The Berwick campus of Federation University launched a student-led pathology clinic on Thursday, 13 March, effectively bridging the gap for accessible services for the local community.
It offers a range of low-cost essential services, including paediatric screenings at pre-schools and primary schools, assessment and treatment for youth aged 4 to 16 years old, addressing issues such as pronunciation or articulation, early literacy skills and language skills.
The Federation Speech Pathology Clinic was established in response to the growing need for speech pathology services in the area, with the wait time for public health services ranging from six to eight months, or even more, for interventions.
In certain areas, services have ceased altogether, particularly in chronic health, paediatric screening, and aged care.
Master of speech pathology graduate, Bridget Millar, said that as someone who grew up in a regional community and required intensive speech pathology intervention, she “understoof the barriers to access, but also the impact services can have on individuals and their families”.
“Studying at Federation with a small cohort fostered a close relationship with both my peers and staff who were dedicated, passionate, and supportive throughout my studies and beyond,” she said.
While Millar studied in the Ballarat campus and now works as a speech pathologist in Wollongong, she is one of the many signs of growth in the field, with a new 150-strong cohort totalling 300 students across the university’s Berwick, Mt Helen and Gippsland campuses and online.
The Speech Pathology Workforce Analysis report in 2023 highlighted that speech pathology services in Australia are not meeting demand, resulting in delayed or inaccessible care for many patients.
The Berwick campus launch is only the beginning, however, with the university planning to spearhead the movement in their other campuses.
Federation University head of discipline in speech pathology and the institute of health and wellbeing, professor Chryssie Heine, said that they are “delighted to be launching” the student-led clinic.
“This initiative represents a significant milestone in our commitment to providing hands-on learning experiences for our students whilst offering essential speech pathology services to those in need.
“Our students are eager to apply their knowledge and skills in the clinic, making a positive impact on the lives of our community members.
“We look forward to seeing the clinic thrive and grow, fostering a spirit of partnership and collaboration,” she said.
With relevance to the students heading the services mentioned above, they will be supervised in sessions by qualified speech pathologists and university staff.
In addition, there will also be group communication skills sessions for adults with aphasia or traumatic brain injury, as well as onsite services at schools and kinders.
Looking at the broader scope, the university has partnered with public and private health services in southeast Melbourne and the wider Gippsland area to form an advisory group to assess local speech pathology needs.
It will also ensure that the clinic provides necessary services and develops best practice referral pathways and relationships with interested clinicians to support their health service and caseloads.
