In this listener mailbag episode, SLP grad students, clinicians, and private practice owners call the Minivan Meltdown line to share what’s really happening behind the scenes in our field.

First, a grad student with a repaired bilateral cleft lip and palate describes a supervisor who told her she “can’t be a good SLP” because of her speech difference. Dr. Jeanette Benigas and Preston Lewis, SLP, break down discrimination in training, how CCC standards exclude disabled and Deaf clinicians, and why difference is not disorder.

Next, a medical SLP who accidentally dropped her CCC in 2008 shares what happened when she kept her state license and kept working. We talk shame culture, confusion around the CCC, mutual recognition agreements, and why so many CCC “rules” fall apart under scrutiny.

Finally, a private practice owner in Kentucky explains how pediatric F-codes (like F80) were treated as “mental health” diagnoses, triggering visit caps, mass denials, and 12–18 month reimbursement delays. We unpack F-code chaos, the Mental Health Parity Act, and why small practices shouldn’t be the ones stuck fighting insurers.

If you’ve ever been gaslit by a supervisor, confused by the CCC, or crushed by insurance games, this episode is your reminder: you’re not the problem. The system is.

Stop paying to track ASHA-approved CEUs. Save your money and set up for a FREE CEU/PDH tracker with Speech Therapy PD. While you are there, get $10 off a professional subscription with the code FixSLP10!

🚧 Want to earn some PDHs or CEUs with a discount? Find our most up-to-date promo codes and discounts here.
🚧 We want to collaborate with YOU. If you would like to lead or join your state team, please email your name and state to states@fixslp.com.
🚧 Become a sustaining partner to support our work.
🚧 Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.
🚧 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 team@fixslp.com.
🚧 Leave a message on our Minivan Meltdown line!

SLP burnout isn’t a personal failure; it’s a systems problem. In this episode, Dr. Jeanette Benigas and Preston Lewis, MS/SLP, talk with researchers Dr. Tobias Kroll (Texas Tech) and Phuong Palafox, SLP, about their study, “The Invisible Workload of School-Based SLPs.” We cover why SLPs are advocating (and being ignored), how caseload vs. workload, siloed roles, and “martyr culture” fuel overwhelm, and where leadership and IDEA compliance pressure go off the rails. You’ll hear practical wins that work now, and bigger-picture fixes universities and national orgs must lead. If you’ve ever been told to “practice self-care” while your schedule balloons, this conversation gives language, evidence, and steps to push back... together.

💛 Connect with Phuong Palafox on her website or Instagram.
🧡 Connect with Dr. Tobias Kroll on his website, ResearchGate, or LinkedIn.

Stop paying to track ASHA-approved CEUs. Save your money and set up for a FREE CEU/PDH tracker with Speech Therapy PD. While you are there, get $10 off a professional subscription with the code FixSLP10!

🚧 Want to earn some PDHs or CEUs with a discount? Find our most up-to-date promo codes and discounts here.
🚧 We want to collaborate with YOU. If you would like to lead or join your state team, please email your name and state to states@fixslp.com.
🚧 Become a sustaining partner to support our work.
🚧 Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.
🚧 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 team@fixslp.com.
🚧 Leave a message on our Minivan Meltdown line!

Dr. Jeanette Benigas, SLP, sits down with Oregon SLP Kara Hayden, MS/SLP, to unpack how clinicians organized, lobbied, and helped pass a state law requiring hourly pay, ending pay-per-visit in home health and hospice. They cover timelines, productivity pressure, joining an existing nurses’ union, building a small core team, securing a sponsor, writing testimony, and answering the big question: “Won’t agencies just pay less?” If you’re ready to push for change in your state, pay models, Medicaid rules, or workplace policies, this episode gives you the blueprint and the courage to start.

Brought to you by Verse Therapy, the business-in-a-box solution for SLPs who want to start, run, and grow private practice with confidence. Verse Therapy makes private practice a realistic option by providing an AI-integrated EHR, marketing support, cohort trainings, and a team that helps you build your brand and run your practice like a pro. Learn more at versetherapy.com.

Stop paying to track ASHA-approved CEUs. Save your money and set up for a FREE CEU/PDH tracker with Speech Therapy PD. While you are there, get $10 off a professional subscription with the code FixSLP10!

🚧 Want to earn some PDHs or CEUs with a discount? Find our most up-to-date promo codes and discounts here.
🚧 We want to collaborate with YOU. If you would like to lead or join your state team, please email your name and state to states@fixslp.com.
🚧 Become a sustaining partner to support our work.
🚧 Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.
🚧 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 team@fixslp.com.
🚧 Leave a message on our Minivan Meltdown line!