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Professional Certification & Licensure for Speech-Language Pathology
There are three professional credentials that students who plan to work in Missouri need to know about. (Note: Students who plan to work in a state other than Missouri should familiarize themselves with the procedures for licensure and/or certification in that state. Links to state-specific information may be found on the ASHA web site.
Certificate of Clinical Competence (the CCC-SLP, often called "ASHA Certification")
This is the only credential in speech-language pathology in the U.S. that is "nationally recognized." The CCC or its requirements are used as the basis of many state-level credentials across the country. The application for this certification is located on the ASHA web site. Upon completion, the verification form should be sent to Barbara McLay, Program Director, who will verify that all standards have been met before signing the document. The application for certification should be initiated upon graduation, but it will not be completed until the end of the Clinical Fellowship Year (CFY). NOTE: Students who have been members of the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (i.e., National NSSLHA) for two consecutive years will qualify for significant savings on their initial ASHA membership dues through the NSSLHA-to-ASHA conversion program.
Missouri Professional Licensure in SLP
SLPs working in Missouri in most settings must hold a Missouri state license to practice. This credential is required for work in most hospitals, health care agencies, non-school clinics, and for any contract work or private practice. Information about, and applications for, professional licensure can be obtained through the Missouri Division of Professional Registration. Application for a provisional license should begin close to graduation, and graduates beginning their clinical fellowship year (CFY) must apply for and receive a provisional license prior to the start of employment. A provisional license is good for one year and can be renewed for one additional year in order to complete the CFY. Anyone who works in a setting requiring professional licensure in SLP without either a provisional or full professional license may be barred from further professional practice in Missouri. Full licensure as a speech-language pathologist in Missouri is obtained upon completion of the CFY. The requirements for Missouri licensure in SLP are the same as the requirements for the CCC, including the exam. The Professional License in Speech-Language Pathology must be renewed every two years.
Speech-Language Pathology Student Services Certificate
This is the credential required for work in the public schools in Missouri. It is issued by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (Individuals holding licensure may be able to work on contract with some school districts without holding this certificate.) Information about certification and the application process is available on the DESE web site. Graduates who wish to complete their CFY in the public schools can apply for temporary authorization certification. Upon completion of the CFY, students may apply for a Speech-Language Pathology Student Services Certificate. They must first obtain a Missouri Professional License in SLP (see item above) and then use the license along with evidence of their degree and of a passing Praxis II exam score to apply for the Student Services Certificate. The Student Services Certificate must be renewed every five years by presenting evidence of current professional licensure in SLP by the State of Missouri.
Page last updated on: August 27, 2009
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