Like any other professional, speech-language pathologists, hearing aid dispensers, and audiologists must secure a professional license to offer their services lawfully. Aside from being a legal requirement, having a practice license shows you have the qualifications and skills to offer reliable and quality services to any patient needing your help.

Unfortunately, several issues could put your professional license at risk of suspension or revocation, including complaints from employers, patients, colleagues, and patients' family members. If you are under scrutiny by the law enforcement officers or licensing board for a complaint filed against you, you should speak with an attorney.

A reliable attorney can provide legal advice and representation when dealing with the licensing board's investigators and the administrative law judge (ALJ) to secure the best possible outcome for your unique case. At San Francisco License Attorney, we will investigate your case and prepare solid defense arguments to help you secure a dismissal of the case or lighter disciplinary action, like license probation.

Crucial Roles of a Hearing Aid Dispenser, Speech-Language Pathologist and Audiologist

Speaking, hearing, and being able to communicate are some of the most valuable abilities that several people take for granted. We all want to communicate with our family, colleagues, and peers as often as possible, but sometimes, that could be challenging if you have a hearing or speaking problem.

That is where the expertise and services of a hearing aid dispenser, speech-language pathologist, and audiologist become vital. Below are the crucial roles of these experts, respectively:

Hearing Aid Dispensers

When a chronic health condition, old age, or accident causes your hearing ability to become impaired, you will require a hearing aid to continue to improve your hearing ability and communication.

A hearing aid dispenser ensures patients with impaired ability receive suitable devices to boost their hearing abilities and continue enjoying life as they once did. Your role as a hearing aid dispenser includes:

  • Diagnosing a patient's hearing problem

  • Recommending the ideal hearing aid a patient can use to improve or restore his/her hearing ability

Although your services as a hearing aid dispenser are crucial and much-needed, a simple mistake could make your patient or employer file a complaint against you, putting your practice license and career at risk. Hence, understanding the steps you can take when someone files any complaint against you is brilliant.

Speech-Language Pathologists

Speech-language pathologists or speech therapists are experts with special training and education in diagnosing and treating speaking difficulties. A person can develop speech impairment due to the following:

  • Traumatic head injury

  • Medical disorders or conditions

Most children acquire their hearing and speaking abilities effortlessly, but others do not because of underlying health conditions or head injuries. Regardless of the cause of your child's speaking challenges, a skilled speech therapist could help. A speech therapist has the necessary education and training to help improve your or your child's ability to communicate with friends, colleagues, and peers.

As a speech therapist, your work includes working with patients to improve their rhythm, pronunciation, fluency, and anything affecting their ability to communicate properly. You can also help a patient adjust to a regional or foreign accent, but you need specific qualifications and skills to offer these services.

Unfortunately, regardless of your efforts to offer your patients the best services they deserve, some patients could be unsatisfied with your services and even file a complaint against you. When that happens, you should seek the legal assistance of a qualified attorney because your license and livelihood could be at risk. A skilled attorney can improve your odds of securing a favorable outcome in the case.

Audiologists

An audiologist can diagnose and treat various hearing disorders. You could require the vital services of the audiologist if you have an issue with how you hear or are afraid you could lose your hearing ability temporarily or entirely.

Your work as an audiologist is to diagnose the root cause of a patient's hearing problem and recommend or offer appropriate treatment and follow-ups to ensure the treatment works as expected. In some situations, you can recommend hearing aids and help your patients use those devices properly and effectively.

Since your body balance and hearing are closely related, any hearing problem could make you lose your balance. Therefore, if you have balance issues, you can turn to audiologists for assistance.

Unfortunately, a patient's complaint or criminal allegations could jeopardize your career within the blink of an eye. After several years of education, training, and commitment to secure a professional license to help those with hearing problems, this can be a setback in your professional life.

The Primary Role of Hearing Aid Dispenser, Speech Therapist and Audiologist Licensing Board

Like any other professional, hearing aid dispensers, speech therapists, and audiologists require a practice license to offer their services lawfully. The board is responsible for issuing licenses to qualifying applicants and ensuring patients receive the best services they deserve for their problems.

Once the board receives a complaint or criminal allegation against you, it will conduct a thorough investigation and impose disciplinary action (if necessary) to protect your patients from substandard services.

Since the licensing board takes complaints against licenses seriously, it could take action against you without considering all the facts and evidence of the case. That is why it is crucial to retain the services of an attorney to protect your legal rights and practice license if you are under investigation by the board or law enforcement officers for any alleged violation.

A seasoned attorney will keenly investigate your case and prepare mitigating arguments to help convince the board's investigators or ALJ to drop your case.

Common Punishable Violations by Hearing Aid Dispensers, Speech Therapists and Audiologists

The licensing board has a set of rules and regulations that a licensee (hearing aid dispenser, speech therapist, and audiologist) must comply with. It also provides disciplinary guidelines or directives for licensees who violate their code of conduct. Once you break any code of conduct, the board will hold a hearing to determine the consequences and circumstances of this violation.

During this hearing, you will appear before an ALJ to challenge the complaint or allegations you are up against for the best possible results. Below are examples of complaints or violations that could attract the board's harsh disciplinary actions at the end of this hearing:

  • Asking for kickbacks for recommending a particular device to the patient

  • Alcohol and illegal substance abuse while at work

  • Being under investigation for professional wrongdoing or misconduct by another licensing board

  • Permitting other people to offer services under your practice license

  • False advertising or misleading practices

  • Incompetence, gross negligence, or ordinary negligence when offering your services

  • A criminal record for an offense closely related your qualifications and services

  • Unprofessional behavior with your colleagues, family, or patients

  • Insurance fraud or any other fraudulent activity resulting in undeserved financial gain

  • Sexual misconduct with a patient

Potential Disciplinary Actions You Could Receive

The board can take many disciplinary actions against a licensed hearing aid dispenser, speech therapist, or audiologist. Below are some of the most common disciplinary actions you could receive if the case does not end in your favor:

A Public Reprimand

A reprimand is a public apology that the board posts on its website. This means everyone can view it, including potential employers and current clients. While this is not the most serious disciplinary action the board could impose, it can negatively affect your reputation.

Citation and Fine

The board could issue you a citation, requiring you to show up before an ALJ to challenge the allegations or complaints you are up against. Depending on the facts of your unique case, the board could also require you to pay fines for your violation.

Like a public reprimand, a citation will be public, meaning anyone, including your potential and current employers, will see it. In addition, the fines the board could require you to pay could be costly.

License Probation

If you are a first-time offender, the board could place your practice license on probation. This disciplinary action is advantageous because you will continue offering your services throughout the probation duration. However, you must comply with the terms set by the board during the probation period.

License Suspension or Revocation

For a serious violation, the board will take harsh disciplinary action against you. Depending on the facts of your unique case, this disciplinary action could include license suspension or revocation. That means losing your source of income and livelihood permanently or temporarily.

Once the board makes this decision, the revocation or suspension will begin immediately, meaning you cannot take new appointments or continue serving your current patients.

Being unable to earn income for a career in which you have already invested a significant amount of time and resources can be stressful and the last issue you would think of in your professional life. If you suspect that you could be under investigation by your licensing board for professional misconduct, a skilled attorney could help.

A reliable attorney could help you avoid these disciplinary actions or convince the board that you deserve the minimum penalty for your violation.

Effects of a Criminal Charge or Conviction on Your Practice License

The board can take disciplinary action against you if you have a pending criminal charge or past conviction history for a misdemeanor or felony offense. That is particularly true if the offense is related to your duties and qualifications as a hearing aid dispenser, speech therapist, or audiologist. Below are examples of these offenses:

  • Driving under the influence of drugs (DUID)

  • Sexual battery

  • Domestic violence

  • Insurance fraud

  • Grand theft

  • Possession of a controlled drug substance

  • Possession of unlawful or controlled drug substance for sale

Once the prosecutor files a charge against you, the licensing board could request that the court impose certain restrictions and limitations on your professional licenses as the case continues. For instance, the board could request the court do the following:

  • Impose license restriction as one of the requirements for a release on bail

  • Suspend your license pending the outcome of your case at trial

  • Impose license restriction as one of your penalties upon conviction at trial

However, if you have a seasoned and aggressive attorney, you could avoid these harsh restrictions on your practice license. Your attorney can file a response to challenge any order the licensing board issues to the criminal court upon an arrest for any criminal offense.

When the court holds a hearing to determine appropriate responses to the licensing board's request, your attorney can present mitigating arguments that can work in your favor to secure a desirable outcome.

How to Have Your License Approved or Reinstated

Unfortunately, securing a professional license to offer your services as a hearing aid dispenser, speech therapist, or audiologist is not a walk in the park. If you want to apply for a practice license to begin offering your services lawfully, a skilled attorney can help you in every stage of the process.

Similarly, if the board has already denied your practice license application, you can rely on an attorney when filing your appeal or new application that meets all the needed requirements. Whatever problem the board has with your license application is solvable, even if it means (in the worst-case scenario) commencing your dream career with your practice license on parole or probation.

The key to securing the best possible outcome if your practice license as a hearing aid dispenser, speech therapist, or audiologist is at risk is retaining the services of a competent and skilled attorney.

Find a Dependable License Defense Attorney Near Me

It is natural to worry if your hearing aid dispenser, speech-language pathologist, or audiologist license is under investigation by the board for an alleged violation, but you have options. At San Francisco License Attorney, we comprehend how a formal accusation or complaint against your hearing aid dispenser, speech therapist, or audiologist license could affect your career and livelihood.

Call our knowledgeable defense attorneys at 415-919-6594 and let them build appropriate defenses to help you challenge the allegations or complaints you are up against for the best possible outcome.