W. Va. Code R. § 29-1-13

Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 50, December 13, 2024

Section 29-1-13 - Postgraduate Professional Experience. (Also known as Clinical Fellowship Year)

13.1. The purpose of the post-graduate professional experience (PPE) is to permit a provisional licensee to practice speech-language pathology while working under the supervision of a person fully licensed by the board in the area in which licensure is sought. The PPE does not apply to an audiologist with a clinical doctorate degree as described in subsection 13.14 of this rule.

13.2. The post-graduate professional experience may be obtained in any one of a number of diverse employment settings. The determination of whether a given setting is appropriate for the clinical fellow is achieved by applying:

13.2.1. The criterion of whether the particular program is designed to evaluate, habilitate, or rehabilitate the communicative functioning of speech, language, and hearing handicapped persons.

13.2.2. The program shall afford the possibility that the postgraduate professional experience supervisory requirements can be met.

13.3. The type and amount of experience which is acceptable during the postgraduate professional experience is defined as no less than nine months of full-time professional employment (a minimum of 30 hours per week).

13.4. The requirement may also be met by less than full-time employment as follows:

13.4.1. Work 15-19 hours per week over 18 months;

13.4.2. Work 20-24 hours per week over 15 months; or

13.4.3. Work 25-29 hours per week over 12 months.

13.5. In the event that part-time employment is used to fulfill a part of the postgraduate professional experience, 100% of the minimum hours of the part-time work per week requirement shall be spent in direct professional experience as defined in subsection 13.4. of this rule, subdivisions 13.4.1, 13.4.1 and 13.4.3. of this rule. Professional employment of less than 15 hours per week does not fulfill any part of this requirement. If the postgraduate professional experience is not initiated within two years of the date the academic and practicum education is completed, the clinical fellow shall meet the academic and practicum requirements current when the postgraduate professional experience begins. The postgraduate professional experience shall be completed within a maximum of 36 months.

13.6. The Board requires that at least 80% of the postgraduate professional experience work week shall be in direct client contact (assessment, diagnosis, evaluation, screening, habilitation, or rehabilitation) and activities related to client management.

13.7. Only individuals holding a current West Virginia licensure in speech-language pathology, audiology, the ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) and at least two years of clinical experience are eligible to supervise applicants during the postgraduate professional experience. Applicants may obtain names of qualified individuals from the Board.

13.8. Supervision of the provisional licensee shall include direct observation of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Other supervisory activities include:

13.8.1. Conferring with the provisional licensee concerning clinical treatment strategies;

13.8.2. Monitoring changes in patients' communication behaviors;

13.8.3. Evaluating the provisional licensee's clinical records, including

13.8.3.a. Diagnostic reports;

13.8.3.b. Treatment records;

13.8.3.c. Correspondence;

13.8.3.d. Plans of treatment; and

13.8.3.e. Summaries of clinical conferences;

13.8.4. Monitoring the provisional licensee's participation in case conferences;

13.8.5. Monitoring the provisional licensee's work by professional colleagues' evaluation of the clinical fellow;

13.8.6. Monitoring the provisional licensee's work by patients and their families' evaluation of the clinical fellow; and

13.8.7. Monitoring the provisional licensee's contributions to professional meetings and publications, as well as participation in other professional growth opportunities.

13.9. Postgraduate professional experience supervision shall entail the personal and direct involvement of the supervisor in any and all ways that will permit the postgraduate professional experience supervisor to monitor, improve and evaluate the provisional licensee's performance in the professional employment. The postgraduate professional experience supervisor shall base the total evaluation on no less than 36 direct supervisory activities and/or observations during the postgraduate professional experience. The supervisor shall include 18 on-site observations of the provisional licensee in the following manner:

13.9.1. one hour = one on-site observation (up to six hours may be accrued in one day); and

13.9.2. at least six on-site observations shall be accrued during each third of the experience.

13.9.3. The postgraduate professional experience supervisor shall complete 18 other monitoring activities (at least one per month).

13.10. The supervisor's role throughout the postgraduate professional experience maybe considered that of a mentor and shall include mentoring the provisional licensee in all aspects of the professional employment. The supervisor shall include regular monthly communication around mutually developed goals including professional, educational and personal objectives. Since one purpose of the postgraduate professional experience is to improve the clinical effectiveness of the provisional licensee, supervisors shall share and discuss their evaluations with the provisional licensee throughout the postgraduate professional experience year, as well as during a monthly evaluation conference. The monthly evaluation conference may be in conjunction with one of the on-site conferences and shall include:

13.10.1. Detailed feedback regarding clinical performance; and

13.10.2. Summarizing a list of clinical strengths and goals of the provisional licensee on the "PPE Supervision Contacts Log".

13.11. A conference shall be held upon completion of the professional experience for a review and discussion of the "PPE Supervisor's Report."

13.12. The PPE Supervision Contacts Log and the PPE Supervisor's Report shall be submitted to the Board within 30 days after the professional experience is completed.

13.13. After submission of the PPE Supervision Contacts Logs and the PPE Supervisor's Report to the Board for approval, the provisional licensee shall abide by the regulations for the provisional license until full licensure is granted.

13.14. Any person who has completed a clinical doctorate in audiology (Au.D.) from an accredited institution fulfills the requirement for the Postgraduate Professional Experience.

W. Va. Code R. § 29-1-13