Petitioning For Approval From Board of Ethics to Reinstate Certification and Membership

Who May Petition?

Individuals whose certification and/or membership has been revoked or withheld by the Board of Ethics (“Board”) may petition the Board for approval to seek reinstatement at the completion of the revocation or withholding period.
Individuals who have petitioned previously and have been denied may petition the Board again, if given specific guidance about how and when they may do so.

Individuals whose certification and/or membership has been suspended by the Board are not required to petition for approval at the end of their suspension period.

How to Petition for Approval to Reinstate Certification and/or Membership

Submit a Petition for Reinstatement After Violation of the ASHA Code of Ethics [PDF], being sure that form is complete and that all required supporting documentation has been included. Mail petition materials together in an envelope marked "Confidential" to:

ASHA Ethics Office
2200 Research Blvd., #309
Rockville, MD 20850

What Happens Next?

Any Petition for Reinstatement received by the Ethics Office will be reviewed by the Board at its next scheduled meeting, as long as the petition and supporting documentation are sufficient and are received at least 30 days prior to the meeting.

Depending on when the next Board meeting is scheduled, it may be several months before the Board can act on a petition. Once a hearing date has been set, the Ethics Office will notify petitioning individuals.

Reinstatement Hearing

Reinstatement hearings before the Board are held before a minimum panel of nine members from the full adjudicating body of the Board. (Seven members constitute a quorum.)

In all cases, the petitioning individual bears the burden of demonstrating, with appropriate documentation, that the conditions that led to revocation or withholding have been rectified and that, if reinstated, the individual will abide by the ASHA Code of Ethics. The Board’s deliberation will be guided by the premise that reinstatement must be in the best interests of the Association, the professions, and persons served professionally. The Board may inquire as relevant about restitution, rehabilitation, continuing education, remediation, probation, substance abuse, alcoholism, employment, practice setting, change(s) in lifestyle, health considerations (if health considerations have been raised or relied upon by the individual respondent at any stage of the proceeding), and acknowledgment of violations found.

Approval of a petition to apply for reinstatement of ASHA certification requires the presence of a quorum and a two-thirds vote of those Board members present and voting, and the Board may set any conditions subsequent or any requirements that it deems necessary for the protection and benefit of the public and the professions, including an ethics exam.

Applying for Reinstatement of ASHA Certification

If the petition is approved by the Board of Ethics, the individual may then apply for reinstatement of certification in accordance with the policies and procedures set by the Council for Clinical Certification in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CFCC) and/or membership requirements that are in effect at the time of application. The CFCC defines the standards for clinical certification, applies those standards in granting certification to individuals, and has final authority to deny or withdraw certification.

If the petition to the Board is not approved, the individual may not apply for reinstatement of certification.