BOONE, N.C. — Kristin Phillips’ passion for providing speech-language pathology (SLP) services to inmates began in 1996, when she, herself, completed a graduate training experience at the Foothills Correctional Institution (FCI) in Morganton.
Thanks to $195,658 in additional funding from the North Carolina Department of Public Safety (DPS), Phillips, a clinical educator in Appalachian’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, will provide SLP services to incarcerated youths and adults in four North Carolina correctional facilities, including FCI. The other institutions are Morrison Correctional in Hoffman, Polk Correctional in Butner and the North Carolina Correctional Institute for Women in Raleigh.
Phillips received the grant along with Dr. Gail Donaldson, professor in and chair of Appalachian’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, which is housed in the Beaver College of Health Sciences.
Several members of the North Carolina Department of Public Safety’s Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice were involved with the project:
- Dr. Rick Smith
- Kelli Terrell
- Adam Johnson
- Ladonna Browning
- Larry Williamson
- Richard Thomas
- Robert Schwacke
- Steve Williams
- Dr. Steve Moody
- Charlotte Labore
- Evelyn Massey
- Daryl Avery
Staff psychologists, as well as education, medical, custody and operations staff at the four regional correctional facilitates, also assisted Phillips.
Each semester of the project, Phillips supervised four graduate clinicians in the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology program at Appalachian in providing SLP services to inmates.
“The mission of this project is to provide services to those inmates who participate in education activities, so that they may become responsible and productive persons who can effectively manage their incarceration and make contributions to their community upon release,” Phillips said.
About the Beaver College of Health Sciences
Appalachian's Beaver College of Health Sciences opened in 2010 as the result of a strategic university commitment to significantly enhance the health and quality of life for individuals, families and communities in North Carolina and beyond. In 2015, the college was named for an Appalachian alumnus and pioneer in the health care industry — Donald C. Beaver ’62 ’64 of Conover. The college offers 10 undergraduate degree programs and six graduate degree programs, which are organized into six departments: Communication Sciences and Disorders; Health and Exercise Science; Nursing; Nutrition and Health Care Management; Recreation Management and Physical Education; and Social Work. Learn more at https://healthsciences.appstate.edu.
About the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders in Appalachian State University’s Beaver College of Health Sciences is devoted to the study of human communication and associated disorders. The department offers the Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders and the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology. The undergraduate program provides students with the academic preparation and clinical exposure needed to enter professional graduate programs in speech pathology or audiology, or to pursue entry-level work in related areas. The master’s program prepares students to work as licensed speech therapists in a variety of settings, including schools, hospitals, nursing homes and private clinics. Learn more at https://comdis.appstate.edu.
About Appalachian State University
Appalachian State University, in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The transformational Appalachian experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and embrace diversity and difference. As one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, Appalachian enrolls more than 19,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.
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