It’s time to become Licensed or Certified!
If you went to school in the same state in which you plan to work your University has probably explained everything you need to know about the State License and/or certification requirements you will need. But just in case your career takes you to another state now or sometime in the future, here is some helpful information to help you understand some of the variations you might encounter and ask the right questions at every stage of your career.
Each state is different
One of the biggest issues new graduates can face is not realizing that the requirements for License or Certification are different from state to state. Sometimes there are both CF and CCC Licenses, sometimes there is no CF License. Sometimes you cannot receive a License until your CF Mentor information is on file. And sometimes, you need a Certificate instead of a License. Sometimes you need both and sometimes they are the same.
License vs Certification
Your SLP License is generally issued by a State Licensing Board and is good for all medical settings within the state. In some states, it is also an acceptable License to work in schools. Certification is generally issued by a State Board of Education and allows you to work as an SLP in an educational setting, but not in a medical setting. Not every state has both, so find out which you will need and then get the new graduate application requirements for the state credentials for the clinical setting in which you will be working.
CF License or Certification
Many (but not all) states issue a CF License and require you to have an initial supervisor/mentor before a full License is issued to you. This CF License may also be called a Limited License, Restricted License or Provisional License. The supervisory requirements for your CF State License may or may not be the same as your ASHA Cs requirements. In this case, you will need to meet both the state requirements and ASHA requirements. When there is a conflict, ASHA defers to the state requirements. If you plan on transitioning to a new state BEFORE your ASHA Cs have been issued, you will need to also meet the CF requirements in the state you will be transitioning to or you might need additional supervision before your unrestricted license in the new state will be issued.
Some states do not have a CF License, instead of requiring that you pass the Praxis before beginning work and then accepting graduation from an accredited University and your passing Praxis scores to issue a full unrestricted license.
In many states, the Teaching Certificate does not require a CF year, instead offering the CF an unrestricted ability to practice as soon as they graduate and pass the Praxis. Board of Education Teacher Certification in most states does not require post-graduate practice supervision or a CF year, but they often require additional coursework or tests in order to obtain Certification. The majority of CFs work in the schools and it may be in part because the State License needed to work in a medical setting is restricted, provisional, or limited during your CF while in most states the Teaching Certificate is unrestricted, which employers tend to prefer.
Some clinical settings in some states have a harder time employing CFs if the license is considered a restricted or provisional license. These areas will have a tighter CF job market in the medical settings than a state or a clinical setting in which a CF can hold a full license or certificate.
When CF/SLPs and CCC/SLPs have different License/Certification requirements, you need to make sure you have the correct application and are following the correct application requirements and processes. Sometimes medical worksites and school work settings have different License/Certification requirements and again, you need to know which credentialing body you need to contact.
Ask Future Employers About Additional Requirements or Quirks
If you will be working in the schools, they often have the power to grant waivers for a limited period of time so that someone who does not fully meet the requirements for Teacher Certification is able to work for a specified period of time or while completing the requirements for Certification. Generally, only schools can request these waivers.
Some employers have policy requirements that exceed State License or Certification requirements. One example is schools that require district employees to have teacher Certification even when state law says you can practice in the schools using either a State License or a Teacher Certification. These policy requirements may or may not apply if you work for a contract staffing company instead of directly for the district.
Future Issues to Consider Now
Most states require either a passing Praxis score or ASHA Cs to issue a new License to an experienced SLP. Many people don’t realize that your Praxis scores are only retained for 10 years and are then discarded. This makes maintaining your ASHA Cs critical for relocation options in the future. Without either of these credentialing requirements, you may be required to retake the Praxis or to meet new practice requirements. Hopefully, you will achieve and maintain your ASHA Cs throughout your career, wherever it may take you. Just as there are differences from state to state to get your CF License, there are also differences in the requirements for having a License or Teaching Certificate reinstated. You should also work with ASHA for reinstatement of your Cs if possible as this option may be the easiest and best option available to you.
Take Away Tip: License and Certification processes vary from each other and from state to state. Make sure you know the timeline needed for License and Certification in the states you are considering.
