![](<p>This spring, we thought it would be fun to do a professional development event focused on our unique <a href="http://thehellofoundation.com/schools/services/">Hello There model</a>, and explore how it works in different settings. Hello There, for those of you who don’t already know, is our hybrid service model that combines telepractice and in-person services for students throughout the West. </p>
<p>Three THF’ers shared their experiences with Hello There – <a href="http://thehellofoundation.com/schools/our-people/">Sara Ecker</a>, who uses mostly teletherapy in remote Alaska; <a href="http://thehellofoundation.com/schools/our-people/">Lucinda Bowman</a>, who supervises multiple assistants in rural Montana; and <a href="http://thehellofoundation.com/schools/our-people/">Kira Wright</a>, who works with a licensed SLPA in Harney Co., Oregon. </p>
<p><img class="aligncenter wp-image-14671" src="http://thehellofoundation.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/sara-presenting.gif" alt="" width="275" height="490"></p>
<p>My key takeaways from the night:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Teletherapy and hybrid services do work.</strong> Clinicians who are flexible, and comfortable with supervision and technology have seen great success. It helps to have a sense of adventure as well!</li>
<li><strong>Get to know the culture of the community that you serve.</strong> Lucinda told stories of learning how to milk a cow in Montana, and Sara went for a ride on her friend’s “snow-go” (snowmobile) in Kotzebue, Alaska. These experiences allowed them to better understand the students they serve and help them earn the trust of their communities. </li>
<li><strong>No two districts are the same,</strong> so service models will differ depending on the needs of each district. The Hello There model allows clinicians to tailor services to fit each school that they serve, and that means that there are more options to meet students’ needs.</li>
</ul>
<p>[ngg_images source="galleries" container_ids="18" sortorder="326,328,323,325,324,327" display_type="photocrati-nextgen_basic_slideshow" gallery_width="600" gallery_height="400" cycle_effect="wipe" cycle_interval="6" show_thumbnail_link="1" order_by="sortorder" order_direction="ASC" returns="included" maximum_entity_count="500"]We also used this opportunity to put <a href="http://www.thehellofoundation.com/tag/give/">our core value of Give</a> into action! We encouraged everyone to bring a new board book or preschool game to kick off a toy and book drive for the <a href="https://irco.org/">Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization</a>. This is one of our favorite local organizations and we are happy to support them in any way we can (especially when we can help local kiddos <a href="http://thehellofoundation.com/schools/press-play/">Press Play</a> with new toys!).</p>
<p><img class="alignleft wp-image-14662" src="http://thehellofoundation.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IRCO-books.jpg" alt="Many Faces of Hello There" width="326" height="326"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-14663" src="http://thehellofoundation.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IRCO-toys-1.jpg" alt="Hello There PD" width="296" height="331"></p>
)
This spring, we thought it would be fun to do a professional development event focused on our unique Hello There model, and explore how it works in different settings. Hello There, for those of you who don’t already know, is our hybrid service model that combines telepractice and in-person services for students throughout the West. … (read more)
![](<p><img class="alignleft wp-image-14371 size-medium" src="http://thehellofoundation.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/eric-rothermel-23788-300x201.jpg" alt="workload" width="300" height="201">As a school-based SLP, there is lots to plan — <em>the session this afternoon, the craft project and literacy center for next week, an evidence-based approach to therapy for the tricky student who’s still struggling, a plan of assessment for the for another student </em>— lots of planning, and all needs to be done in advance!</p>
<p>When I think about the planning I need to do, most of it is the minutiae of all the students on my caseload, the team members and projects I’ve committed to, and upcoming events, meetings, and trainings. If we’re not explicit about planning the workload we manage, the decisions get made without us.</p>
<p>Spring on the traditional school calendar is a great time to reflect on the year past and look ahead to the coming year, no matter how far off it may seem. By this point in the year, you should have some perspective on your workload and how it has changed — or hasn’t! Here are some things to consider:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Rate yourself on a scale of 1-10.</strong> How have you managed your workload this year within the time allotted for it? You can give yourself a ten if you are meeting the expectations of the job with high quality, on-time work and you still have a little time leftover to work on extra projects or respond to unexpected needs that arise. If you are spending more time than expected on your work, or if your work is not getting completed on time, this is a good reason to plan for next year.</li>
<li><strong>Explain one-time factors.</strong> There are always unexpected factors that affect your day-to-day task list. <em>I don’t know why there were three students this year with autism eligibilities from out of state! What was the deal with five new eligibilities in the kindergarten classroom?</em> A reasonable plan for your workload has the flexibility to accommodate some of these unexpected events, but it is important to look for factors that signify real change. For example, a new IEP system, self-contained classrooms, special programs that are joining or leaving your caseload, or a significant change in enrollment. These are factors that might make this year’s workload difficult to compare to other years’.</li>
<li><strong>Pass the information on.</strong> Once you’ve carefully considered your own workload and how you’ve managed it this year, you might see some changes you can make to improve your own situation. If the changes are more administrative in nature (FTE, assigned responsibilities), you’ll need to look for the right person to give the information to, and the appropriate way to share it. Take the opportunity to talk about what you did this year to manage the issues that were in your control (<em>I learned that new IEP system; I created and shared a procedure to manage kindergarten referrals</em>), and suggest some ways to address the challenges not in your control (<em>An additional half-day per week for SLP time at this school would allow assessments to be completed on time without canceling therapy for other students; Not attending weekly staff meetings would allow me to complete paperwork in a more timely manner.</em>) Be ready to negotiate and be sure to communicate what will happen if nothing changes.</li>
</ul>
<p>If we stay head-down, doing the next thing on our list, we may not notice that our list is no longer appropriate for the time we have allotted. This is a recipe for over-work in the short-term, and burnout in the long run. Take the initiative now, in April, to plan and manage your own workload!</p>
)
As a school-based SLP, there is lots to plan — the session this afternoon, the craft project and literacy center for next week, an evidence-based approach to therapy for the tricky student who’s still struggling, a plan of assessment for the for another student — lots of planning, and all needs to be done in… (read more)
Recently I had a conversation with a gentleman who spoke of his experience running a private medical practice as the director. He spoke of often having to crack the whip and assure others that he knew when they were and were not doing their jobs. I smiled politely and wondered to myself, Why would he… (read more)
Anything caught you by surprise this week? Maybe a snowstorm? Or having to reschedule travel? Or all of a sudden having your kids home from school for several days in a row! Even if it’s not weather related, there’s bound to be something that catches us off guard this time of year. We’ve spent the… (read more)
One of my favorite parts about working for Hello is my co-workers. But unlike many places I’ve worked, these co-workers almost never come together to a common space for their workday. Instead we are scattered across 5 states, in home offices, The Hello Clinic, and districts of all shapes and sizes. Most of us are SLPs, but… (read more)
“Is this the life I want to live?” I keep this Post-It note on my desk, reading it every day, to remind me that I’m the only one in charge of my future. It also gives me pause to think about what I want not only today to look like but the future, too. And… (read more)