Educate Your Employer

🚧 Educate Your Employer

Your job description says "CCC required." Your state says a license is enough. You can close that gap, and you're more qualified to do it than you think.

This page walks you through it step by step: what to say, who to say it to, what they'll push back with, and exactly how to answer. Everything is free, and there's nothing to sign up for. Take what you need.

Start the stepsJump to the letter

On this page: Before you start · Check your facts · The 6 steps · The letter · What to say · Answers to pushback · Fact sheet for your employer · Protect yourself · More help

Before you start: read this if you're nervous

Most SLPs who do this feel nervous the first time. That's normal, and it isn't a sign you shouldn't do it. Keep these in mind:

You're asking for a policy update, not a favor.

Job descriptions get outdated. Pointing out that one no longer matches the law is the kind of thing good employees do.

You're helping them, not attacking them.

A CCC-only requirement shrinks their hiring pool when SLPs are hard to find, and it's a cost they usually don't pay for. Fixing it helps them hire.

The facts are on your side.

Every state and D.C. licenses SLPs. In most states, nothing in law requires the CCC to practice or to bill Medicare. You're not giving an opinion. You're pointing to the rules.

You don't have to win today.

Your only job right now is to start the conversation and put it in writing. Policies change after the second or third ask, and every SLP who asks makes it easier for the next one.

You don't need to drop your own CCC to do this. You can keep it and still ask your employer to stop requiring it for everyone else. Many of the most effective advocates do exactly that.

Step 0: Check the facts for your setting (5 minutes)

Before you ask for anything, make sure nothing legally requires the CCC for your role. A few places still do:

  • Licensing boards: Alaska, Delaware, Nevada, and Rhode Island name the CCC for an initial license, and Nevada also requires keeping it current.
  • Medicaid: Massachusetts requires it, along with some services in D.C. Arkansas and Missouri require it to lead speech-generating device evaluations.
  • Some private insurers: SLPs have reported BCBS plans in Maine, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin asking for it, even though the plans' published criteria don't list it.
  • Supervising CCC-track students and CFs: the supervisor needs the CCC. Everyone else doesn't.

Look up your stateBCBS toolkits

If one of those applies to you, you can still ask. Change the request from "remove the CCC" to "require the CCC only for the roles or payers that legally need it, and accept a state license everywhere else." The letter below has a line for that.

The 6 steps

  1. 10 minutes

    Find exactly where the CCC shows up

    Get the actual wording in front of you. Look in:

    • your job description and the public job posting
    • credentialing or onboarding checklists
    • the pay scale or stipend schedule (common in schools)
    • contracts, if you work through an agency

    Save a copy or screenshot of each one. You'll quote it word for word in your letter.

  2. 10 minutes

    Find the person who can change it

    Usually it's whoever owns the job description, not your direct supervisor. Depending on your setting:

    • Hospitals and health systems: rehab or therapy director, HR or talent acquisition, the medical staff or credentialing office
    • Skilled nursing and home health: director of rehab, administrator, regional HR
    • Schools: special education director, HR or certification office, and your union rep if you have one
    • Private practice and agencies: the owner or clinical director

    Not sure? Send it to your supervisor and ask, "Who owns this policy? Can you forward this to them?"

  3. 5 minutes

    Choose your ask

    Be specific. A clear, small ask gets a yes faster than a big vague one. Pick the one that fits:

    • Best: change "CCC required" to "current state SLP license required."
    • Good: change it to "state license required; CCC optional."
    • If something legally requires it: require the CCC only for the specific roles or payers that need it.
    • If they won't budge yet: ask them to reimburse the annual CCC fee, since they're the one requiring it.
  4. 15 minutes

    Send the letter

    Copy the letter below, fill in the highlighted parts, and email it. Email is better than a hallway chat because it creates a record and gives them time to look into it. Attach or link the fact sheet so they can check the facts themselves.

  5. 15 to 30 minutes

    Have the conversation

    If they want to meet, great. That means they're taking it seriously. Use the talking points and keep the pushback answers handy. Stay calm and curious: "Can you show me where that requirement comes from?" is your best question.

  6. 2 weeks later

    Follow up, then follow up again

    No answer in two weeks? Send a short, friendly follow-up (there's one below the letter). Still nothing after another two weeks? Forward it one level up, or to HR. Keep every reply in one folder. When it changes, tell us. Your win becomes proof for the next SLP.

The letter: copy, fill in, send

Replace everything highlighted. Delete any line that doesn't fit your situation. Prefer to edit in Word? Download the Word version or view the PDF.

Subject: Request to update the SLP credential requirement in [job title / policy name]

Dear [Name],

I'm writing to ask that we update the credential requirement for speech-language pathologists in [the job description / posting / credentialing policy]. It currently reads: "[paste the exact wording]." I'd like to propose that it require a current [state] speech-language pathology license instead of the ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC).

Here's why I think the change makes sense for us:

1. The state license is the legal credential to practice. [State] licenses speech-language pathologists, as every state and D.C. now does. To be licensed, an SLP must hold a graduate degree, pass the national Praxis exam, complete a supervised clinical experience, and meet ongoing continuing education requirements. The CCC is an optional certification sold by a membership association, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. It doesn't add legal authority to practice.

2. Medicare does not require the CCC where SLPs are licensed. Federal rules define a qualified SLP by degree and state license (for example, 42 CFR 484.115(n) for home health, and 42 CFR 410.62(c) for private practice). [Optional: Our state Medicaid program and our major payers also rely on the state license.]

3. It's a barrier to hiring. Requiring the CCC narrows our applicant pool to SLPs who pay ASHA $221 or more every year, on top of their state license fees, for a credential our payers and our state don't require. Occupational and physical therapists are hired on their state licenses alone. Many employers now list the license as the requirement and the CCC as optional.

4. It keeps us accurate and consistent. Aligning our requirement with state law and payer rules means our policy reflects what's actually required, which is easier to defend and simpler to manage.

[Optional, if something legally requires the CCC for some roles:] I understand the CCC is still required for [supervising graduate students and clinical fellows who are pursuing the CCC / a specific payer]. I'd suggest we require it only for those specific responsibilities and accept the state license for everything else.

My request: update the requirement to "Current [state] SLP license required. ASHA CCC optional." [Or: If we keep the requirement, please consider reimbursing the annual CCC fee.]

I've attached a one-page fact sheet with the sources. I'd be glad to talk it through or help with the updated wording. Could you let me know by [date, about two weeks out] who will review this and what the next step is?

Thank you for considering it.

[Your name, credentials]
[Title, department]

Follow-up email (send after two weeks)

Subject: Following up: SLP credential requirement

Hi [Name], I wanted to follow up on my [date] email about updating the SLP credential requirement from the CCC to a current [state] license. Is there someone else I should send it to, or anything I can provide to help? Happy to meet for 15 minutes if that's easier. Thanks, [Your name]

Short version for a job interview or a job posting you're applying to

"I noticed the posting lists the CCC as required. I hold a current [state] license, which is what the state and Medicare require to practice and bill. Is the CCC a firm requirement for this role, or would you consider the license? Many employers now list the CCC as optional."

What to say in the meeting

You don't need a speech. Three points and one question will carry you:

"The license is the legal standard."

"Our state licenses SLPs, and the license already requires the degree, the national exam, and supervised experience."

"No payer we bill requires it."

"Medicare relies on the state license. [Name any of your payers you've checked.]"

"It's costing us candidates."

"We're filtering out licensed SLPs for a credential we don't need. OTs and PTs aren't held to this."

Your best question

"Can you show me where the CCC requirement comes from? If there's a written rule, I'd like to read it." Then listen. Often there isn't one.

If you freeze: it's completely fine to say, "Let me look into that and get back to you in writing." You don't have to have every answer in the room.

Answers to the pushback you'll hear

What they say What you can say
"The CCC is the gold standard." "The state license is the legal standard, and it requires the same degree, national exam, and supervised experience. The CCC is an optional certification from a membership association. OTs and PTs don't have an equivalent requirement, and we hire them on their license."
"Insurance requires it." "Can we check which payer and find it in their written credentialing criteria? Medicare relies on the state license. A few plans have been reported to ask, but their published criteria often don't list it. If one truly does, we can require the CCC for that payer only."
"Medicare requires it." "Federal rules define a qualified SLP by degree and state license in states that license SLPs, and every state does. For example, 42 CFR 484.115(n) and 42 CFR 410.62(c)."
"Our accreditor (Joint Commission, CARF) requires it." "Could you point me to the specific standard? Accreditors generally ask us to verify licensure and competence. If there's a standard that names the CCC, I'd like to read it."
"It's a liability or risk issue." "Our liability is tied to practicing within state law and our own competency checks, which we already do for every therapist. The license is what the state uses to protect patients."
"We need it so you can supervise students." "Only supervisors of students and CFs who are pursuing the CCC need it. We can require it for that responsibility instead of for every SLP we hire."
"It shows you're more competent." "The CCC is earned once, at the start of a career, with the same requirements as the license. Renewing it every year is a fee, not a new skills check. Our own competency reviews measure what you actually care about."
"It's tied to our pay scale" (schools). "Could the stipend recognize the state license plus years of experience, or other advanced credentials, instead of one association's product? That rewards experience without paying a vendor."
"We've always done it this way." "That makes sense. Before 2016, not every state licensed SLPs, so the CCC was the only national check. Now every state does. This is just bringing the policy up to date."
"I'll have to check with legal or HR." "Great. That's the right next step. Could you share who's reviewing it and when I can expect an answer? I'm happy to send them the fact sheet directly."

Fact sheet for your employer

Print this section or link it in your email: fixslp.com/pages/employer-education#factsheet

Hiring SLPs: why the state license is the right requirement

  • Every state and D.C. licenses speech-language pathologists. Colorado was the last state to establish licensure, in 2016. Practicing without a license is illegal.
  • A state license requires a graduate degree, a passing score on the national Praxis exam, supervised clinical experience, and ongoing continuing education in nearly every state.
  • The ASHA CCC is an optional certification sold by a membership association. It costs $221 a year ($250 with membership), on top of state license fees.
  • Medicare relies on the state license. See 42 CFR 484.115(n) (home health) and 42 CFR 410.62(c) (SLPs in private practice).
  • Few rules still name the CCC, including four states' initial licensing rules (AK, DE, NV, RI), Massachusetts Medicaid, and some D.C. Medicaid services. Where a rule applies, require the CCC only there.
  • OTs and PTs are hired on their state licenses. Their national associations don't sell a required certification.
  • Employers and payers are changing. Medicaid programs in Michigan, Arkansas, and North Carolina have removed CCC barriers to rely on the state license. Tobii Dynavox and PRC-Saltillo removed the CCC requirement for certain processes.
  • Recommended wording: "Current [state] SLP license required. ASHA CCC optional."

Sources and state-by-state details: fixslp.com/blogs/articles/ccc-requirements-by-state

Protect yourself while you advocate

  • Keep it about the policy, not about you. "Our requirement doesn't match state law" lands better than "I don't want to pay for this."
  • Put it in writing and keep copies of everything you send and receive.
  • Stay professional and kind, even if the answer is no. You're planting a seed, and the next ask may come from your manager.
  • Don't let your own credential lapse while your employer still requires it. Change the policy first, then make your own decision.
  • Bring a buddy. A letter signed by two or three SLPs on your team is much harder to ignore.
  • In a union? Talk to your rep. Credential requirements and stipends are often negotiable.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Requirements vary by state, payer, and setting, so confirm what applies to you on the State Resource Map.

More help

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Tell us your win

Did your employer change its policy, or give you a written answer? Email team@fixslp.com. Every win helps the next SLP make the case.

Thank you to Brooke Richardson, MS, SLP (@themodernmedslp), for the original employer letter this page builds on. Updated November 2026.