Perspectives on Accountability, Credentialing, and Training
As speech-language pathologists, we live in the middle of multiple tensions. These paradoxical realities shape our work, our policies, and our professional identity. Naming them clearly can help us see the complexity we hold:
- We want high-quality clinical training and we want it to be affordable and financially sustainable.
- We want the CFY to provide structured training and we leave it to employers (not training institutions), where only 18 hours of direct and 18 hours of indirect supervision are required across nine months.
- We want supervisors to mentor deeply and we struggle to provide compensation, workload adjustment, or support for that role.
- We want mobility across settings and we resist adopting setting-specific competencies, refreshers, or re-entry standards.
- We want parity with other health professions and we retain a training model (post-graduate CFY) uncommon among our peers.
- We want a dynamic, innovative, responsive national organization and we uphold a CFY/CCC system that positions the association more as a regulator than a representative.
Where contradictions meet conversation
Conversations about licensure and certification often flare up on social media but rarely lead to meaningful dialogue. The complexity of the issues makes them difficult to untangle in quick exchanges.
By collecting cross-stakeholder data, this survey aims to bring clarity to the conversation. The results will highlight where perspectives align, where they diverge, and what paradoxes remain unresolved. Importantly, the survey does not propose solutions, but rather provides the foundation for informed, evidence-based dialogue about the future of our field.
Who is involved
The project is led by Megan Berg, SLP in collaboration with the University of Montana—Jenna Musick, PhD, CCC-SLP, CBIS and Cathy Off, PhD CCC-SLP, as well as an advisory panel representing diverse voices across the profession. Together, this team ensures that the survey design, data analysis, and interpretation are rigorous, transparent, and inclusive.
Timeframe
The survey will be distributed nationwide, and participation is open to all stakeholders in the profession. Responses will be analyzed and published in a peer-reviewed journal and made freely available on this website.
Projected Timeline:
Survey design, IRB review, and testing: Fall 2025—Spring 2026
Survey open: April-September 2026
Data analysis: Winter 2026
Results and publication: Early 2027
Share your perspectives and your stories
Your voice matters. By taking part in the PACT Survey, you help create a more accurate picture of how our profession experiences training, licensure, and certification. Whether you’re an SLP, audiologist, educator, employer, policymaker, or consumer, your perspective adds critical insight to the conversation.
Sign up to receive updates and be notified when the survey launches. Together, we can create the space for reflection, dialogue, and progress.