Meet Jean McCarthy, M.S., CCC-SLP, a Clinical Professor in the Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences (SLHS) Department!

 

Jean knew early on that she was drawn to a helping profession. This passion, combined with an interest in language, led her to the field of speech-language pathology (SLP). She committed to Speech-Language Pathology her freshman year and continued straight through to graduate school.  She earned her Master’s of Science in SLP at the University of Rhode Island. Her M.S. and Mrs. were celebrated in the same year! At URI, she learned about the broad scope of our practice. The impact of this knowledge inspired her as she entered the field and continues to do so today.  Jean has worked in various settings across the lifespan, including birth-to-three, specialized children’s hospitals, home health, long-term acute care, and skilled nursing facilities. Before becoming a clinical professor at UConn, Jean worked as the director of rehabilitation at a skilled nursing facility, overseeing the SLP, physical therapy, and occupational therapy departments while working closely with nurses and administrators. She became a clinical faculty member 14 years ago when a former boss, who was the clinical director of the UConn Speech and Hearing Clinic (UCSHC) and director of clinical education at the time, suggested she apply for an open position. Jean states that she loves her role at UConn as it allows her to provide services to people in the community and teach/mentor student clinicians. She is particularly proud of Fluency Group. This is a unique remote group for people who stutter. SLHS supports this group and more. Her areas of clinical interest and expertise include adult neurogenic communication disorders, fluency disorders, and pediatric language and articulation disorders.