Rutgers New M.S. Speech-Language Pathology Program to Open Pro Bono Clinic in the Newark Community 

Rutgers’ newest academic program – the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (MSSLP) within the School of Health Professions’ Department of Rehabilitation and Movement Sciences –is opening a speech-language pathology clinic in September, offering free speech-therapy services to children and adults in Newark and anyone in need.

“Newark ranks as one of the most diverse cities in the U.S. in terms of ethno-racial, linguistic, and economic background, and our goal is to meet the needs of any and every client who comes through our door, as communication is a human right. As the State University of New Jersey, we have an obligation to ensure the community’s access to speech-language services that maximize communicative effectiveness and improve quality of life,” said Stephanie Hubbell, director of clinical education at the Rutgers speech-language-pathology clinic.

The master’s degree program will admit its first cohort of twenty students this fall, allowing them to gain clinical experience as they engage with patients in the clinic. Under the direction of licensed speech-language pathologists, trained graduate-student clinicians will provide speech-language assessment, diagnosis, and treatment services in English, Spanish, and other languages for a variety of needs.

Speech-language therapists work with individuals across the lifespan to address a range of speech, language, and communication needs, including voice and articulation, fluency, feeding and swallowing, expressive and receptive language, such as speaking and listening skills, executive functioning skills, such as planning and organization, and social pragmatics.

These services can be helpful to children with language delays and those with developmental conditions impacting communication, such as autism or cerebral palsy. Speech-language pathologists also work with stroke and traumatic brain injury survivors, singers and professional voice users, transgender and gender-diverse individuals, and persons with progressive neurological diseases like Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or Parkinson’s Disease.

Now that the speech-language therapy degree program has been accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, which establishes accreditation standards of excellence, our students are eligible to achieve certification following completion of a nine-month clinical fellowship post-graduation.

Alma Merians, chairperson and professor of the Department of Rehabilitation and Movement Science, said the program is unique in its mission to provide quality care to the community while training future practitioners who can treat a diverse patient population and work with other types of professionals in the field of rehabilitation.

“The faculty is dedicated to the preparation of students who will successfully practice in a pluralistic society. The foundation of the program is based on three inter-related themes: interprofessional practice, ethno-social diversity, and excellence in health care. Students will learn to interact with future colleagues in physical therapy, occupational therapy, and other disciplines in a multicultural environment to hone their clinical skills to meet the needs of an ever-increasing diverse client population,” said Merians.

The clinic will operate from Monday to Friday 9 a.m.-6 p.m. located at Rutgers University School of Health Professions, 65 Bergen Street – 7th Floor (Suite 701), Newark, NJ 07107. Call 973-972-1008 or email RU-SLP-Clinic@shp.rutgers.edu to schedule services.

More information can be found at https://shp.rutgers.edu/slp.