MANSFIELD – The Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center (MOESC) has been awarded funding to continue its work through the Speech-Language Pathologist and School Psychologist Regional Consultant initiative for the 2026–2027 school year.
The initiative provides regional professional learning, consultation and targeted coaching to strengthen speech-language pathology and school psychology services across Ohio.
The statewide project includes six regions, each with school psychologist and speech language pathologist consultants, and is designed to strengthen special education practices and procedures while supporting professional retention and addressing workforce shortages in these critical fields.
Eric Turlo, MOESC Director of Student Services, said, “Our regional consultants provide professionals with something that can be difficult to find, particularly in smaller and rural districts — a network of colleagues and access to experienced professionals who understand both the technical requirements of the work and the realities of serving students in schools.
“This grant allows us to continue building professional capacity while helping districts strengthen services for students.”
MOESC’s regional consultant team includes Johanna Gilland, Speech-Language Pathologist, and School Psychologists Kylie Dennison-Rebon and Julia Pilla.
Together, the consultants provide regional support to practitioners, districts and educational partners through professional development, consultation, coaching and opportunities for professional connection.
Key areas of the work include:
Professional Learning and Targeted Coaching: Providing broad professional development along with individualized and team-based support responsive to practitioner and district needs.
ETR and IEP Practices: Supporting professionals and districts in strengthening Evaluation Team Report (ETR) and Individualized Education Program (IEP) practices and procedures.
MTSS and Evidence-Based Practice: Helping professionals connect related services and evaluation practices with integrated Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and effective educational decision-making.
Workforce Development and Retention: Supporting mentoring, professional learning and professional connections that build capacity and help retain school psychologists and speech-language pathologists.
Regional Access and Collaboration: Ensuring professionals throughout the region, including those working in smaller or underserved districts, have access to consultation, resources and opportunities to collaborate with colleagues.
These priorities reflect the statewide project’s emphasis on consistent practices, equitable access to resources and improved decision-making across districts.
The initiative also connects with professional mentoring efforts through the Ohio School Psychologists Association and the Ohio School Speech-Language Pathology and Educational Audiology Coalition IDEA Communities of Practice.
A featured component of MOESC’s workforce development efforts is its High School Mentorship Program, which introduces high school students to career pathways in speech language pathology and school psychology.
Through exposure to professionals working in school settings, students have opportunities to learn more about these specialized careers and the impact these professionals have on students, families and school communities.
Throughout the year, MOESC’s consultants will provide regional professional development, virtual learning opportunities, consultation, targeted coaching and resources addressing current issues in school psychology, speech-language pathology and special education.
Together with the High School Mentorship Program, these efforts create a continuum of workforce development—introducing students to career pathways, supporting professionals as they enter the field and strengthening the skills and connections of current practitioners.
By investing in both today’s professionals and the next generation, MOESC is working to strengthen services for students while building a sustainable workforce for the future.