Clinic Update-2008

It's hard to believe we're already beginning our fifth year in the new building. When the building was originally planned, the monies were not available to furnish it. Consequently, as some of you who visited early on may have noticed, furniture from the old Clinic, some of it 30+ years old, had to be moved to the new building. However, since then, we've been able to purchase new furniture for the waiting areas and some faculty offices from alumni gifts, clinic funds, and departmental resources. This year, GA offi ces and a few more faculty offi ces were able to be newly outfitted.

Beginning in the summer of 2008, the revised graduate curriculum added a new course, "Advanced Clinical Techniques". This course prepares students for graduate clinic through a discussion of the supervisory process, the ethical issues of management, evidence-based practice, and the clinical decision-making process. The overall objective of this course is to provide students with a gradual and more comprehensive introduction to graduate clinic so they will be less overwhelmed at the start of the fall term.

The Clinic continues to provide group therapy as a part of our six-week summer session. It is so interesting and entertaining to see some of the creative themes and projects clinicians have incorporated into therapy. The social interaction group conducted space camp, complete with construction of a rocket ship. One of the language groups acted out a book and produced a movie. Another group worked "Under the Sea" and had fun decorating the room to correspond to their theme. Additionally, Trina Becker obtained a Smartboard on loan from the EIU Center for Academic Technology for use with therapy groups this summer. Supervisors and clients absolutely LOVE what this technology adds to their therapy.

Each year, a portion of the clinic fees revenue is used to replenish the Materials Center and order new assessment items and therapy materials. This year, Brenda Wilson obtained three new software programs that will be of particular benefi t for our college age clients. Inspiration allows creation of graphic organizers which can be converted to outline form complete with content summaries. Picture It adds pictures to correspond with text entered in single word or story format. Kurzeweil 3000, provided to the Clinic by the EIU Offi ce of Disabilities, allows text to be downloaded which can be read utilizing a cursor to maintain attention, or which reads text aloud to the client. Downloaded text can also be highlighted and then converted to an outline and summary.

The Clinic has entered into a new affi liation agreement with the Kansas School District. Beginning in the fall of 2008, a supervisor and three graduate clinicians will be providing services two half-days a week to grades K-12. Not only will this opportunity provide valuable clinical experience for students, it will be revenue generating for the Clinic to assist with off-setting the budget shortfall universities have experienced the last several years.