Download the show notes and full transcript of the conversation.
This episode is an emotional one as we talk about all things discharge! Have you ever been curious about how SLPs in a variety of setting view when and how and who to discharge? And what language do we use in having these conversations! Join us in this episode of The Fishbowl Series!
Discussion & Reflection Questions
- Ready to talk about discharges?
- What about personal changes in our careers?
- What are discharges like in a medical SLP setting?
- What are discharges like in a school setting?
- Thoughts on what to do when a caregiver or care partner is not on board?
- How do those harder, “I’m discharging…” conversations go and what do you say?
- Why do kids sometimes stay on caseloads for too long?
- How do you continue to foster communication, successful swallowing, and confidence?
- Are some of the emotions and feelings we are going through when we discharge normal?
“I just want to normalize some of the mixed feelings that you may have. I mean, I think there may be some second-guessing yourself or you know, both excitement but also a little bit of that sense of loss or grief within yourself as a therapist…Just notice that you don’t have to change it or push it away, just observe that that’s part of what you’re feeling. And that’s okay, that’s absolutely normal..” – Janet Tilstra
Janet Tilstra, PhD, CCC-SLP
Associate Professor in Communication Sciences & Disorders at St. Cloud State University
Janet Tilstra is a teacher, mentor, connector of people, and fan of the arts. She works as an Associate professor in Communication Sciences & Disorders at St Cloud State University and consults with schools and community organizations to facilitate strategic planning, mentor teams in applied research, and structure important conversations.
Pre-2015, Janet practiced clinically as a speech-language pathologist, served as a Master Literacy Coach with Minnesota Reading Corps, and taught in the departments of psychology and education at the College of St Benedict. She loves nuanced conversations, reading books with great character development, kayaking, all things music, and winning board games. Janet lives along the Mississippi River in Minnesota with her husband and two cats. She strives to think like a scientist, foster potential in others, live a balanced life, and make the world a little bit better.
“I can talk about the ASHA code of ethics. But I also have administrators and directors and teachers and other people that are kind of weighing into that conversation. So those are difficult conversations {regarding discharge criterion} to have. But they’re necessary. And I do think that is part of our professional obligation.”
– Katie Widestrom-Landgraf
Katie Widestrom-Landgraf, MS, CCC-SLP
School Speech-Language Pathologist
Katie is a speech-language pathologist who has worked in both medical and educational settings for over 20 years. She presently works with adolescents in a large suburban high school. Katie is a past president of the Minnesota Speech-Language-Hearing Association (MNSHA). She has collaborated with the MN Dept. of Education to expand the understanding of oral language as a critical neurodevelopmental infrastructure for academic achievement processes. She is most passionate about helping students develop their language skills as a tool for thought, wonderment, questioning, and
curiosity…and of course communication. When Katie is not working with the students on her caseload, she is still working with students to develop their communication and self-expression as a high school forensics coach. Katie enjoys great conversations and connections where one loses a sense of time, fabulous dining experiences, transcendent cups of coffee, and books that are so good she negotiates with her alarm clock so that she might finish just one more chapter.
“I cannot be the only one that tears up when she says goodbye to people!”
Mattie Murrey Tegel, MA, CCC-SLP, L, CPC, CLSC
Medical Speech-Language Pathologist and Founder of Fresh SLP
Mattie Murrey-Tegels is the founder and SLP behind Fresh SLP and The Missing Link for SLPs Podcast. She’s been “in-the-trenches” as a medical SLP around the world for over 25 years and now an Assistant Professor for 3 years. She is thrilled to be adding this dream of a podcast because paying her experiences forward is something she is very passionate about. If you ask her patients and students, one thing they will remember is how much she loves her job! She may not look like it but she is a huge introvert and when she is not actively working as an SLP, she is almost always reading, writing (writing over 1,000,000 words a year), or listening to amazing Chicago Blues bands. She also loves being outdoors and definitely enjoys soaking up the sun at her home in Minnesota, where warm and sunny days can be limited. She’s ridden motorcycles for many years, raced sled dogs, hiked huge mountains yet she cherishes the quiet moments of climbing into a hammock to nap or timeless conversations with friends and family.
The Missing Link for SLPs podcast and Fresh SLP is her legacy, giving back to a career that has so richly rewarded her.
Thank you for listening to The Missing Link for SLPs podcast! If you enjoyed the show, I’d love you to subscribe, rate it and leave a short review. Also, please share an episode with a friend. Together we can raise awareness and help more SLPs find and connect those missing links to help them feel confident in their patient care every step of the way.
Follow me on Instagram, join the Fresh SLP community on Facebook or learn more at FreshSLP.com. Let’s make those connections. You got this!
Not a substitute for a formal SLP education or medical advice for patients/caregivers.
0 Comments