Louisiana Administrative Code › Title 46 - PROFESSIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL STANDARDS › Part LXXV - Speech Pathology and Audiology › Chapter 1 - General Rules › Section LXXV-131 - Supervision Requirements for Speech-Language Pathology Assistant and Provisional Speech-Language Pathology Assistant Licensees

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 6, June 20, 2024
A. A supervising speech-language pathologist
				must have a minimum of one year of full-time professional speechlanguage
				pathology experience following the postgraduate professional/employment
				experience. Full time employment in a school system for the school year is
				considered to meet this requirement.
B. Prior to the initiation of supervision of
				an assistant or provisional assistant, training in the area of supervision is
				strongly recommended.
C. An
				individual may not be supervised by a provisional licensee, restricted
				licensee, assistant licensee, an individual on inactive status, a telehealth
				registrant, or an immediate family member.
D. The supervision requirements specified in
				these regulations are minimum requirements. It is the responsibility of the
				speech-language pathologist to design and provide a supervision system that
				protects patient/client care and maintains the highest possible standards of
				quality.
E. Supervision must
				involve the direct participation of the supervisor in order for the supervisor
				to monitor, observe, evaluate, and make suggestions for improvement regarding
				the supervisee's employment.
F. The
				supervisor is responsible for ensuring that the assistant does not make
				decisions regarding evaluation, management and future disposition of
				clients.
G. The supervisor is
				responsible for initial consultation with the assistant regarding coursework
				and practicum experiences prior to caseload assignment. The supervising
				speech-language pathologist shall assign only those tasks for which the
				assistant has been trained.
H.
				Decision-making regarding specification of on-going treatment protocol and
				necessary modifications, is the responsibility of the supervisor. The level of
				supervision required is considered the minimum necessary to ensure appropriate
				patient/client care.
I. The
				supervising speech-language pathologist shall be readily available for
				consultation with the assistant licensee. This includes personal contact,
				telephone, or other means of communication.
J. Speech-language pathology assistants and
				provisional speech-language pathology assistants must submit a supervisory
				agreement signed by the supervisor and supervisee as prescribed by the board.
				The form must be submitted to the board by the supervisee within 30 days of
				employment. If there is a change in supervisor(s) at any time, a new
				supervisory agreement must be submitted to the board within 30 days of the
				change in supervision. If there are multiple supervisors for the same
				supervisee, all supervisors must sign a supervisory agreement.
K. Speech-language pathologists may share the
				supervision responsibility for speech-language pathology assistants or
				provisional speech-language pathology assistants, but each supervising
				speech-language pathologist shall complete and submit the necessary supervision
				forms.
L. Supervisory records,
				including supervision logs and other documentation of supervision, shall be
				maintained by both the supervisor and supervisee for a period of three years.
				Documentation of supervision may be requested by the board. Submission of
				inaccurate or falsified supervision documentation may result in disciplinary
				action.
M. The board will accept
				supervision given out-of-state by a licensed or ASHA certified speech-language
				pathologist in the area of licensure. Licensees must submit at the time of
				license renewal, appropriate proof of supervision consistent with Louisiana
				supervision requirements.
N.
				Assistants who are not working in the field of speechlanguage pathology shall
				submit a notarized statement at the time of license renewal attesting to the
				fact that they did not work in the profession during the license
				period.
O. Although more than one
				speech-language pathologist may provide supervision of an assistant licensee
				and provisional assistant licensee, at no time may a licensed speech-language
				pathologist supervise or be listed as a supervisor for more than three
				assistant or provisional assistant licensees. When multiple supervisors are
				used, the supervisors are encouraged to coordinate and communicate with each
				other.
P. Provisional
				speech-language pathology assistants and speech-language pathology assistants
				must undergo direct supervision as well as indirect supervision in every work
				setting in which the licensee is employed.
Q. Documentation of supervision shall be
				submitted annually at the time of license renewal on Form 200 provided by the
				board.
R. Supervision Requirements
				for the Speech-Language Pathology Assistant
1.
				A minimum of one clock hour of direct supervision shall be completed in the
				primary work setting each week for each licensee. If the assistant is employed
				in more than one work setting, additional direct supervision must occur in the
				secondary work setting.
2. A
				minimum of one clock hour of indirect supervision shall be completed each week
				for each licensee. These methods should include, but are not limited to:
a. specifying protocols for speech-language
				screenings and assessments conducted by the assistant licensee;
b. specifying protocols for hearing
				screenings conducted by the assistant licensee;
c. approving treatment plans or protocols and
				documenting approval;
d. monitoring
				patient/client progress toward meeting established objectives;
e. monitoring, scheduling, charting and data
				collection;
f. directing
				maintenance of equipment;
g.
				directing research projects, in-service training and public relations
				programs;
h. conducting telephone
				conferences.
3. If
				circumstances prohibit a supervisor from completing the minimum supervision
				requirements (§131.R.1 and 2) in a
				given week, the remaining supervision shall be completed the following week in
				conjunction with the required supervision hours for that week.
4. When the supervising speech-language
				pathologist is unavailable for supervision for more than one week, arrangements
				shall be made for another qualified supervisor or the speech-language pathology
				assistant shall be transferred to other duties.
5. Speech-Language Pathology Assistant
				Full-Time and Part-Time Supervision Requirements
Hours Worked
Required Direct Supervision
Required Indirect Supervision
21-40 hours
1 hour/week
1 hour/week
20 hours or less
1 hour/every 2 weeks
1 hour/every 2 weeks
6.
				Assistant licensees shall be supervised only by a speech-language pathologist
				licensed under the provisions of
				R.S.
				37:2659(B) with the
				exception of hearing screenings which may be supervised by an audiologist,
				licensed under the provisions of
				R.S.
				37:2659(A).