CAA - Mission Statement

About the California Academy of Audiology

What Exactly Does a State Audiology Academy Do?

Frequently when audiologists are making the decision as to whether they should join their state professional association, the question is asked "Why should I join this association when I am already a member of one or more national audiology associations?" The answer is that the state audiology association functions quite differently from the national associations, and monitors state legislative activity that directly affects the day-to-day practice of an audiologist in California.

State issues affect you and your practice

Most states have a professional association dedicated to furthering audiology in the state (or maintaining the status-quo when threatened!). The state professional association also looks out for the needs of hearing-and-balance disordered patients residing in the state. Politically, the state association is most concerned with the licensing affecting our profession as well as legislation which affects the practice of audiology. The state association is also interested in legislation that affects "scope of practice" issues, such as procedures performed by others (ie: occupational therapy, physical therapy, non-audiologist hearing aid dispensing) that may infringe upon our scope of practice. Additionally, state associations provide continuing educational opportunities and networking opportunities for audiologists.

Licensing Issues

The California Academy of Audiology maintains relationships with the licensing bodies affecting our profession: the Speech Pathology and Audiology Board (SLPAB) and the Hearing Aid Dispensers' Examining Bureau (HADB.) Representatives from CAA attend meetings and respond to requests for information from both licensing bodies. Both the Speech and Language Pathology and Audiology Board and the Hearing Aid Dispensers' Bureau are concerned with consumer protection issues. Their concern is not with professional issues or the advancement of the profession. It is up to our state professional association, the California Academy of Audiology, to drive the advancement of the profession in the state.

CAA is your voice in Sacramento

Because each state is sovereign when it comes to licensing, the state professional association carries an important function. It is common for a state professional association to retain a lobbyist to monitor state legislation and advise the leadership of the association. The lobbyist will also talk with legislators on behalf of the association. The national associations (AAA, ASHA, ADA) serve a very important function when it comes to national legislation, but do not function to be involved with individual state legislative issues. Perhaps you can see that it would not be cost-effective or practical for these associations to retain lobbyists for each state. The national associations do provide support to the state associations, but it is the responsibility of the audiologists in each state to monitor their state license and legislation.