Position Announcement:
Individuals who have completed masters or doctoral programs and are not yet certified may complete their training by applying for a Clinical Fellowship Year (CFY) position. These positions are designed to be one year in duration with the possibility of the position being extended. Support is present for these positions throughout the year in accordance with the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and the Maryland Board of Speech-Language Pathology requirements for CFY’s. The positions are not designed to begin or end at specific times of the year, although that can be dependent on the Kennedy Krieger program where their graduate degree has been conferred and they have successfully graduated from a graduate program, which typically can occur from June to August. The availability of these positions is program specific and is according to need, but is not typically limited to a particular site or location. Depending on the need and available supervision, CFY opportunities may occur at the hospital (inpatient, outpatient, Fairmount Rehabilitation Programs, Rehabilitation Programs at Columbia, Specialized Transition Program, Center for Autism Services, Science and Innovation) school (lower, middle and high school and private-public partnership programs) and community-based (Parents and Children Together [PACT] and Child Family Support Program [CFSP]) programs.
Positions include providing speech and language assessments and treatment to children who have a wide range of communication disorders. The age of the children may vary according to the site or program, and may range from infancy to teenagers, or adults with developmental disabilities. The children may also have associated developmental delay, genetic disorders, autistic spectrum disorders, emotional or behavioral disorders, motor difficulties, or other neurological impairments (acquired or developmental).
Given the large number of candidates who apply each year, Clinical Fellows are strongly encouraged to apply early in the second semester of their second year of graduate studies in order to be considered. To apply for a Clinical Fellowship, please visit the Kennedy Krieger Institute Careers page. Type in the keyword “speech” and apply for any listed Clinical Fellow position. The application will be reviewed by the Human Resources Talent Acquisition Partner. Following application review, the Speech-Language Recruiter will email the applicant to set up phone screening to discuss programs of interest . For questions regarding Clinical Fellowships, please contact Kim Perone at (443) 923-5874 or email Perone@KennedyKrieger.org.
Description of Training Program:
Clinical Fellows (CF) in Speech-Language Pathology are supported in all Institute programs that offer speech-language services although the number of CF’s that each program supports varies from year to year. All CF’s are active participants in a structured sequence of seminars, rounds and clinics that varies depending on the program where they work. We also comply with Clinical Fellowship Year (CFY) supervision requirements according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and the Maryland Board of Speech-Language Pathology.
Historically support from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities) program helped create and maintain a model of interdisciplinary training at Kennedy Krieger Institute through on-going attendance and participation in weekly Core Course sessions. Key disciplines include speech-language pathology, audiology, pediatrics, social work, occupational and physical therapies, neuropsychology, nutrition, neurology, and psychiatry. Clinical Fellows in Speech Language Pathology are active participants in a structured sequence of seminars, rounds and clinics depending on the program where they work. Both the Outpatient Speech-Language Program and the Child and Family Support Program (CFSP) support having CF’s attend the weekly Core Course seminars. CF’s from all Kennedy Krieger sites and programs attend the bi-monthly Clinical Fellows Seminar, which is organized and coordinated by a Kennedy Krieger senior speech-language pathologist. At this seminar, topics include practical issues related to evaluating and treating patients with communication disorders and related developmental disabilities. Additional learning opportunities are provided through the CF’s home department and program to address more targeted issues and topics. These are in addition to on-gong supervision meetings with their CFY supervisors. Once again, CFY supervisors ensure that the CF meets CFY requirements for both clinical and indirect services as established by ASHA and the Maryland Board.