Frequent Questions

Question How does an individual go about obtaining their emergency certification for speech-language pathology?
	Answer An emergency permit is issued by the Department of Education upon the request of the employing public school entity when a position has been advertised and no fully qualified and properly certificated applicant is available. The candidate for an emergency permit must have earned a bachelor's degree from a state-approved college or university and must meet all other eligibility requirements related to age, citizenship, mental and physical health and good moral character. The emergency permit may be requested for an individual to serve in a vacant position or as a long-term or day-to-day substitute teacher. The permit is valid from the first day of the month of issuance until the last day of summer school in that school year and may be reissued in subsequent years upon the submission of the appropriate application to the Department from the public school entity and completion of conditions set by the Department. Guidelines for the issuance of emergency permits are found under CSPG #13 at http://www.teaching.state.pa.us/teaching/cwp/view.asp?a=3&Q=34618.
Question I am a CFY, do I need to be licensed in the state of Pennsylvania to work in rehab or a hospital?
	Answer No, you will work under the license of your CFY Supervisor. Once you complete your CFY successfully, you will apply to ASHA for your CCC. Once you have received your CCC, you can apply for your license in Pennsylvania. It is a good idea to contact the Licensure Board prior to the completion of your CFY to begin gathering the materials/ credentials required by the state. They can be contacted at 717-783-1389.


Question How many CE hours will be required for license renewal?
	Answer During each biennial renewal, you will need to demonstrate completion of 20 CE hours (or 2.0 ASHA CE credits).

Question Will I be able to use CE hours (or credits) to count toward my PA licensure and PA teachers certificate requirements?
	Answer Yes and No. It depends on the content of your CE course. The licensing board of PA will not accept courses that are not directly related to speech/language pathology and audiology. In other words, if you take a "Teaching math ..... " course that does meet the teacher certificate requirement, it will not meet your PA license renewal requirements. In general, courses that will receive ASHA CE hours will be approved for PA Licensure CE hours.

Question Is ASHA requiring Continuing Education to maintain certification now as well?
	Answer Yes, but there is an implementation schedule that will be rolled out that is based upon your initial cerification date. Audiologists will begin begin between the years of 2003 - 2005. Speech-Language Pathologists will begin the process between 2005-2007. Certificate holders will have 4 ways to to obtain professional continuing education, but overall it require a minimum of 3.0 CEUs (or 30 contact hours) over a 3- year renewal cycle. For additional information, please go to: http://professional.asha.org/certification/membership.cfm http://professional.asha.org/certification/SLP-standard7.cfm

Question I would like to verify my course hours that meet ACT 48 requirements, can I do that?
	Answer Yes, you will need to go to the secure state site at: https://secure.ed.state.pa.us/ces/?teachingNav=\|1905\|

Question Where can I find information about teacher certification or Act 48?
	Answer Check out the Pennsylvania Department of Education's website at: www.pde.psu.edu/ PSHA's VP for Professional Preparation & Continuing Education can also help with Act 48 questions.

Question Where can I find information about professional licensure in Pennsylvania and Act 71?
	Answer Check out the licensure board's website at: http://www.dos.state.pa.us/bpoa/spebd/licensureinfo.htm PSHA's VP for Professional Preparation & Continuing Education can also help with Act 71 questions.

Question Why are PSHA members who present at the convention required to pay the registration fee?
	Answer This is a fairly common (and not unreasonable!) question. In fact, prior to becoming a PSHA board member, it was a question that I also wondered about. Consequently, I am pleased to have the opportunity to respond to this inquiry so that members may more clearly understand the reasoning behind the current policy. First of all, the quality of the presentations at PSHA is well-known by our membership and the PSHA board is most appreciative of members’ willingness to share their time, talents and expertise with others. This is why the board has established a lower rate for presenters for this year’s convention. Furthermore, we are committed to continue to provide the forum that allows professionals to share their work with colleagues without traveling great distances at great expense. However, state conventions don't just happen. Putting on a conference of this size takes a great deal of financial and human resources. For instance, we must pay costs associated with renting the space, providing food and services, printing and mailing announcements and programs, and bringing in presenters to address specific topics requested by our membership. The registration fees, which are significantly lower for PSHA members than for non-members, help cover these and other costs. It is also important to understand that our costs would be even higher without the countless hours of volunteer service put forth by members to make the convention happen. I hope this has assisted you in understanding conference registration policies. Given that, I encourage you to take advantage of the PSHA convention in State College this year as both a presenter and an attendee. It is a great place to build your professional knowledge base and network with your colleagues across the state. I look forward to meeting you there! Shari Robertson, President, PSHA.