Gervais, Oregon, is a small city located in the Willamette Valley in the state of Oregon. It lies approximately 15 miles north of Salem, the state capital, and is part of the broader Portland metropolitan area.
Gervais is a charming, rural town that combines agricultural tradition with a welcoming, small-town atmosphere. It provides a peaceful living environment with easy access to larger urban centers. In addition, the city has a diverse demographic with a significant Latino community. While many families are socioeconomically disadvantaged, the community is close-knit and reflects diverse traditions, cuisine and gatherings.
Dr. Creighton Helms has been the Director of Student Services and Federal Programs for 3 years in the Gervais School District. He described his struggles to hire needed staff for this challenging region.
“Our staffing difficulties before NLST centered on a struggle to find in-person SLPs who were exceptional in-service delivery, case management, and schedule reliability. Over the years, we would often have in-person SLPs that met one or two of those criteria, but it was difficult to find and retain one that met all three”.
Dr. Helms added, “while our in-person SLPs and SLP-As were lovely people, there were simply life circumstances that prevented them from developing these critical skills. Ultimately, it is my charge as director to prioritize students, which prompted us to investigate a different service delivery model. This is how we found NLST.”
When asked why Dr. Helms ultimately chose Next Level Speech Therapy (NLST) as a partner, he responded, “NLST’s virtual delivery structure and attentiveness to customer service were terrific. However, what ultimately sold us was the quality of their providers. Macie* and Gaby are responsive, collaborative, and genuinely invested in their students’ progress. They have built trust with our students, parents, and staff. This has created a pathway that will support our students in profound ways for years to come.”
Macie*, SLP for Gervais, reports that “everyone at the school is very kind and willing to help with our services. The staff cares about their students and wants them to be successful. Not only where they prepared for services, but the team has been willing to take feedback on issues, and work to quickly resolve them. In addition, I have been so pleased at the level of my student’s engagement. They are so excited to come and participate in speech!”
“I love how supportive the staff is with the setup. We are in constant communication with each other to make sure students are making it to their speech sessions,” explains Gaby.
“I’ve truly enjoyed watching my students apply what I’ve taught them. Seeing their surprised faces when they finally get the sound, and watching their motivation increase to do it again has been so rewarding. It’s been additional helpful that I’m bilingual and can speak Spanish. This connection has allowed me to build trust on a deeper level, which has been incredibly rewarding.”
Dr. Helms adds, “Macie* and Gaby’s ability to connect with their students virtually has been outstanding. They create a warm, engaging environment that allows each student to feel comfortable and supported. They have seamlessly integrated into our school community, going above and beyond for students and their families.
NLST asked Dr. Helms about Gervais’ hesitancy to use teletherapy as a new delivery method to students.
“Our district had never used a teletherapy model before. Transparently, we were nervous at the onset”, explained Dr. Helms.
“However, what we found, experientially, is what we already knew. There is no data that exists that suggests a virtual model is less effective than an in-person model. In fact, what we discovered is that our students are more engaged than ever before, and that NLST’s support is better than advertised. I would encourage all special education decision-makers to explore this model because our students and families have been beneficiaries in the experience. In fact, Macie* (SLP) and Gaby (SLP-A) have built such solid relationships with our students it has truly made the screen between them..disappear.”
*A pseudonym was used to protect therapist confidentiality.
Andee Szwabowski, MHS, CCC-SLP | Account Manager
