Explanation
This ordinance authorizes the City Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with Columbus Speech and Hearing Center, a non-profit corporation in support of the expanded Early Identification and Intervention program.
Columbus Speech and Hearing Center’s (CSH) Early Identification and Intervention program serves children up to age six, one-third of whom are from low-income Black or multiracial families. This program identifies communication delays or disorders, provides a comprehensive evaluation using standardized test measures, clinical observation, and information via case history and parent reports, and develops a treatment plan with specific short- and long-term goals for each child.
In 2021, with funding received from United Way and Ohio Children’s Foundation, Columbus Speech and Hearing sought to evaluate neighborhood needs through speech-language/hearing screenings into Qualified Census Tract (QCT) neighborhoods. The goal was to identify children in need of follow-up evaluations, referrals and speech-language therapy services. In 12 of these central Ohio neighborhoods, 52% of children ages 3 to 5 who were screened in 2021 failed their speech-language screenings, and 40% failed their hearing tests. In comparison, CSH conducted speech-language and hearing screenings in these same neighborhoods in 2018 and discovered a 27% failure rate for speech-language evaluations and a 21% failure rate for hearing evaluations.
In response to this urgent need for services, CSH has been actively recruiting to hire additional Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) who can help to expand the Early Intervention program services into these QCT neighborhoods. As a result of a year-long intensive recruitment process which has yielded few qualified prospects, CSH is now planning to expand the 25+ years of training/mentoring “CFs” (Clinical Fellows) and graduate students to transition them into full-time SLP positions at CSH. A CF is in transition between being a graduate student enrolled in a communication sciences and disorders program and being an independent provider of speech-language pathology clinical services. Graduate students are in the process of completing their graduate education and moving towards becoming a CF.
This funding will assist CSH with training and promoting Clinical Fellows to serve as SLPs and greatly increase the local capacity for speech and language services, for which there is growing demand.
Title
To authorize the City Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with Columbus Speech and Hearing in support of the expanded Early Identification and Intervention program; and to authorize an appropriation and expenditure within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund. ($85,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, Columbus Speech and Hearing’s Early Identification and Intervention program serves children up to age six, one-third of whom are from low-income Black or multiracial families; and
WHEREAS, in 2021, CSH provided speech and language screenings within various Columbus neighborhoods, finding that in 12 Qualified Census Tract neighborhoods, 52% of children ages 3 to 5 failed their speech-language screenings and 40% failed their hearing tests, a significant decline compared to similar screenings in 2018; and
WHEREAS, CSH has been actively recruiting to hire additional Speech-Language Pathologists who can help to expand the Early Intervention program services into these neighborhoods; and
WHEREAS, CSH is now planning to develop a framework for transitioning Clinical Fellows into full-time Speech-Language Pathologists in order to increase the local capacity for service; and
WHEREAS, this funding will assist CSH with training and promoting Clinical Fellows to serve as Speech-Language Pathologists; now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the City Clerk is hereby authorized to enter into a grant agreement with Columbus Speech and Hearing in support of the expanded Early Identification and Intervention program.
SECTION 2. That the Auditor is hereby authorized and directed to appropriate $85,000.00 within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund, fund 1000, subfund 100018, to Columbus City Council per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That per the action authorized in Section 1 of this ordinance, the expenditure of $85,000.00, or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated, and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 5. That the City Auditor is authorized to make any accounting changes to revise the funding source for all contracts or contract modifications associated with this ordinance.
SECTION 6. That this ordinance shall take effect at the earliest date allowable by law.