In the heart of Habersham County, Piedmont University shines in the field of communication and swallowing disorders. Piedmont University’s Speech and Language Clinic is renowned as the only clinic of its kind in the region. The clinic is a state-of-the-art facility, providing cutting-edge, research-based care to patients of all ages. Affiliated with Piedmont University, the clinic ensures that individuals seeking its services benefit from the latest advancements in speech and language therapy.
Patients of all ages
The Clinic serves patients of all ages, providing treatments for a wide variety of reasons, such as articulation and speech, language literacy, voice and resonance, fluency, and social communication, to name a few of the services provided. The Clinic’s affiliation with Piedmont University ensures that patients receive the very latest research-based care available.
Dr. Monica Harn, Ph.D. CCC-SLP, specializes in child speech and language disorders and school-based service delivery. Her arrival from southeast Texas three years ago has prompted a change in curriculum to include an undergraduate and graduate Speech Pathology program.
“When I came to Piedmont, my job was to build the curriculum for the undergrad, the grad, and to establish the clinic,” Harn explained. “When I interviewed and saw the space, I could see how perfect it could be for a Speech Clinic.”
The Clinic is located in the former office of retired physician Dr. Ed Hendricks in Demorest, Georgia.
Two years ago, Piedmont University had three students in the program. Today, 30 students have an opportunity to get a Bachelor’s in Communication Sciences and Disorders, and for those who start the program at Piedmont, a Master’s degree in a 4 plus 1 year program. For students, this is important because it takes less time to pay for an education, and for the community, it puts highly trained individuals in the field to serve.
The team members
Ingrid Hinkley, MA CCC-SLP, joined the team in January of 2023 as the Director of Clinical Education. Hinkley specializes in adult speech, voice, and swallowing services. Amanda Gomez, MS CCC-SLP, came on board as a Full-time Clinical Supervisor to specialize in pediatric speech, sound disorders, and neurodiversity-affirming practices. Office Manager, Ashley Powell, is the glue that ties this powerful team of women together. Powell received her BA in Psychology from Piedmont University.
Harn speaks with great passion for the opportunities this clinic offers to the community.
“We are offering support for all ages. For any communication disorder, swallowing disorder, speech, language, voice, cognitive communication, or dementia, we have a program to give the help a client needs.” She added that there are plans to bring a part-time clinical person and another faculty member. “The idea is we continue to grow both the students and expertise to be able to serve the community.”
The clinic launched in August 2023
This past August, the clinic was launched with tremendous hopes of growing the client population and educating the public on what is being offered. Office hours are accommodating, beginning at 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with additional evening appointment hours available.
Ingrid Hinkley talked with Now Habersham about who the clinic is for and how to know if someone or you need the provided services.
“Intuitively, many parents will recognize that something isn’t quite right with their child. Maybe they are not beginning to talk, struggling with reading or identifying colors and numbers. It never hurts to call and get an evaluation,” Hinkley commented. “The evaluation is confidential. No one is going to call the school or pediatrician’s office. And many times, there isn’t a problem at all. But early intervention is so important when there is a problem.”
The Speech and Language Clinic is working with school-aged children as well as with those who need services at the Senior Center.
Very little cost
Evaluations are $100 but are also covered for those who need assistance. There is a one-time $10 material fee, which can be waived for someone on Medicaid, or there is an income scale. Other than that, the clinic is at no cost to clients, which makes the program extraordinary for the community.
“Having our students out in the community is such an important part of the program,” Harn stated. “When you factor in the no cost to the client, it shows such an investment of Piedmont University in this community.”
Elective services are available to improve overall speaking skills, modify an accent, develop broadcasting skills, and improve speaking rate and the melody of speech.
The state-of-the-art endoscopic voice and swallowing assessment sets the clinic above all others in the region. It gives the ability to view what may be the root cause of swallowing difficulties.
Looking to the future
Letting people know what services are available to them and how to get those services are key elements for the team at Piedmont University’s Speech and Language Clinic.
“We had a grand opening with a ribbon cutting by the Chamber of Commerce. But, there is so much more to getting the word out there,” Hinkley commented. “We have only begun to scratch the service of what we can do for the people of our community.”
If you are interested in the services provided or receiving an evaluation, call the Speech and Language Office at 706-776-0121, located at 4020 Demorest-Mount Airy Highway, Demorest, GA.
