Advocacy in Action - March 2010

Published: 2010-03-18

March 2010

The Professional Affairs Committee of NCSHLA / Advocacy Subcommittee has committed to make advocacy come alive in 2010 for our membership – because your voices and those of your peers, patients and supporters will be more important this year than ever before.  Last year’s efforts were our wake up call…but this is NOT the time to hit the snooze button.  This year, the state funding for our services is further imperiled….and the fiscal picture for North Carolina is grim.  Make your commitment and act now to protect your future and the future of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology funding in North Carolina. 

Our Mission: Everyday Advocacy; Advocacy Every Day

Participants: Every Speech-Language Pathologist and

Audiologist in North Carolina

Your Role:      Take action and Believe!

Our Focus:      Awareness and Education

Purpose:           Increase Value and Recognition of the

Critical Service Provided by our clinicians

How?:                 Respond to the Advocacy Recommendation

provided each month

Share:                 Advocacy Recommendations with your SLP

and Audiology Peers -more voices!

Encourage:     Every SLP and Audiologist that you know to

join NCSHLA – it’s our voice!

Advocacy:  It’s a noun. It’s a verb.  It’s a vital necessity for our profession.  It’s up to you – will you respond? 

MARCH:  Have you thanked your referral sources lately?  Do they know and understand the success that your mutual patients receive from your intervention?  Will they be willing to advocate on behalf of the vital service that you provide to their patients?

·         Write a letter of thanks to your key referral sources letting them know that you appreciate their partnership.

·         Use an example, a mutual patient, and detail the tangible benefits and long term obstacles that this patient has avoided because of your services.

·         Obtain permission from the family to send a picture with your letter.

·         Have the family add a note to your letter detailing the benefits that they see from the services.

March / For our over-achievers:  The NC Legislators will return to Raleigh in May to begin deliberating a significant budget deficit and how to close the gap.  Will your legislator remember you and know the value of your service?  Will they advocate to preserve the funding for the speech-language pathology services you provide?

·         Consider sending a campaign contribution to your local House and Senate representatives along with a letter reminding them of the vital, medically necessary services that you provide in the communities that they serve.

·         Ask them for their support in preserving funding for these services in spite of the difficult budget decisions that must be made in North Carolina. 

·         Encourage your representative to find other ways to close the budget gap.

NCSHLA SPRING CONVENTION: 

·         Register NOW online!  www.ncshla.org

·         Janice Brannon, our ASHA Grassroots Liaison, will attend and will present a special session on advocacy.

Please, let us know about your Advocacy In Action experiences via email at info@ncshla.org 

Believe! 

Jeri Bates, Member

Advocacy Subcommittee

Professional Affairs Committee

Contacts:  jeribates@speechcenter.net; tfurr@cheshirecenter.net; cyncrf@vol.com