How 22 State Associations Used Their 2023 Advocacy Grants

ASHA provides grants every year to help state associations fund their advocacy efforts. In 2023, 22 ASHA-recognized state associations received grants for a variety of causes: to support salary supplements for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in schools, advocate to license speech-language pathology assistants (SLPAs), investigate caseload caps, and more.

We’ve highlighted five state association efforts in detail below.

Arizona received funding to expand Medicaid coverage. At the time Arizona submitted its grant, Arizona adults between the ages of 21 and 64 who are covered under the state Medicaid program were not eligible to receive outpatient speech-language or dysphagia services after suffering major health crises. Arizona collaborated with Policy Development Group to craft a bill to provide speech-language and dysphagia services to this underserved population.

Kansas received funding to support SLPA licensure. In a 2021 ASHA survey to Kansas SLPs, 49% of respondents reported an increase in the number of open SLP positions in their district or special education cooperative since 2020. And 54% reported that their monthly caseload was higher than the national median of 47. Kansas aimed to solve this problem by giving SLPAs a path to become licensed professionals.

Maryland received funding to support their lobbying efforts for salary supplements for SLPs in schools. Like Kansas, Maryland faces SLP staff shortages in its schools – and low salaries were the biggest barrier to recruiting and retaining SLPs. Maryland worked to enact legislation that would provide a $10,000 annual salary supplement to SLPs who hold a Certificate of Clinical Competence and work in Maryland public schools. If passed, the legislation would have also provided an additional $7,500 for SLPs who work in high need schools.

Minnesota received funding to lobby for SLPA licensure and passage of the Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact (ASLP-IC). Like Kansas, Minnesota advocated for the passage of an SLPA bill to address the shortage of SLP services in the state. Minnesota has also been advocating for licensure protection against the encroachment of music and applied behavior analysis therapists.

Missouri received funding to support their lobbying efforts for the ASLP-IC implementation and a Medicaid billing initiative. Missouri joined the ASLP-IC in June 2022. The state’s next steps will be advocating for the Department of Social Services to propose and adopt new rules related to billing for clinical fellows.

Here’s how the rest of the state associations used their funding:

• Alaska lobbied for ASLP-IC legislation.
• Colorado lobbied for Medicaid advocacy efforts.
• Georgia lobbied for Medicaid and early intervention rate increases.
• Indiana held regional summits to address caseload concerns.
• Louisiana lobbied for Medicaid reimbursement efforts.
• Mississippi lobbied for hearing aid coverage.
• Montana lobbied for SLPA licensure and the ASLP-IC.
• Nevada lobbied for ASLP-IC legislation and SLPA regulation.
• New Jersey developed and implemented a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training for practitioners.
• New Mexico lobbied for SLPA licensure.
• New York developed a leadership training for its members.
• Oregon lobbied for workload legislation.
• Pennsylvania developed PSAs on DEI and the role of the professions.
• Vermont lobbied for ASLP-IC legislation.
• Virginia lobbied for school-based SLP caseload caps and pediatric hearing aids.
• Washington lobbied for ASLP-IC legislation.
• Wisconsin lobbied to address prior authorization of medically necessary services.

ASHA will announce its 2024 grant winners in March.

If you want to learn more about your state association, you can find contact information, state licensing requirements and more by visiting ASHA’s State-by-State advocacy page.

Questions?

Email states@asha.org.