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NEW program hopes to close access gaps for children navigating foster care in Boone County.
Children who are navigating foster care often experience gaps in access to services, such as evaluation for intervention needs and trauma-informed therapies. Thanks to the generosity of the Boone County Children’s Services Fund, however, Mizzou Academy is thrilled to announce an innovative new telehealth speech-language program that seeks to close those gaps.
Mizzou Academy Executive Director Dr. Kathryn Fishman-Weaver, who serves as the primary investigator (PI) for this new program, says that for her, “This is deeply personal.” Fishman-Weaver is a former special education teacher and longtime CASA volunteer.
Directed by Kelly Hill, Heart of Missouri CASA (HOM CASA) is part of a national network known as the National CASA/GAL Association, which trains and supports non-attorney officers of the court to advocate for the best interests of local children in foster care, a natural partner in the mission and vision of this program. The program partnership also includes Empat Speech, an innovative online platform that connects schools and students with experienced Speech-Language Pathologists. By leveraging technology and data-driven insights, Empat Speech enhances both the quality and accessibility of speech therapy.
Closing Gaps to Services through a Telehealth Approach
The first time Fishman-Weaver met with Moises Morgenstern, the executive director of Empat, she had just returned from a home visit with some of the children she serves through CASA. “Like so many children I’ve met in foster care, we knew a couple of these kiddos needed speech services, but we weren’t yet able to get them qualified for those services.”
Fishman-Weaver said she asked Morgenstern if he thought Empat could help. With collaboration from Mizzou Academy, Heart of Missouri CASA, and Peter Stipeleman (former superintendent for Columbia Public Schools), Empat enthusiastically agreed this was a program worth developing.
“We wanted to find a solution to help remove barriers to service, including delays in getting started,” said Fishman-Weaver. She explained that with frequent relocations, schools often lack sufficient data to evaluate a child’s speech-language needs promptly, leading to prolonged waiting periods before evaluations and services can be provided. Without early identification and intervention, these delays can result in long-term educational setbacks and social difficulties.
These are precisely the kinds of challenges the Children’s Services Fund was established to address. In 2012, Boone County voters approved the proposition establishing this fund. Its stated mission is “To improve the lives of children, youth and families in Boone County by strategically investing in the creation and maintenance of integrated systems that deliver effective and quality services for children and families in need.” The funding approval by the Boone County Children’s Services Fund is what really enabled the speech-language program to take flight, and Mizzou Academy is proud to partner in advancing its mission.
Program Goals And Referral Process
The primary service this new program offers is free telehealth speech evaluations and ongoing therapy to children who need these services. Once identified, children stay with the same speech therapist throughout their services, building meaningful and stable relationships as they work toward their speech goals or transition to school-based services.
Additionally, the program offers training for adults on how to recognize speech and language intervention needs in children affected by trauma. This training is key, as getting a child into the program begins with a referral.
Referrals often come from CASA volunteers, social workers, caseworkers, teachers, family members, and placement providers, but can be made by anyone who knows the child and has concerns about their speech and language development.
“If communication seems limited, unclear, or effortful,” the program materials state, “it’s worth making a referral. Early referrals can improve communication, learning, and social connection at any age.”
Once the referral and consent forms are received, an evaluation is scheduled. If services are recommended, therapy sessions with individualized goals are delivered by trauma-informed speech-language pathologists. All appointments are conducted via telehealth and can be completed on a tablet or computer.
This new program is available free-of-charge for children ages 0–18 who are navigating the foster care system in Boone County and need speech and language support.
Ready to make a referral? Click here!
Have program questions?
Contact: fishmanweaverk@missouri.edu