West Virginia Code of State Rules › Agency 29 - Speech-Language Pathology And Audiology › Title 29 - LEGISLATIVE RULE WEST VIRGINIA BOARD OF EXAMINERS FOR SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY AND AUDIOLOGY › Series 29-02 - Rule Governing Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Assistants › Section 29-2-4 - Responsibilities of the Assistant's Supervisor

Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 28, July 12, 2024
4.1.
				The fully qualified, licensed supervising speech-language pathologist or
				audiologist is responsible for the services provided by assistants. The
				professionally licensed supervisor will hold full, unrestricted licenses and
				assume the following responsibilities for persons working under their
				direction. The supervisor of a speech language pathology or audiology assistant
				shall:
(a) Register with the Board the name
				of each assistant working under his or her supervision;
(b) Complete initial supervision training
				prior to accepting an assistant for supervision and upgrade supervision
				training on a regular basis.
(c)
				Participate significantly in hiring the assistant.
(d) Document preservice training and
				credentials of the assistant.
(e)
				Ensure that persons receiving services from an assistant receive prior written
				notification that services are to be provided by an assistant and inform
				patients/clients and families about the level (professional vs. support
				personnel), frequency, and duration of services as well as
				supervision.
(f) Provide direct
				supervision of the first three hours of treatment by the speech- language
				pathology assistant for each patient/client, followed by a minimum of one
				direct observation for each subsequent two week period. The supervisor shall
				document direct observations, and shall include information on the quality of
				the assistant s performance. Information obtained during direct observations
				may include data relative to (1) agreement (reliability) between the assistant
				and the supervisor on correct/incorrect judgment of target behavior, (2)
				accuracy in implementation of assessment and management procedures, (3)
				accuracy in recording data, and (4) ability to interact effectively with the
				client. These levels of agreement, or reliability levels shall be sampled a
				minimum of one time per each quarter year period. Whenever areas (1) through
				(3) fall below a 90% reliability level between supervising professional and the
				assistant for three consecutive direct observations, the supervisor shall
				provide retraining in areas of deficiency, and shall increase direct
				observation to 50% of all clinical sessions until the reliability level returns
				to 90% for three consecutive direct observations.
(g) Represent the speech-language pathology
				or audiology team for drafting correspondence and reports for editing,
				approval, and signature by the speech-language pathologist or
				audiologist.
(h) Provide 20% direct
				supervision and 10% indirect supervision for the first ninety (90) days, and
				thereafter ensure that he or she has direct contact with each patient/client at
				least once for every two weeks of treatment provided:
Provided,
That supervisors shall provide 100% direct
				supervision of an assistant who is providing treatment to a medically fragile
				patient/client.
(i) Make all
				clinical decisions, including determining patient/client selection for
				inclusion/in the case load, and dismissing patients/clients from
				treatment.
(j) Be on-site at all
				times when the speech-language pathology or audiology assistant is providing
				direct client services in a hospital, rehabilitation facility, or residential
				care facility, or insure that a person holding a current West Virginia license
				in the field of supervision is on- site in the absence on the supervisor.
				Supervision by an alternate supervisor shall not exceed 10 consecutive working
				days or a maximum of 20 working days per year;
(k) Communicate with patients/clients,
				parents, and family members about assessment, prognosis, and treatment
				plan.
(l) The supervisor provides
				documentation of a 90% or better reliability level between supervisor and
				assistant in:
a. Correct/incorrect judgment
				of target behavior
b. Accuracy in
				implementation of assessment and management procedures, and
c. Accuracy in recording data.
(m) Conduct diagnostic evaluation,
				assessments, or appraisals, and interpret obtained data in reports.
(n) Review each treatment plan with the
				assistant at least weekly.
(o)
				Delegate specific tasks to the assistant while retaining legal and ethical
				responsibility.
(p) Prepare an
				individualized treatment plan and make modifications prior to or during
				implementation.
(q) Discuss the
				case with or refer the patient/client to other professionals.
(r) Sign all formal documents (e.g.,
				treatment plans, reimbursement form reports; the supervisor should indicate on
				documents that the assistant performed certain activities).
(s) Review and sign all informal progress
				notes prepared by the assistant.
(t) Provide ongoing training to the assistant
				on the job.
(u) Accurately document
				all direct and indirect supervisory activities on forms prescribed by the
				board, and submit the same annually upon application for renewal of
				registration.
(v) Ensure that the
				assistant only performs tasks within the scope of responsibility of the
				speech-language pathology assistant.
(w) Participate in the performance appraisal
				of the speech-language pathology or audiology assistant.
(x) The speech-language pathologist or
				audiologist shall not supervise a speech-language pathology or audiology
				assistant until the speech-language pathologist or audiologist has completed
				the certification examination, the post graduate professional experience and 2
				additional years of clinical experience after receiving licensure in
				speech-language pathology or audiology.
(y) Supervise no more than three full-time
				assistants at any one time, with full-time employment being defined as forty
				(40 hours per week).