Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the benefits of being a student member of the NZSTA?
2. How much does it cost to be a member of the NZSTA?
3. How are the membership fees spent?
4. What is the membership process once I graduate?
5. After I graduate, if I work before I become a provisional member, can those hours be counted towards the requirements for Full Membership?
6. What does it mean to be a Full Member of NZSTA?
7. Can you work as a speech-language therapist in New Zealand without being a member?
8. Is speech-language therapy a registered profession with the HPCAA?
9. Is there a student mentoring programme?
10. What is the Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) and how can it benefit me?
11. When will I be eligible for use of the MRA?
12. What happens if my new workplace does not have any full NZSTA members to supervise me in my Provisional Membership year?
13. I’m looking for my first job, where do I start?
14. How do I put together a good application?

 

 

 

1.    What are the benefits of being a student member of the NZSTA?

Membership of the NZSTA is a great way to keep informed about what’s happening in speech-language therapy in New Zealand. Membership gives you access to scholarships and heavily discounted rates for professional development events and conferences. Student members have the opportunity to develop networks and meet practicing speech-language therapists at Area Meetings and find out what it’s like working in the ‘real world’. Being able to put NZSTA membership on your CV shows that you have a commitment to your own professional development and to the growth of the profession as a whole. For more information go to Member Benefits.

2.    How much does it cost to be a member of the NZSTA?

Student membership for 2013 is $37. When you graduate and become a Provisional Member, you get a discount off the full membership price for each year you were a student member.  For more information look at our fees pages

3.    How are the membership fees spent?

Membership fees are mostly used for day-to-day running of the Association. This includes:

·         Maintaining a Professional Standards Framework (i.e. standards, Code of Ethics, programme accreditation etc)

·         Conferences and professional development

·         Funding grants and scholarships

·         Communications/Public Relations - such as Communication Matters, the New Zealand Journal of Speech-language Therapy and promotion of Speech-language Therapy Awareness Week

·         Projects with other international professional bodies

·         Running the Resource Library 

·         Developing and keeping the website up-to-date

·         Day-to-day operating costs of the Association

Each year the Executive Council publishes the annual accounts of the Association.

4.    What is the membership process once I graduate?

At the completion of your undergraduate degree from an NZSTA accredited programme, you are eligible for Provisional New Graduate Membership. You must apply for a change in membership category using the application form.  Provisional Membership is a transition period between supervised student practice and independent delivery of services and requires supervised clinical practice by a Full member of NZSTA for at least 36 weeks if in full-time employment and more if working part-time.

Once you have completed your PM year and meet the requirements for Full Membership, you can apply for Full Membership of the Association.

5.    If I work after a I graduate and before I become a provisional member, can those hours be counted towards the requirements for Full Membership?

Yes however to be eligible for Full Membership you must have worked for a minimum of 1000 hours and have a record of Continuing Professional Development. You must also comply with the NZSTA Code of Ethics.

6.    What does it mean to be a Full Member of NZSTA?

Any speech-language therapist who meets the requirements of Full Membership, including keeping a CPD record, and pays the annual subscription fee can state that they are a Member of NZSTA and can use the abbreviation MNZSTA after their name. Full Members can access a wide range of benefits, including greatly subsidised PD, use of the Mutual Recognition Agreement, resources including journal articles and will receive the publications of the Association. Full Members are also provided with opportunities to network and to be part of the professional body within New Zealand and overseas. NZSTA members are recognised by other international SLT Associations.

7.    Can you work as a speech-language therapist in New Zealand without being a member?

Yes, you can however most employers in New Zealand have a requirement that you are at least eligible for NZSTA membership, as speech-language therapy is currently not registered with the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act (HPCAA). If you are not a member you miss out on the many benefits of membership, including half price professional development events and the benefits that come from being eligible to use the MRA if you wish to work overseas.

If you have trained at an overseas programme you must either meet the MRA criteria or have your qualifications approved by the NZSTA Qualifications Approval Committee before commencing work in New Zealand.

8.    Is speech-language therapy a registered profession with the HPCAA?

No. Currently, speech-language therapy in New Zealand is not included within this Act. As an Association we are doing our best to find out why the Ministry of Health does not think the profession meets the criteria (namely being a “risk to the public”). We have had extensive negotiations with the Ministry over several years and we are continuing to do so. An alternative process has been suggested as a way to ensure sound regulation of the profession. The Ministry of Health call this Self Regulation. We have not ruled this out as a possible way forward, but there are a number of significant issues with this process that need addressing first.

9.    Is there a student mentoring programme?

Currently there is not a mentoring programme. A mentoring programme for both full and student members may be developed in the future.

10. What is the Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) and how can it benefit me?

The MRA is an agreement between speech-language therapy associations in the United Kingdom, Ireland, North America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The MRA means that other MRA-Associations will recognise your SLT qualification and you will be able to apply for membership of that Association. See the MRA memo for more details.

11. When will I be eligible for use of the MRA?

You need to be a Full Member in good-standing with the NZSTA (i.e. uphold the Code of Ethics and be able to say 'yes' to the disclosure statements on the membership form) for at least 12 months (1 year). See the MRA memo for more details.

12. What happens if my new workplace does not have any full NZSTA members to supervise me in my Provisional Membership year?

Most workplaces have Full Members of the NZSTA who are willing to be supervisors. If you did have a problem identifying an appropriate supervisor, the NZSTA would assist you to identify and connect with an appropriate supervisor outside of your workplace.  Please contact the National Office.

13. I’m looking for my first job, where do I start?

The majority of speech-language therapy jobs in New Zealand are with District Health Boards and the Ministry of Education.

Employers advertise their jobs in a number of places, including:

·         their website

·         NZSTA Vacancies page (link)

·         Communication Matters

·         University job fairs

The NZSTA invited major employers of speech-language therapists to provided information on their recruitment process for our recruitment section.

14. How do I put together a good application?

Your covering letter and CV may be the first contact you have with a potential employer so it is important to make a good impression. Read the job profile carefully and adjust your CV and covering letter for that job. Make sure you spell check and proof read!

In your CV, include your academic and training qualifications, any awards, prizes and scholarships you have received, and previous paid and voluntary work relevant to the job you are applying for. Details of any relevant clinical placements should also be included and should illustrate the skills that you have learnt or applied in these placements.  List your employable skills and other relevant interests and talents, such as foreign languages spoken or activities undertaken with particular age groups or populations (e.g. children, the elderly, or people with a disability or learning difficulty).

Your covering letter is your opportunity to explain who you are and why you want this job

The CareersNZ website has some good generic tips on CVs and covering letters:

http://www2.careers.govt.nz/how-to-get-a-job/cvs-and-cover-letters/