About Us
IPE in the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences
Interprofessional Education (IPE) and Interprofessional Practice (IPP) are major initiatives in the health and education fields. In speech-language pathology and audiology, the American Academy of Audiology (AAA) and the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA), require IPE and IPP to prepare professionals for collaborative practice in the professions.
In the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences (SLHS) at San Francisco State University, Interprofessional Education (IPE) is a major initiative and goal in our Strategic Plan. We have prioritized IPE because we are dedicated to the education of our students in preparation for interprofessional collaboration among disciplines post-graduation at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. In SLHS, a unique feature of our IPE events is that they are student-driven, encouraging the development of leadership skills. The first IPE event was organized and planned in May 2019 by undergraduate students who launched the further development of IPE within our department.
Development of the SLHS IPE Website
The development of this website was made possible by Instructionally Related Activities (IRA) grants awarded annually by San Francisco State University. The Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences (SLHS) was awarded IRA funding in academic years 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 for the purpose of developing Interprofessional Education (IPE) forums and resources for students within SLHS, throughout the GCOE and the university to expand knowledge and skill for students to collaborate across the borders of their disciplines.
In the first year, funds were applied to host the first IPE Forum in the GCOE which filled to capacity with students from all departments of the GCOE. A student team in SLHS with six members of the National Student Speech, Language and Hearing Association (NSSLHA) Chapter at SF State planned, implemented and evaluated the event with SLHS faculty advisers. The success of the first IPE forum, based on student feedback, led to a second forum in fall 2019 and the development of a one-unit graduate seminar in SLHS on Interprofessional Education.
As a result of IRA funding, IPE is now required in the SLHS curriculum for future speech-language pathologists and audiologists. Following the launching of IPE in SLHS and the GCOE, it became evident that guiding resources were needed. In order to sustain the development of IPE and prepare professionals to collaborate across disciplines with families and individuals they serve, an online manual in the form of this website emerged. The second year of IRA funding was applied to this purpose to support student assistants Lara Crotwell and Nicole Lara; and web development by Nolan Muña, IT Consultant and Web Specialist. SLHS faculty advisers, Anusha Sundarrajan and Nancy Robinson assisted and consulted.
Acknowledgments
We as a team have worked toward the implementation of IPE within SLHS and the GCOE to prepare our students for collaboration across disciplines as future professionals. We appreciate and would like to acknowledge the students and faculty who have encouraged the growth of IPE at SF State. We would like to recognize the Department Chair of SLHS, Dr. Laura Epstein; faculty of the GCOE, including Dr. Betty Yu in SLHS and Dr. Maryssa Mitsch in SPED; and students of the SLHS program: Roxana Aames, Francis Francisco, Mitchell Jay Peck Eng, Maryvi Morales, Jessica Ramirez, Joanna Villalpando, and Kelly Weatherwax for their contributions to this project.