Child-Focused Rehabilitation Therapists Meet Local Need
The demand for services from speech pathologists exceeds the number of qualified providers in Alabama. This shortage is felt particularly in rural areas of the state.
One clinic in Jackson, Alabama, The Clubhouse Autism and Development Center, is the only pediatric specialty clinic serving clients in Choctaw, Clark, Washington, and Marengo counties.
Speech pathologist (SLP) Savanna Williams and occupational therapist (OT) Jenna Savage partnered to establish The Clubhouse.
Williams, who previously worked in Chatom, said that a large pool of her clientele was from the Jackson area. Patients were driving half an hour, sometimes multiple times a week, to get the care they needed.
To fill this gap, Williams and Savage officially opened The Clubhouse on May 2, 2022, in Jackson. This clinic “opened the door for children in our surrounding areas to receive vital early intervention and additional support for children within the school system,” Savage said.
“We were starting from nothing,” said Williams. “We were just two therapists taking a leap of faith. We didn't know who our clientele would be.”
Today, clients at the Clubhouse can range from babies up to 21 years of age. The number of patients served weekly varies. Some patients are scheduled for appointments multiple times a week while others are scheduled for every other week. Staff usually see between 8 and 12 patients a day.
Since opening the doors, business has not slowed. The clinic often gets referrals from surrounding hospitals, the nearest being Jackson Medical Center, as well as referrals by word of mouth. Williams said, “The clientele was here. It just took us opening our doors, and it’s been steady ever since.”
OTs and SLPs are usually paired together to meet the patient's needs. SLPs offer speech, language, and swallowing services, working with patients in a variety of ways, from articulation to socialization skills. OTs teach patients how to carry out day-to-day activities, such as selfcare, motor coordination, and behavior management.
Erica Alison, whose son receives services at the clinic, said, “The Clubhouse has impacted my son by using different learning techniques to expand his knowledge. The one-on-one assistance really made a difference for his growth.”
When deciding on the building to establish their clinic, Williams and Savage looked at multiple locations, ultimately being drawn back to the Jackson area. They rented space in a building next to a boutique. Later the building owner offered to sell it to them and now the entire building is dedicated as clinic space.
The two therapists decided “The Clubhouse” was a perfect name. Williams said the name makes it “feel like something older kids could come to and feel like they were just coming to hang out.”
Savage said opening a clinic in a rural area was critical. “Taking the commute out of vital services leads to more children receiving the quality of care they deserve,” she noted. “We are creating an environment that facilitates achievement of developmental milestones while being accessible to our patients’ families.”
For more information about The Clubhouse, visit their website or call 251-744-5124.
Tags: Chatom
