Ashley R., CCC-SLP — Travel Therapy Mentor

About Ashley

Ashley has worked in more licensing offices — metaphorically speaking — than she cares to count. As a traveling SLP without the benefit of a licensure compact (SLPs still lack one at the time of this writing), she's navigated the individual credentialing requirements of Florida, Georgia, California, Texas, and Massachusetts. She knows exactly how long each state takes, what documentation they want, and which ones have reciprocity arrangements that can speed things up.

She started traveling right out of grad school, which meant she was figuring out travel therapy and clinical practice simultaneously. "That was more chaos than I'd recommend," she laughs. "But it also means I understand exactly what it's like to not know anything yet and try to figure out which of those unknowns to tackle first."

Ashley has worked school contracts in three states and SNF contracts in two. She's one of the few mentors who can speak credibly to both — and to the very different contract structures, pay expectations, and lifestyle implications of each.

How Ashley Mentors

Ashley is especially helpful for:

• SLPs who don't know where to start with multi-state licensing — or who've been burned by slow approvals before
• SLPs deciding between school and SNF travel (different markets, very different lifestyles)
• SLPs dealing with ASHA certification maintenance as a traveler
• Travelers negotiating school contract terms, including extended year provisions and start date flexibility

What Ashley Thinks About the School vs. SNF Debate

Ashley's take: it depends entirely on what you want your life to look like. School contracts often have better hours and more predictable schedules. SNF contracts tend to pay more and often offer more clinical variety — especially if you have dysphagia experience. "Neither is universally better. But knowing the tradeoffs before you commit to a setting is everything."

Getting a License Before You Have a Job

Ashley is firm on this: SLPs cannot wait to start licensure until they have a contract. "Start now. Pick two or three target states. Apply before you're even actively looking. By the time you're ready to travel, the paperwork will be done." She can walk you through the current process for any state in detail.