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CLINICAL
FELLOWSHIP YEAR
The
Clinical Fellowship Year (CFY) required for the ASHA Certificate of Clinical
Competence provides the same evidence of practice competency that portfolio
review does for the National Board Certification.
The objectives of the CFY and of the NBPTS portfolio review are the same:
a performance-based assessment of actual work experience that
demonstrates accomplished practice.
In
order to earn the Certificate of Clinical Competence from ASHA, the Clinical
Fellow must successfully complete graduate level training, practicum experience,
the national examination in speech-language pathology or audiology, and finally
the CFY. The CFY is an important
transition phase between supervised graduate-level practicum and the independent
delivery of quality services.
The
supervisor of a Clinical Fellow must be a nationally certified SLP or AUD in the
area for which the certification is sought.
CFY supervision requires direct observation of and feedback on diagnostic
and therapeutic skills, monitoring of clinical records, conferencing on
treatment strategies, and evaluating the Clinical Fellow’s consultation with colleagues,
employers, students and their families. Finally,
ASHA’s Code of Ethics is discussed and applied to student
treatment plans and the Clinical Fellow’s participation in professional growth
opportunities is monitored.
The
Clinical Fellow supervisor must complete no less than 36 supervisory activities
spaced uniformly throughout the CFY, with a minimum of 18 on-site observations
of at least one hour. Six on-site
observations and six monitoring activities must be accrued during each third of
the CFY.
The
Clinical Fellowship Skills Inventory (CFSI) was developed by Professional
Educational Services. The CFSI is
administered at least once during each of the three segments of the CFY.
This is a rubric-based scale with anchored rating scores for 18 skills.
This exam has national validity, with the skills on which the exam was
designed to test being accurately measured, reflecting a national standard.
The
Performance Areas rated on the CFSI are as follows:
-
Evaluation
(5 skills) selection,
adaptation, administration of an assessment battery and interpretation of
results;
-
Treatment
(5 skills): selection, development, adaptation, and implementation of
treatment plans and intervention strategies;
-
Management
(3 skills): service activities
and compliance with administrative and policy requirements;
-
Interaction
(5 skills): communication skills
and collaboration with other professionals;
During
each of the three time segments of the CFY, the supervisor and Clinical Fellow
discuss the CFSI ratings and work on a plan to improve weak areas.
At the end of the CFY, a final CFSI is completed and signed by the
Clinical Fellow and supervisor. ASHA’s
Clinical Certification Board reviews the CFY Report and CFSI before
granting final approval of the Certificate of Clinical Competence.