Speech-Language Pathologists in Disaster Management: Team Roles

Abstract

Purpose: Disaster management is a topic that is multi-faceted and intricately maintained by the professionals who volunteer their expertise and time to assist those who have been affected by an unforeseen disaster. Creating a well-rounded and effective team is of immense importance during disaster situations; speech-language pathologists (SLPs) can provide vital skills in the realm of communication, feeding, and other areas. However, the role of SLPs within the disaster management team is not well documented in the literature. The purpose of the study was to identify awareness, involvement, and training of SLPs in disaster management cycles through exploration of their self-reported knowledge, skills, and roles in order to better understand their likelihood of response and potential collaborative roles within the team. Method: To explore how SLPs view themselves as part of the disaster management cycle, a cross-sectional survey study was designed. The study specifically targeted licensed, SLPs within the state of Florida. Results: There were 216 viable survey responses to analyze. Upon rendering of the data, a descriptive and correlational analysis was conducted to further examine how speech-language professionals perceive their fit in the arena of disaster management. SLPs who responded to this survey were primarily white, 40–49-year-old females who had experienced some form of disaster. Most respondents reported receiving no training for disaster management; however, they indicated that SLPs and other healthcare professionals have unique skills that could contribute to disaster cycles. Although there was reportedly limited training and guidance available and minimal professional experience with disaster, SLPs who reported having professional experience with disaster cycles, indicated an increased likelihood of participating in future disaster response. Conclusions: Similar to interdisciplinary teams found in clinical practice, healthcare professionals need training and education about their roles to form teams to holistically address the needs of clients in all disaster management stages. Analyses show SLPs feel they could provide important contributions to the interdisciplinary disaster management team; however, they have not had adequate professional experience or training