Fix SLP: Advocacy & Accountability in Speech-Language Pathology

Join Dr. Jeanette Benigas, Preston Lewis, MA/SLP, and Alexa Chapman, MA/SLP, as they break down Michigan’s House Bill 4484, a major step in ensuring state licensure remains the sole credential for SLPs—no CCC required. Hear how grassroots advocacy drove this bill forward, what it means for SLPs across Michigan, and why it’s a model for other states. Plus, get a behind-the-scenes look at testifying in Lansing and what’s next for Fix SLP’s nationwide movement.Stay up to date with the Fix SLP Michigan BlogWant to earn some PDHs or CEUs with a discount? Find our most up-to-date promo codes and discounts here.Want to lead or join your state team? Email your name and state to [email protected] a sustaining partner to support our work.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTokFind all our information at fixslp.com, and sign up for our email list to be alerted to new episodes and content.Email us at [email protected] a message on our Minivan Meltdown line! ★ Support this podcast ★

This Fix SLP Podcast Summer School episode breaks down why CCC requirements still show up in SLP job postings—and how you can push back. Dr. Jeanette Benigas and Preston Lewis, MS/SLP, tackle lazy copy-paste listings, leadership mindsets stuck in the past, and how real SLPs have gotten major employers to drop the CCC. Hear wins from Michigan, plus learn how to start the conversation with HR. Ready to bust myths and change your workplace? Subscribe and keep schooling the system.Want to earn some PDHs or CEUs with a discount? Find our most up-to-date promo codes and discounts here.Want to lead or join your state team? Email your name and state to [email protected] a sustaining partner to support our work.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTokFind all our information at fixslp.com, and sign up for our email list to be alerted to new episodes and content.Email us at [email protected] a message on our Minivan Meltdown line! ★ Support this podcast ★

Welcome to Episode 1 of the Fix SLP Summer School series—where we’re schooling the system all summer long. Preston Lewis, MS/SLP, and private practice owner Elizabeth Nielsen, MA/SLP, tackle a key question: Do you really need the CCC in private practice? Elizabeth shares how dropping the CCC had zero impact on billing, referrals, or her waitlist—even with major payers like Blue Cross Blue Shield.They also break down ASHA’s livestream response to the CMS rule changes, discuss tone policing in advocacy, and introduce Fix SLP’s action plan: a letter to CMS Administrator Dr. Oz requesting a two-year delay. This episode is for private practitioners, Clinical Fellows, and anyone rethinking the CCC. Download your letter and take action at fixslp.com.Want to earn some PDHs or CEUs with a discount? Find our most up-to-date promo codes and discounts here.Want to lead or join your state team? Email your name and state to [email protected] a sustaining partner to support our work.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTokFind all our information at fixslp.com, and sign up for our email list to be alerted to new episodes and content.Email us at [email protected] a message on our Minivan Meltdown line! ★ Support this podcast ★

CMS didn’t create a new rule—they just enforced an old one in a new way. And it’s exposing the weakness in our entire clinical fellowship (CF) model. In this episode, Dr. Jeanette Benigas and Preston Lewis, MS/SLP, explain how ASHA’s CF requirement has now become a national liability, why CMS won’t listen to petitions, and what Fix SLP is doing instead. From the collapse of provisional licensure to a bold plan to rewrite state policies, this is the real story behind what’s shaking up SLP right now.We’re not asking CMS to reverse course—we’re asking for a delay while we fix the problem ourselves. This is your call to action.Find Fix SLPs resources for students and new grads here.Want to earn some PDHs or CEUs with a discount? Find our most up-to-date promo codes and discounts here.Want to lead or join your state team? Email your name and state to [email protected] a sustaining partner to support our work.Follow us on Instagram.Find all our information at fixslp.com, and sign up for our email list to be alerted to new episodes and content.Email us at [email protected] a message on our Minivan Meltdown line! ★ Support this podcast ★

Fix SLP was never just about making noise—it was built to challenge systems that gatekeep, exploit, and mislead. In this foundational episode, Dr. Jeanette Benigas and Preston Lewis, MS/SLP, explain why the CCC isn’t just unnecessary—it might be illegal.We walk through the Sherman Antitrust Act, our official complaint to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and how we allege ASHA's CCC requirement may violate federal law by restricting access to jobs, supervision, and professional advancement in speech-language pathology.We expose the financial structure behind ASHA’s business model, the myth of the clinical fellowship year, and how the CCC props up a pay-to-play system that disproportionately harms new grads, small business owners, and anyone without institutional backing.This is the legal case that lit the fire behind Fix SLP, and we’re just getting started.Find Fix SLPs resources for students and new grads here.Want to earn some PDHs or CEUs with a discount? Find our most up-to-date promo codes and discounts here.Want to lead or join your state team? Email your name and state to [email protected] a sustaining partner to support our work.Follow us on Instagram.Find all our information at fixslp.com, and sign up for our email list to be alerted to new episodes and content.Email us at [email protected] a message on our Minivan Meltdown line! ★ Support this podcast ★

Mentorship is supposed to shape confident, competent SLPs, but too often, it leaves them overwhelmed, underprepared, and unsupported. In this episode, Dr. Jeanette Benigas talks with Lynsie Erickson-Facca, MS/SLP, of The Speech Pack, to unpack the mentorship crisis in our field, from outdated supervisors to broken systems, and what ethical, empowered mentorship should look like.Find Fix SLPs resources for students and new grads here.If you missed last week's episode about mentorship, you can catch it here: Mentorship is Broken, and New SLPs are Paying the Price.Want to earn some PDHs or CEUs with a discount?Get 10% off all mentorship packages from The Speech Pack with code FIXSLP, because you deserve support that actually supports you.Use code FIXSLP to get 15% off The Speech Pack Merch (for a limited time).Find our most up-to-date promo codes and discounts here.Want to lead or join your state team? Email your name and state to [email protected] a sustaining partner to support our work.Follow us on Instagram.Find all our information at fixslp.com, and sign up for our email list to be alerted to new episodes and content.Email us at [email protected] a message on our Minivan Meltdown line! ★ Support this podcast ★

New SLPs are burning out—and it’s not their fault. In this episode, Dr. Jeanette Benigas, SLP talks with Nikki Rosner, MA/SLP and Hylan Noble, MS/SLP from The Mentorship Collective about the growing mentorship crisis in speech-language pathology. Together, they unpack why so many new grads feel overwhelmed, unsupported, and unprepared in their first year—and what can be done to fix it.We talk about the problems with traditional new graduate supervision models, the role of mentorship in preventing SLP burnout, and the urgent need to move away from ASHA-branded language (such as certified fellow and CF) in state licensure and job requirements. Whether you're a seasoned SLP supervising a student or a new grad wondering if you picked the wrong field, this episode is packed with perspective, real-world strategies, and hard truths.Don't forget to download and listen to You Don't Say! SLP Real Talk, Advice and Strategies, and show Nikki and Hylan some love with a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and review so even more SLPs can find their information.Find Fix SLPs resources for students and new grads here.If you missed our episode with Meredith Herold from Informed Jobs, catch it here: You're Not Making $60/hour: The Lies Buried in SLP Job Posts.Want to earn some PDHs or CEUs with a discount?New grads, this one's for you: The Mentorship Collective is offering 10% off with code FixSLP to help you thrive, not just survive.Find our most up-to-date promo codes and discounts here.Want to lead or join your state team? Email your name and state to [email protected] a sustaining partner to support our work.Follow us on Instagram.Find all our information at fixslp.com, and sign up for our email list to be alerted to new episodes and content.Email us at [email protected] a message on our Minivan Meltdown line! ★ Support this podcast ★

Are staffing agencies and investor-backed companies pocketing the profits while you do the work? In this episode, Dr. Jeanette Benigas, SLP, and Preston Lewis, MS/SLP sit down with Elise Mitchell, MS/SLP, founder of The Therapist Support Network, to expose how contracting puts the power—and the paycheck—back in your hands. Whether you're in schools, hospitals, or private practice, learn how SLPs are building income, autonomy, and stability by cutting out the middleman. We cover how to pitch contracts, what to charge, and why provider-run businesses are the future of speech-language pathology.Don't forget to download and listen to The Guide to Setting Your Rate for School Contracts and show Elise some love with a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and review so even more SLPs can find her information.Want to earn some PDHs or CEUs with a discount?The Therapist Support Network is cheering on Fix SLP! Save 10% on every course with code FixSLP—because support should be smart and affordable.Find our most up-to-date promo codes and discounts here.Want to lead or join your state team? Email your name and state to [email protected] a sustaining partner to support our work.Follow us on Instagram.Find all our information at fixslp.com and sign up for our email list to be alerted to new episodes and content.Email us at [email protected] a message on our Minivan Meltdown line! ★ Support this podcast ★

Ready to finally understand what you’re really getting paid—and what’s being kept from you in SLP job listings? In this jaw-dropping episode, Dr. Jeanette Benigas, SLP and Preston Lewis, MS/SLP sit down with Dr. Meredith Harold, SLP, founder of The Informed SLP and Informed Jobs, to expose the hidden red flags in speech-language pathology job postings, the illusion of hourly pay, and the myth of wage transparency in our field. You’ll learn why your “$60/hour” offer might mean you’re actually earning less than $30/hour, how to decode the difference between W-2 vs. 1099 pay, and what employers aren’t telling you about QA paperwork, mileage, and productivity demands.💥 Plus, we reveal the shocking stat: nearly 40% of job postings do NOT require the CCC—proving what Fix SLP has said all along: you don’t need ASHA’s credential to thrive in this profession.Whether you're a new grad, a seasoned clinician, or somewhere in between, this episode will arm you with the knowledge to stop settling and start negotiating from power.🎧 Tune in, take notes, and take your autonomy back.Want to earn some PDHs or CEUs with a discount? Find our most up-to-date promo codes and discounts here.Want to lead or join your state team? Email your name and state to [email protected] a sustaining partner to support our work.Follow us on Instagram.Find all our information at fixslp.com and sign up for our email list to be alerted to new episodes and content.Email us at [email protected] a message on our Minivan Meltdown line! ★ Support this podcast ★

ASHA’s fingerprints are all over a sneaky new Texas bill—and the receipts are here. This episode exposes how ASHA is quietly pushing policies that keep SLPs trapped in their CCC web, fueling fear and gatekeeping in the profession.Dr. Jeanette Benigas, SLP, and Preston Lewis, MS/SLP, break down Texas SB 905, revealing the hidden clause that inflates ASHA’s influence (and profits) and perpetuates its gatekeeping at the state level. The discussion unpacks what’s really at stake for SLPs nationwide and issues a clear call to action to fight back. Whether in Texas or any other state, listeners will learn why this bill matters—and why Fix SLP won’t back down.Want to earn some PDHs or CEUs with a discount? Find our most up-to-date promo codes and discounts here.Want to lead or join your state team? Email your name and state to [email protected] a sustaining partner to support our work.Follow us on Instagram.Find all our information at fixslp.com and sign up for our email list to be alerted to new episodes and content.Email us at [email protected] a message on our Minivan Meltdown line! ★ Support this podcast ★