Selecting your SLP Facebook Groups
My first introduction to networking with other speech-language pathologists (SLPs) came in the early days of myspace when I started a message board for others in the field.
Now, myspace is passé and other social media platforms are all the rage. While Facebook may have lost some favor with millennials and may be overlooked by some working professionals of older generations, it has been an incredible learning tool for me as an SLP.
In addition to your Facebook Profile, Facebook Friends, and Facebook Pages, the platform also offers the options to create or join "Facebook Groups" and connect with others sharing similar interests. Over the years, numerous speech-language pathology-related groups have sprouted up. Unlike Facebook Pages, which are open to the public and do not promote user conversations, Facebook Groups allow for interactive conversations on particular topics with multiple users. Many groups are marked "closed" or "private" so that no one may see the posts other than people in those groups, making them somewhat more secure than public message boards. Of course, one should still be mindful that some moderators do not verify members occupations before adding them so there may be non-SLPs in these groups. However, by in large the groups appear to be filled with fruitful discussions amongst colleagues who would have never otherwise met. Members share invaluable tips and advice on everything from diagnostic materials and therapy techniques to facility politics, day-to-day interactions, and emotional support and commiserating.
If you are in the market for changing your SLP career path or further developing your skill sets and awareness (which we should all be), joining one of these groups can give you information you might be wondering or hadn't even thought to ask. Now, since we all know that our field is based on evidence-based practice (EBP), of course we would do our own independent research on all topics discussed from credible academic and research sources. The groups are there to offer great introductions to ideas and opinions from practicing clinicians. An additional feature of the groups is that they allow you to search within them for topics that have already been discussed or peruse their files sections for posted documents and resources.
Here are some of my favorite groups based on the SLP-specific focus and where you are or want to go next with your career:
I want to leave the field of speech-language pathology:
I want to work with the 0-3 Population:
I want to work with pediatric feeding disorders:
I want to work with adults:
I want to work in schools:
I want to start my own Private Practice:
I want to get into accent modification:
I want to work with transgendered voice:
I want to work with voice disorders:
What are your favorite SLP groups? Let us know in the comments section below.
Expand Your S.C.O.P.E.™ now has it's own Facebook Group, too!
Join our group at www.facebook.com/groups/expandyourscope
Expand Your S.C.O.P.E.™ is a clinician mentoring and shadowing service for certified healthcare providers looking to expand their own scopes of practice. JOIN NOW to get access to exclusive content and the opportunity to be matched with providers in your field for professional shadowing and mentoring experiences.
