ASHA Learning Pass

This course describes the various ways that a head and neck cancer diagnosis can impact mental health, and ways to identify when a patient may need to seek professional help from a mental health specialist. The speaker highlights how a speech-language pathologist can assist in the detection of a potential mental health disorder through use of mental health screenings and head-and-neck-specific quality-of-life measures, and discusses considerations for addressing mental health and effectively navigating challenges that may impede success during treatment and/or rehabilitation. The course also reviews basic counseling skills that an SLP can utilize to facilitate improved patient outcomes in a speech and swallowing rehabilitation program.

This course is a recorded session from the 2021 ASHA Convention Virtual Library (session 2128V). The session was developed by, and presenters were invited by, Head and Neck Cancer Issues.

Learning Outcomes
You will be able to:

• Describe the various ways that a head and neck cancer diagnosis can impact mental health 
• Differentiate between effective and ineffective coping mechanisms 
• Identify appropriate tools and methods an SLP can use to detect mental health concerns in patients 
• Discuss basic counseling skills that an SLP can utilize to effectively navigate challenges that may impede success during treatment and/or rehabilitation

Presenter Information

Ian Sadler, PhD (Presenting Author), is a Clinical Health Psychologist at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at Columbia University Irving Medical Center/NY Presbyterian Hospital, with expertise in the areas of psychosocial oncology, rehabilitation health psychology, burn psychology, and chronic pain and primary care health psychology.

Financial Disclosures:

• No financial relationships relevant to the content of the session

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• No nonfinancial relationships relevant to the content of the session

Assessment Type

Self-assessment—Think about what you learned and report on the Completion Form how you will use your new knowledge.

To earn continuing education credit, you must complete the learning assessment by October 27, 2027.

Program History and CE Information

Content origination date: November 2021
End date: October 27, 2027

This course is offered for 0.1 ASHA CEUs (Intermediate level, Professional area).