Our Signature Programs

Career Pathways for Brain Health & Sports Concussion

Head to Speech Career Pathways Program provides volunteers with on-going recruitment, lifelong learning and mentoring opportunities to help students and professionals who are interested in pediatric and adult brain health, brain injury, sports concussion management, cognitive-communication rehabilitation, and other areas related to neurogenic disorders and neuropsychology. We assist them in going from the Speech & Hearing Clinic to the Sports Arena by collaborating with Sports Clinics, Camps and Leagues and providing a diverse pipeline from high school and college to master's, doctoral, and professional training. 

Explore Our Name, Image, Likeness Initiatives for Collegiate Student-Athletes

Many speech-language pathologists, audiologists or other allied health, brain injury and brain health focused professionals are also current or former athletes themselves or have a background within the sports community. Mentors with a background in sports help to recruit collegiate student-athletes to receive seed grants, internships and training through our Ambassador program. 

For Mentees

  • Speech-language pathologist, audiologist and other allied health, brain injury and brain health students and professionals who are interested in working with athletes and their support systems within various settings. 

Career Coaching Features

Through our joint collaboration between University Speech & Hearing Clinics, Intercollegiate Athletic Departments, Rehabilitation Centers, Sports Clinics, Camps, and Leagues, this annual virtual careers conference offers a variety of career coaching opportunities.  

  • Video and Audio content on how to prepare for and take full advantage for career panels including: 

  • Explore the diverse career pathways available to speech-language pathologists and audiologists and other professionals interested in brain health, brain injury, and sports concussion management. 
  • Create or updating your LinkedIn

  • Register for the CV/Resume Review portion of the conference

  • Use your networking skills to connect with the speakers or other colleagues

  • Ask the right questions to get involved in careers dedicated to brain health, brain injury and sports concussion management

  • Exclusive downloads of resources and speakers bio

Mentoring Sessions

  • Book one-on-one sessions

  • Track your progress

  • Live video conferencing

  • Calendar integrations

  • Shared notes

     

For Mentors

Become a mentor to help bridge the gap between speech-language pathology, audiology, allied health, and sports medicine and management. 

Recruitment Opportunities 

  • PERFECT WAY TO ENGAGE YOUR COMMUNITY: Bring your community together to discuss these important careers for Clinical Education Events, Graduate Students and Alumni.  
  • ENGAGE WITH OUR COMMUNITY: Head to Speech provides prospective individual mentors and companies with various opportunities to engage with and recruit our community. 
  • HIRE OUR COMMUNITY: Hire our Community for your Speech & Hearing Clinic, Sports Clinic, Camp or League! 
  • LEARN ABOUT OUR ATHLETIC PARTNERSHIPS: Bring Head to Speech to  Your Speech & Hearing Clinic, Sports Clinic, Camp or League! Learn more about Head to Speech and what our community has to offer your athletes and their support systems.  
  • AMBASSADOR TRAINING FOR ATHLETES: Explore our Name, Image, Likeness Initiatives for Students and Professionals with Sports Backgrounds and Interests in Becoming Brain Health Ambassadors. 

The Head to Speech Career Pathways HBCU Pipeline

 
THE WORKFORCE

8% of speech-language pathologists and audiologists currently identify as being from multicultural backgrounds. 

Black student-athletes made up 16% of the student-athlete population in 2022, and 13% of athletics directors were Black. In addition, the NCAA has 53 historically Black colleges and universities as members.

By contrast, black men comprise 57% of college football teams, on average. At some universities it's over 70 percent. The football workforce, whose success the university brass depends upon, is Black.

The Facts

There are 284 accredited speech-language pathology master's programs. There are 107 HBCUs. However, 12 HBCUs currently offer a SLP master's program. Consequently, there are 95 HBCUs who do not offer this program. 

Out of the 107 HBCUs, 8.9% have SLP programs on campus to raise awareness about brain health, sports concussions, and their effects on cognitive-communication skills.

We are here to change this through our career pathways program! Invite us to raise awareness and fundraise on your campus for our programs.

Request a brain health and sports concussion recovery care package for your athletes today! 

Academy

Head to Speech Academy consists of continuing education instructors and invites guests to provide monthly programming and courses on foundational concepts related to brain injury, brain health, and sports concussion management for academia, educational and healthcare settings. 

Head to Speech is an American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Approved Continuing Education Provider maintaining a learning catalog that can be used to meet the following educational needs: 

  • ASHA CE Registry Reporting 
  • State Licensure boards or regulatory agencies responsible for regulating the professions of speech-language pathology and/or audiology. 
  • Educational and Healthcare Training 
  • Brain Injury Specialist Certification Maintenance  
  • University Adjunct, Guest Lectures and Special Appearances 
  • Corporate Speaking Engagements and Community Wellness 
  • Keynotes and Speaking Engagements for Conventions, Conferences and Events

Featured Courses

  • Head to Speech Career Pathways: From the Speech & Hearing Clinic to the Sports Arena
  • Principles of Interprofessional Education and Collaboration in Sports Concussion Management 
  • Sports Concussion Fundamentals and Cognitive-Communication Disorders 
  • Contemporary Issues and Policies in Sports Concussion Management 
  • Creating Effective Health Communications Tools and Social Marketing Interventions for Sports Concussion Management 
  • Cultural Responsiveness in Sports Concussion Management  
  • Ethical Considerations for Sports Concussion Management 
  • Ball is for All: Exploring Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging in Sports Concussion Management 

Types of Courses

  • Onsite
  • Livestream Conferences 
  • Livestream Webinars 
  • Self-Study
  • Head to Speech Certification through Independent Study
  • Video, audio and text-based courses and training 

Learning Pathways

  • Emerging 
  • Expanding 
  • Influencing 

Learning Features

  • Video content
  • Audio content
  • Text lessons
  • Quizzes and surveys

Learning Community

  • Live video
  • Video recordings
  • Posts feed
  • Mobile app
  • Meetups
  • Challenges

Office Hours

  • Book one-on-one sessions
  • Track your progress
  • Live video conferencing
  • Calendar integrations
  • Video content
  • Audio content
  • Exclusive downloads
  • Shared notes

Program Fees

Please contact [email protected] to receive our national and state licensure, educational, healthcare, university, and corporate program fees, packages, contracts and licensing agreements. 

Bootcamps for Performance, Leadership and Innovation

Head to Speech Bootcamps for Performance, Leadership and Innovation are conducted by our professional development coaching staff. The bootcamps provide live, workshops and on-the-job training in clinical skills, non-profit management, and business and branding practices.

These bootcamps are ideal for those who are interested in career advancement, entrepreneurship, and on-boarding into executive leadership and volunteer opportunities with Head to Speech. By the end of the bootcamps participants would have learned all things related to our purpose, vision and mission.

Participants are also prepared to enter into the Head to Speech Ambassador Box Pitch Competition through our Head to Speech Accelerator Program. Our accelerator provides seed grants and an ecosystem to support independent projects related to our purpose, vision and mission. 

Professional Development Modules

Head to Speech Accelerator Program

  • Head to Speech Ambassador Box 

Features

  • Book one-on-one sessions
  • Track your progress
  • Live video conferencing
  • Calendar integrations
  • Video content
  • Audio content
  • Exclusive downloads
  • Shared notes

Advocacy and Policy Agenda

We engage individuals, interprofessional teams and community collectives on our advocacy and policy agenda. 

Task Force Summit

Head to Speech Interprofessional Task Force Summit serves as our largest annual meet and greet, fundraiser and evidence-based conference for collaboration, team development, meeting challenges and introducing new strategies.

Throughout the year, our interprofessional task force helps to plan the summit and advises the Board of Directors.

At the summit they serve as paid continuing education instructors to help guide our community through our 5-Step Action Plan.

By the end of the summit, individuals, interprofessional teams and community collectives have learned how to develop, implement and evaluate their action plans within their own communities. 

Summit Action Plan

  1. Advocate for the profession
  2. Simulate experiences
  3. Face the challenges
  4. Fill in the gaps
  5. Evaluate the process

Summit Features

  • Video content
  • Audio content
  • Text lessons
  • Quizzes and surveys
  • Summit Workbook
  • Action Plans 

Join our Community

Summit Talks

  • Live video
  • Video recordings
  • Interprofessional Task Force Directory and Resources 

Discussions

  • Access the community from your Mobile app
  • Easily scroll through the Posts feed and search topics 

Meetups

  • Virtual Interprofessional Task Force Summit Planning 
  • In-person Summit Meet & Greet for Student and Professionals attending the summit 

Challenges

  • Action Plan Accountability Challenges 
  • Online Fundraising Challenges  
  • Public Service Announcement Challenges  

Ambassador Podcast

Our Ambassador-driven Podcast and podcourses provide an inside look into what's happening within our community and theirs. By subscribing and listening to each episode, you are supporting the education we are providing within our interprofessional teams, community collectives, and throughout the global community. 

Features

  • Audio content
  • Podcast distribution to all major listening apps
  • Podcast homepage with featured videos from our Ambassador Meet & Greets

Workout your Brain and Body for a Purpose! 

Bring our Brain Workouts to your community and receive training!

HELP US RAISE AWARENESS AND DONATIONS: Head to Speech Brain Workout-a-Thons are our monthly brain health and fitness fundraising challenges. Every month we hold our Concussion Recovery Care Package Drives using our wish list for self-care and concussion recovery items.

CREATING A SAFE SPACE TO DISCUSS BRAIN HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH TOPICS: We facilitate a community of support for athletes and their support systems. 

BECOME AN AMBASSADOR: Brain Health and Fitness Ambassadors have three opportunities to raise awareness and donations for Head to Speech's purpose, vision and mission.

HOST A FUNDRAISER: Host an in-person or virtual Brain Workout-a-Thon and donate the a percentage of proceeds from the workout to Head to Speech. We will send you the promotional materials inside our Ambassador Box. 

PARTNER WITH US: Partner with us during our Head to Speech Summit and throughout the year by providing in-kind donations, athletes, gym space, equipment, and staff who receive hands-on training. 

MEETING ATHLETES WHERE THEY ARE: We invest in mobile technology to address fast paced schedules. Bring our hands-on trainings to your athletic, health, wellness, or fitness community. Perfect for Team Workouts and Skills Challenges. 

ALIGN YOUR BRAND WITH OURS TO RAISE AWARENESS AND FUNDRAISE FOR HEAD TO SPEECH: Perfect for Sports Tournaments or Celebrity Charity Events. Introduce Head to Speech to your community through Half-Time Performances, Promotional Merchandise Giveaways, All-Star Skills Challenges, Health Fairs, and Community Outreach, and Media Days. 

Brain Workout Instructors

BECOME AN INSTRUCTOR: We provide a self-paced course that transforms speech-language pathologists, audiologists, and other health, wellness and fitness professionals into Brain Workout Instructors. 

During the training, Brain Workout Instructors produce an introduction video and 3 on-demand classes at low, mid or high intensities for concussion protocols or on topics related brain health, fitness and how-to integrate cognitive tasks into physical exercises, sports drills, and daily routines.

After completing the training our Brain Workout Instructors become a commission-based instructor to facilitate classes and support group activities.

Our Community of Brain Workout Instructors can request that our Concussion Recovery Care Packages and access to our online community of support and Brain Workout classes be sent to athletes and support systems who they work with and within their community or select universities with whom they want to bridge the gap between Speech & Hearing Clinics and Intercollegiate Athletic Programs. 

Online Community for Brain Health and Fitness Ambassadors with Brain Workout Instructors 

We invite all Brain Health and Fitness Ambassadors to join our Brain Workout Community with our Brain Workout Instructors who facilitate our classes and community discussions! 

We empower all health, wellness and fitness lovers and communities to advocate for protecting the brains of our future athletes, keeping our current brains healthy. 

We are happy to educate athletes and their support systems during various stages of the sports concussion recovery journey. We engage who those who have already sustained concussions and motivate them to become advocates for themselves.

We believe in a world where athletes and their support systems impacted by sports-related concussion, HEAD TO SPEECH-language pathologists and audiologists for preventative education, counseling, timely identification, assessments, and interventions for speech, language, hearing, and cognitive-communication difficulties.  

Features

  • Brain Workout Starter Pack including a Road Map, Journal, resources and interventions curated by speech-language pathologists and audiologists 
  • Explainer videos, brain workouts and treatment materials 
  • Access to Brain Health and Fitness Topics, live video and video recordings to facilitate Group Discussions
  • Brain Health and Fitness Expo Guide including resources from corporations, small businesses, and organizations 
  • Interprofessional Task Force Directory including Service Providers and their geographical locations
  • Access the community from your Mobile app 
  • Easily scroll through the Posts feed and search topics
  • In-person and virtual Brain Workouts, Monthly Brain Health and Fitness Challenges, and Concussion Recovery Care Package Drives and Packing Days at Community Meetups 

Group and Private Coaching 

  • We provide group and personalized coaching based on our brain workout curriculum, educational resources, referral checklists, screenings, and recommendations to service providers for sports concussion management and cognitive-communication rehabilitation. 

Group Coaching or Private guided discussions are based on the following groups:  

  • Athletes with their Support Systems (Throughout the continuum of care from youth sports to former athletes) 

Athletes (Only) or Peer-to-Peer Mentoring  

  • College to Professional Athletes
  • Professional to Former Athletes 
  • Former Athletes 

Features

  • Personalized coaching available on Mondays and Fridays 
  • Brain and Body Wellness Checks 
  • Book one-on-one sessions
  • Calendar integrations
  • Live video conferencing
  • Track individual and team progress
  • Accountability coaching 
  • Shared notes
  • Informational with video and audio content
  • Exclusive downloads
  • Coaching sessions are based on eligibility and availability.

Collective Giving Circles

Join our Collective Giving Circles to Educate Athletes and Their Support Systems About Brain Health, Sports Concussion and The Effects on Cognitive-Communication Skills. 

Through the power of collective giving, we pool our members' monetary contributions to support Head to Speech programming and other nonprofit organizations who support our purpose, vision and mission. 

Find the right Giving Circle for you!

We have several Head to Speech Giving Circles that provide you with the sense of community and guided discussions related to Head to Speech's purpose, vision and mission. 

Features

  • Mobile app with giving challenges, live video, video recordings,  discussions and posts feed
  • Quarterly Meetups and updates on Head to Speech Programs 
  • Network for shared resources for donors, partners, and sponsors 

Concussion Recovery Care Packages

Donations provide an athlete and their support systems with a free Concussion Recovery Care Package, so every athlete has the resources and self-care products to take care of themselves throughout their concussion protocol. They will receive our 21 days to a healthy brain and body challenge and access to our brain workout community of support.

Collaborative Research and Innovative Seed Grants

Donations support our Collaborative Research and  Innovative Seed Grants. 

Awards Brunch

The Head to Speech Awards Brunch is our annual celebratory fundraiser driven by our Board of Directors, executive leadership, Collective Giving Circles, and allies in brain health, sports concussion management and cognitive rehabilitation.

We recognize Head to Speech's achievements and provide seed grants and awards in PERFORMANCE, LEADERSHIP AND INNOVATION. 

Host and Honorees typically include the following: 

  • Our Collective Giving Circles made up of donors, partners and sponsors who have made significant contributions towards our programs. 
  • Athletes and their support systems who share their stories of overcoming post-concussion challenges, cognitive-communication difficulties or other speech, language, swallowing or hearing issues that have impacted their lives.  
  • Trailblazing speech-language pathology and audiology master's and doctoral students and professionals who have developed, implemented or evaluated research and intervention protocols for athletes who have sustained concussions, and other areas, such as brain health, traumatic brain injury, and neurogenic disorders. 
  • Social impact-focused collegiate athletes who have served as Brain Workout Instructors or  interns for our Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) campaigns and class, entitled "Workout Your Brain and Body" and "Brain, Body and Brand", dedicated towards empowering collegiate athletes to align their brand with brain health initiatives and to become Head to Speech Ambassadors.  
  • Gamechanging Ambassadors who understand the intersection of brain health and mental health; and who have worked towards leading the athletic community to understand these areas and the role of SLPs and AuDs play within these areas. 
  • Our community members who were featured on our Podcast or have presented at our summit, and other events.