Credit: University of British Colombia – NFRF

The research project is entitled, “Strategies for increasing accessibility and equity in health and human service educational programs: national perspectives.” They would like to invite you to help them better understand those barriers and facilitators by taking part in this study.

Who is eligible to participate?

• Current practicing clinicians in speech-language pathology and audiology who have supervised at least one student requiring accommodations within the last five years

Please review the consent form before participation.

If you are eligible to participate, and consent to do so, please complete the online survey. The survey will take approximately 20-30 minutes to complete.

Once you complete the survey, you will also have the opportunity to participate in an optional 60-90 minute focus group interview, if you are interested. Reimbursement of $30 will be received for those who will participate in the focus group interview.

Participate in the survey now! 

Learn more about this study by reading this PDF.

* Please note that this survey differs from the NRFR survey for students on this topic. To take the survey for students, visit this webpage.

Confidentiality: Confidentiality will be strictly kept. Please contact the research team directly and not via affiliated educational programs. If you have any questions or concerns feel free to email us at inclusive.campus@ubc.ca.

Credit: Canadian Academic Coordinators of Clinical Education

Canadian audiology and speech-language pathology students need your help. 

Due to the COVID-19, Canadian universities are in critical need of clinical placements. As a result, many students in the Classes of 2021 and 2022 require placements to continue and complete their programs in order for them to graduate. Therefore, there is an exceptional need for clinical educators/supervisors/preceptors across the country to offer clinical experiences in virtual or in-person practice, as public health regulations allow.

Being a clinical educator is an excellent opportunity to share your skills and knowledge and give back to your profession. Students can also support you since they are technology savvy and come with the latest knowledge on therapy and assessment practices. Guidance about Clinical Education/Supervision Models for Virtual and In-Person Placements During the Pandemic is available online.

If you are able to assist us in any way, please contact the Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education at the university program that is closest to your region (see contact list below). If there is not a Canadian university in your region, please contact Jennifer Wadds at Email and your name will be added to a national list that programs will access to connect you with students who are from your area.

We appreciate your support of our future colleagues!

Thank you –

Canadian Academic Coordinators of Clinical Education

To obtain more information, please contact:

University of British Columbia 

• Sasha Brown – Audiology: Email
• Marcia Choi – Speech-Language Pathology: Email

University of Alberta

• Stuart Cleary – Speech-Language Pathology – Acting: Email

Western University

• Chris Allan – Audiology: Email
• Penney Letsos – Speech-Language Pathology: Email

Laurentian University

• Roxanne Belanger – Speech-Language Pathology: Email

McMaster University

• Justine Hamilton – Speech-Language Pathology: Email

University of Toronto

• Lynn Ellwood – Speech-Language Pathology: Email

University of Ottawa

• Véronique Vaillancourt – Audiology: Email
• Laurice Mahli – Speech-Language Pathology: Email

McGill University

• Kelly Root – Speech-Language Pathology: Email
• Sophie Vaillancourt – Speech-Language Pathology: Email

University of Montreal

• Isabelle Billard – Audiology: Email
• Sylvie Martin – Speech-Language Pathology: Email

University of Quebec – Trois Rivieres

• Caroline Charest – Speech-Language Pathology: Email
• Amélie Grenier – Speech-Language Pathology: Email

Laval University

• Anne-Marie Lanoue – Speech-Language Pathology: Email
• Marianne Croteau – Speech-Language Pathology: Email

Dalhousie University

• Sarah Mason – Audiology: Email
• Emily Balkam – Speech-Language Pathology: Email

The Government of Canada announced a one-time $600 payment in recognition of the extraordinary expenses faced by persons with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Visit the Government of Canada website for more information and to view eligibility criteria. 

SAC has compiled a list of infection prevention and control resources from organizations in Canada and internationally that may be helpful. We also recommend that SAC members and associates familiarize themselves with infection prevention and control guidance provided by their regulatory body, as well as applicable provincial/territorial public health agencies.

Canadian Resources

• COVID-19 guidance for schools Kindergarten to Grade 12 (Public Health Agency of Canada)

• Community-based measures to mitigate the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Canada (Public Health Agency of Canada)

• Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) : For Health Professionals (Public Health Agency of Canada) 

• COVID-19 and People with Disabilities (Public Health Agency of Canada)

• COVID-19 Technical Brief: Masking and Face Shields for Full Duration of Shifts in Acute Healthcare Settings (Public Health Agency of Canada)

• Infection Prevention and Control for COVID-19: Interim Guidance for Home Care Settings (Public Health Agency of Canada)

• Infection Prevention and Control for COVID-19: Interim Guidance for Long Term Care Homes (Public Health Agency of Canada)

• Infection Prevention and Control for COVID-19: Interim Guidance for Outpatient and Ambulatory Care Settings (Public Health Agency of Canada)

• Infection Prevention and Control for COVID-19: Second Interim Guidance for Acute Healthcare Settings (Public Health Agency of Canada)

• Infection Prevention and Control Guidelines (The Canadian Interorganizational Group for Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology)

• Coronavirus (COVID-19) (Infection and Prevention Control Canada)

• Infection Prevention and Control Core Competencies for Health Care Workers: A Consensus Document (Infection and Prevention Control Canada)

• Guidance on Re-Opening Northern, Remote, Isolated, and Indigenous Communities (National Collaborative Centre for Indigenous Health)

• National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools COVID-19 Rapid Evidence Service

International Resources

• COVID-19 Mobile Learning App (World Health Organization Academy) – This new app for health workers is now available at the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. It provides access to news, information, education and tools about a range of COVID-19 topics including epidemiology, managing patient care, infection prevention and control, as well as use of personal protective equipment.

  • Resources available include:

    • COVID-19: How to put on and remove personal protective equipment (PPE) 

    • Infection Prevention and Control for Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) [online course]

    • COVID-19 Clinical Training: Infection Prevention and Control for Patients with COVID-19

Interest in telepractice has increased in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. SAC supports the use of telepractice as a means of facilitating access to speech-language pathology and audiology services. SAC’s Position Paper on the Use of Telepractice by SAC Speech-language Pathologists and Audiologists provides guidance to members and associates about this service delivery model. 

SAC members who provide telepractice services in provinces where the professions are regulated must adhere to the regulatory body’s standards of practice, including their specific professional requirements for the protection of patient/client privacy and confidentiality of personal health information, as well as processes for obtaining informed consent.  

SAC members who provide telepractice services in a province or territory where the professions are not regulated must comply with applicable privacy and health care consent legislation.

SAC Telepractice Webinar Series 

Speech-Language Pathology Focused Resources

Audiology Focused Resources

A number of telepractice platforms are available in Canada. S-LPs, audiologists and communication health assistants are responsible for selecting a telepractice platform that complies with relevant privacy legislation, as well as any other professional regulatory requirements as applicable. It is important that S-LPs, audiologists and communication health assistants research the security features of any online communication platform that they use, and are aware of advisories about security issues and vulnerabilities associated with specific platforms. We also recommended that SAC members and associates check to see if the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner in your province/territory has updated or issued additional guidance related to security and privacy protection during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As with other methods of service delivery, SAC members and associates providing services by telepractice should use research evidence to guide their practice.

CINAHL – SAC members and associates can use the search terms “telepractice” or “telehealth” to access free full-text articles about this topic in journals such as: ASHA Leader, International Journal of Audiology, International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research, Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups…and many more.

ASHAWire – ASHA Journals has made a selection of relevant articles about telepractice free to all readers.

ASHA Evidence Map on Telepractice – a searchable online tool designed to help clinicians make evidence-based decisions.

The International Journal of Telerehabilitation – An open-access journal addressing telepractice in allied health professions.

Other useful information:

• Template for Consent to Use Electronic Communications to Provide Telehealth Services (BMS)

• COVID-19: Virtual Health Care Services Ensuring Continuity of Care (BMS)

• Protecting Privacy in a Pandemic: Interpreting PHIPA In Light Of COVID-19 (BMS)

• Telepractice: General Information (Pearson)
   
• Expanding virtual care capacity in Canada’s northern regions: Proposed approach for a rapid deployment (National Collaborative Centre for Indigenous Health)