SCSHA Awards

Please note:

**All award nominators and nominees must be CURRENT SCSHA Members**

**Award nominees may not be current board members**

**All Nominations are due 12/31/23**

Award winners will be recognized during the Annual Convention Awards Luncheon on February, 3, in North Charleston.

 

Nominate Someone Today!

Honors of the Association

The Honors of the Association recognizes a member for his/her distinguished contribution(s) to the discipline of communication sciences and disorders and is the highest honor the Association bestows.

The Honors of the Association is to recognize an individual whose contributions have been of such excellence that they have enhanced or altered the course of the professions. It may be awarded to an individual whose contributions have been confined to a single area of achievement or to several achievements in multiple areas. The quality of the achievement and the impact on the professions are considered of greater importance than the nominee's length of service.  Members are encouraged to nominate individuals who are well-known for innovative clinical practice, insightful and rigorous research, creative administration, effective legislative activity, outstanding academic and/or clinical teaching or other distinguished professional contributions.
The nomination must include:
  1. sponsor and two (2) co-sponsors, all of whom are SCSHA members in good standing.
  2. Information and/or documentation that support the nominee's distinguished contribution to the field of speech, language, and/or hearing which has enhanced or altered the course of the professions.
  3. Sponsor and co-sponsors have provided the following information in support of the nominee:
  • All supporting documentation must be attached to the nomination letter
  • Sponsor's and co-sponsors' letters of support
  • Professional vita of the nominee must be included

Special Recognition

The Special Recognition award is designed to recognize achievement and/or contributions in one or more of the following areas:
  1. Development of new and innovative therapeutic and /or service delivery models, materials, and products.
  2. Administrative (e.g., evidence-based program development, continuing education activities developed and opportunities provided, mentoring and/or supervision of ASHA Clinical Fellows, speech-language pathology or audiology students, or speech-language pathology assistants.
  3. Advocacy and outreach (e.g., legislative, licensing, participation on state/local committees that promote speech and hearing, health fairs, health and education committees).
Nominees may include an individual or a group of individuals.
 
The nomination must include:
  1. Sponsor and nominee are SCSHA members in good standing.
  2. Sponsor has provided the following factual information in support of the nominee: Outcomes that document the achievements.
  3. Sponsor’s letter of support detailing the nominee’s credentials (including appropriate honors or recognition) and specific contributions in sufficient detail to distinguish these contributions from generic activities and a description of the significance of the contributions.
  4. All supporting documentation must accompany the nomination letter.

LouiMDicarlo Award For Outstanding ClinicaAchievement

The Louis M. DiCarlo Award recognizes a recipient who has worked toward advancing knowledge in clinical practice, as evidenced by a significant accomplishment within the past six years in audiology and/or speech-language pathology.

The DiCarlo Award is a memorial recognition of Louis M. DiCarlo, who had a long and distinguished clinical career in communication sciences and disorders before his death in 1996 at 93.


In addition to the criteria listed above: The individual:
  • must be a member of the South Carolina Speech-Language-Hearing Association
  • nominees are not limited to any particular type of clinical achievement or activity. Some eligible activities for which an individual would be eligible might include (for example purposes only): outstanding achievement with single clients or groups of clients,exceptional clinical service programming or program development, significant achievement in a state or local organization or government agency or activity,clinical teaching,research,or administration.
 
Nomination must include:
  • Identification and description of the outstanding clinical achievement. Nomination documents should include information on when and where the specific achievements took place.
  • Description of the significance of the achievement.
  • Explanation of how the nominee's actions have advanced knowledge in the area of clinical practices.
  • Explanation of the nominee's role in the achievement.

Frank R. Kleffner Clinical Career Award

The Frank R. Kleffner Lifetime Clinical Career Award recognizes an individual’s outstanding contributions to communication sciences and disorders over a period of at least 20 years. The lifetime contribution may have been in clinical service, supervision or administration of clinical service, clinical research, or any other activity that has promoted clinical excellence.

The award is given in honor of Frank R. Kleffner, a former ASHFoundation president and former ASHA president, who worked tirelessly over his lifetime until his passing in 2015 to professionalize and expand the ASHFoundation’s charitable goals.

In addition to the criteria listed above: The individual
  • must be a member of the South Carolina Speech-Language-Hearing Association, however, need not be a member of ASHA, but should exemplify the ideals of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and its advocacy for effective human communication.
 
Will be considered with:
  • Summary of nominee's education and career.
  • Description of nominee's specific contributions
Submission of nominee's curriculum vitae is necessary at point of nomination.

Jennifer Mungo Student of the Year Award

The nominee must be a full-time student enrolled in a baccalaureate, masters or Ph.D. program in speech-language pathology or audiology in South Carolina and an active member of SCSHA.  Nominations consist of a letter, signed by a SCSHA member, stating the reasons this student has been an asset to one or more of the following:
  • Their clinical program of study (clinical practicum)
  • Extracurricular activities and/or
  • Service to the state and/or national organizations

SCSHA Friend Award

The recipient(s) of this award is recognized for distinguished contributions to speech language and or hearing, however is not a practicing SLP or Audiologist. Nominees may include individuals, groups, institution or organizations.

In addition to the Criteria listed above:
A group or individual will be considered eligible based on at least three (3) or more of the following criteria:
  • A significant contribution to the profession on a local,state or national level.
  • Made an impact on the public in the area of treatment and prevention.

(Prior examples of award recipients include leaders from special education communities, nurses, etc.)


Ambassador

The SCSHA Ambassador is to be an individual who could represent a person with a communication disorder that you serve.  Keep in mind that the SCSHA Ambassador will be presented to the SCSHA members at the Annual Convention.  Furthermore, the recipient’s photo will appear in the program distributed at the convention, and a press release will be made available for the recipient’s local newspaper.  The Governor’s office will be contacted to schedule a photo session for May is Better Hearing and Speech Month Proclamation. (Please remember the appointment is at the Governor’s discretion for approval. Other than SCSHA Board members, those attending will be restricted to: the recipient, parent or guardian and the person making the nomination.)

Please send a nomination letter. 

The Rolland J. Van Hattum Award

The Rolland J. Van Hattum Award for Contribution in the Schools recognizes an individual’s exemplary commitment and contribution to the delivery of audiology and/or speech-language pathology services within a school setting.

The Van Hattum Award is a memorial recognition of Rolland J. Van Hattum, who had a long and distinguished career providing audiology and speech-language pathology services and support in the schools. He believed strongly in the dedication and professionalism of his colleagues in the schools and, until his death in 1987, continued to advocate for the support and recognition of their achievements.

The following specific eligibility criteria should be addressed in the nomination:

  • The nominee must be an audiologist or speech-language pathologist employed by a school system (e.g., serving pre-K through high school setting). Excludes individual or agency contractors.
  • The contribution for which the individual is nominated must have been made within a school system.
  • The nominee's commitment to the delivery of services in the schools must be evidenced by a specific activity or achievement, or a series of related integrated activities resulting in the achievement of a common goal.
  • The contribution of the nominee must make a direct, observable, and demonstrable impact.
  • The nominee's commitment and contribution to the delivery of services in the schools must be clearly identified as outstanding (e.g., innovative; creative in use of resources; collaborative). 

In addition to the criteria listed above: The individual

  • must be a member of the South Carolina Speech-Language-Hearing Association, however, need not be a member of ASHA, but should exemplify the ideals of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and its advocacy for effective human communication.

 
Will be considered with:

  • Summary of nominee's education and career.
  • Description of nominee's specific contributions

Submission of nominee's vitae is necessary at point of nomination.


 

Legislator of the Year Award

The purpose of the Legislator of the Year Award is to recognize state legislators who have a record of supporting issues related to speech and take an important stand on speech issues during a particular legislative session.

 Criteria:

Nominees may demonstrate examples of the following:

  • Is an outspoken advocate of speech health issues
  • Demonstrates a voting record that supports speech health initiatives
  • Has sponsored a minimum of one legislative bill in support of SCSHA’s mission and advocacy priorities
  • Serves on or is in a leadership position of a legislative committee, which supports SCSHA’s issues, and positions