laughter that makes our time at the Board office fun   eating at the office will never be the same again!”  And finally the observation of Emily Efferson, “I missed Yvonne when she visited England or hiked in Alaska because our office is not the same without her.  Working with Yvonne has been a wonderful experience.  I will always remember our in-depth conversations about life and Yvonne’s ‘conversations with herself’ and treasure her words of wisdom.”

        Yvonne retired on June 30, 2000.  Her retirement plans include travel, her twelve grandchildren, remodeling her home and, of course, sleeping late.

        With gratitude from licensees, Board members and staff   our garden will not be as colorful without you.

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Continuing Professional Education Requirement--3 Years Old

After living with the continuing professional education mandate as a condition for license renewal, licensees now meet requirements handily.  Some have had to undergo the “audit process” and most have come away unscathed.  LBESPA has evaluated its first three years of the mandate and wants to thank all licensees for the professional manner in which they manage the process.  Because there are still some questions regarding various aspects of the continuing education process, some suggestions are provided to facilitate the process for the next renewal period.

Question: How do I report C.E. Activities?

Answer: All continuing education activities must be recorded on the form supplied by LBESPA at the time of renewal.  Categorize activities under the proper headings on the form and list only the activities attended.  Proof of attendance is not required unless you are audited.

Question: How does the audit process work?

Answer: Ten percent of licensees are randomly selected before the first renewal notice is sent.  When the renewal is sent, licensees to be audited are notified.  Those selected have until June 30th to submit necessary documentation.  Documentation must prove participation in activities recorded.  Acceptable documentation includes: certificates of completion, sign-in sheets, official CE recording forms, and transcripts.  It is not necessary to submit notes taken at a conference, plane tickets, or name tags.  License renewal is not processed until all documentation is received and approved by the Board office.

Question: What continuing education activities require pre-approval?

Answer: Section 115 of the Rules and Regulations contains complete information on acceptable continuing education activities as well as those which require pre-approval.  Activities which require pre-approval include: individually sponsored activities, self-study activities and publication of diagnostic and/or therapeutic materials.  Details on the limits on the number of hours that can be earned for each type of activity are also located in this section.  Note: Requests for pre-approval of a continuing education activity must be submitted to the Board office 60 days in advance of the scheduled activity.

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Fifth Annual Continuing Education Workshop Planned

      The Board has scheduled the Fifth Annual Continuing Education Workshop for Saturday, April 28, 2001 at the Holiday Inn South in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  The workshop will provide six (6) hours of approved continuing education in the following areas:

Registration forms will be mailed in January, 2001 and we suggest you mark your calendar for this event.

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Open Book Examination

The individuals listed practiced more than 10 days in the State of Louisiana without applying for a license in accordance with La. R.S. 37:2652.  By Board policy, these individuals took and passed an Open Book Examination on the Practice Act, Rules, Regulations and Procedures and Ethical Standards in order to receive their license:

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Frequently Asked Questions

        Question: What tasks can the Assistant SLP not perform?

        Answer: The assistant may not perform any assessment tasks which require interpretation.  In addition, the assistant may not perform a task for which the individual is not properly trained.  Any task which the assistant performs must have been prescribed by the supervisor, must be within the scope of training and experience that the assistant possesses, and may not be a task requiring interpretation of information.  

        Question: Can the Assistant SLP score tests before they are given to the supervisor for review?

        Answer: There are some tests that are appropriate for a speech-language pathology assistant to score, while others are not.  In all circumstances, the supervisor should: 1.  examine the assessment instrument, and determine if the Assistant SLP may score it; and 2. review client responses and scoring.

        Question: Can the Assistant SLP write the report?

        Answer: Many job settings utilize a report “skeleton” and it would be appropriate for the assistant to “fill in the blanks” at the request of and as prescribed by the supervisor.  The writing of several components of reports, particularly those which are subjective in nature, e.g., analysis of a communication sample, would be considered interpretation of evaluation results and may not be done by the Assistant SLP.

        Question: Is it correct for the Assistant SLP to be listed as the coordinator on the report?

        Answer: The supervisor should be the primary person responsible for any evaluation and all reports must be co-signed.  The Assistant must utilize the full title, Speech-Language Pathology Assistant.  It is inappropriate for the assistant to be listed as an evaluation coordinator.

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Perspectives on Board Service

From a New Board Member--Steve Harris

        When I began to work in the public school setting, I learned that the Board makes sure people have the proper credentials to work.  I had to complete the report, submitted to the Board which listed all speech-language pathologists and audiologists who worked in the school system. 

Later when a shortage of school-based therapists occurred, I became more involved with the Board, and began attending meetings each year.

Subsequently, I was elected to the Board and came to realize that the first responsibility of the Licensure Board is to protect the consumer of services.  The most dramatic experiences I have had are related to complaints and disciplinary hearings.  I wonder how many practitioners are aware of possible violations to the practice act and the potential for severe repercussions that could be the outcome of missteps.

Involvement with the Board has been a catalyst for me to be more involved with all aspects of our profession. This experience has fostered professional and personal growth, and I am thankful for the opportunity. 

One day you may wish to serve your profession by  being on the LBESPA Board.  Its a busy yet eye-opening, inspiring, and fulfilling opportunity.

Musings of a Former Board Member--Gay Vekovius

        It is dead accurate to say that the experience of serving on the LBESPA Board was nothing like anticipated.  It is one of those “you have to be there” opportunities.  The Board during my years of service was comprised of 5 individuals plus a medical advisor.  A small board provides a wonderful, collegial opportunity and demands that each person contribute...and we did.

        Since my first year on the Board began in August (due to the customary delay in the Governor’s appointment process), I was pretty inexperienced when I became Chair in January 1990 (5 months later).  Perhaps it was this inexperience which led me to believe that we could just revise the law.  So we began a process which culminated 5 years later with the passage of Louisiana Act 892.  We studied areas that needed change, wrote, re-wrote and then re-wrote again, and spent a lot of time communicating with consumers and professionals about the changes.  Good input meant more changes and revision before we finally went to the Legislature.  Even though I was no longer on the Board at that time, I was involved with advocating for these revisions another unforgettable learning experience.

        It is possible that one of the most important things I learned was the importance of the consumer of our services.  The licensure law is there to protect consumers, not to promote professionals.  Our professions’ current concern with outcome of service is important, critical to our on-going provision of the best services for our consumers.

So if you want an opportunity to:

                have some fun on the side,

                SERVE ON THIS BOARD!

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CONTACT INFORMATION

LBESPA

11930 Perkins Rd.,  Suite B
Baton Rouge, LA 70769
(225) 763-5480
Email: aud-slp@lbespa.org
Website: www.lbespa.org

 Staff:

Suzanne Pevey, Administrator
Judy Graham, Administrative Assistant
Deborah Pratt, Clerical Assistant
Terry Martin, Clerical Assistant
Newsletter Editor: Gay T. Vekovius

NEW LICENSEES from Jan.1 -Sept. 30, 2000