Senior Director, SLP in Health Care Services

A. General Description:

The purpose of this position is to track national trends; recommend, facilitate and coordinate the development of Association practice policies; provide expert practice policy information and technical assistance to ASHA members; and serve as liaison and consultant to other ASHA national office units, private and federal agencies, and other professional and advocacy organizations in the area of health care services as related to the practice of speech-language pathology. The end result is to ensure that ASHA members and individuals in other organizations and agencies receive current professional practice information related to the provision of speech, language and swallowing services in health care and private practice settings, and that ASHA publications, continuing education programs, committee, and board programs, products, public policy responses to proposed regulations and legislation, and public information materials include current and accurate professional practices information.

B. Responsibilities:

1. Recommend the formation of and serve as ex officio to boards, councils, and committees, and coordinate activities that influence and shape the education and practice of speech-language pathology as related to the delivery of services in health care.
2. Represent ASHA as the liaison and expert consultant for health care services with other professional associations, private, federal and state agencies, coalitions, and advocacy organizations via publications, presentations, media interviews, and strategic alliance meetings. 
3. Coordinate the development and implementation of strategies and procedures related to use of quality management/improvement systems for use by the National Office, Association, and its members. Provide knowledge of healthcare by contributing to or leading National Office cross-unit projects and activities to assure that the speech-language pathology practice perspective is addressed in the Association’s activities.
4. Develop documents, practice portal pages and information on the website that identify current trends and critical issues related to providing speech-language pathology services in health care settings and make recommendations for ASHA priorities and actions; facilitate and serve on National Office teams in the development of such resources.
5. Recommend, plan, develop, conduct and evaluate ASHA sponsored continuing education conferences, webinars and related products pertinent to providing speech-language pathology services in health care. 
6. Coach the Health Care Services team and other staff as assigned.
7. Provide expert consultation and technical assistance on state-of-the-art practice and policy information and materials to enhance service delivery, quality of care, standards of practice, and autonomy of the professions in health care.
8. Propose, monitor and manage the Health Care Services team budget.

C. Contacts:

To accomplish responsibilities listed above, the incumbent has contact with:

1. The Senior Director, Health Care Services will have contact with various individuals and groups internal and external to ASHA including ASHA members, Board of Directors members, governance groups, National Office staff, leaders in related professional organizations, other national professional and advocacy organizations, and policymakers in federal and state legislative and regulatory agencies. 
2. These contacts are necessary to provide specific professional, policy, and technical information that may be requested, to keep current on professional practice issues, to coordinate work with the volunteer membership, and to obtain information on issues affecting the practice of speech-language pathology in healthcare settings.

D. Freedom to Act:

The Senior Director, Health Care Services will receive policy direction from the Chief Staff Officer for Speech-Language Pathology and will have the responsibility and authority for completing project tasks related to such policy. Latitude is given to determine the approaches, procedures, and methodologies for accomplishing the work. The incumbent will have the freedom to propose innovative and creative projects and activities. As required for all staff, actions taken and completed will have to comply with ASHA review and approval procedures.

E. Qualifications – Education, Experience, Knowledge, Skills:

Knowledge and skills typically acquired through:

• M.A. or M.S. in speech-language pathology, health administration, or related area is required.
• Five or more years of successful experience in the practice of speech language pathology or administration in a health care setting
• Current Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) in speech-language pathology
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