Alright, let’s be clear about one thing first, we are not hiring people just to hire people. We are hiring because there is a TREMENDOUS need and we know the best way to meet this need is by finding the best therapists to join our team, our company, and our family. We believe providing therapy in the home is the ABSOLUTE best way for you child to receive those services they so desperately need. With this new hire, we will be able to do just that, we are increasing our capacity to serve you in your homes, to find more ways to serve you, and to meet the needs of our community. So without further ado let me introduce you to the newest member of our team, Melissa Cassidy! Melissa brings years of experience, an incredible heart and passion for little ones, and is someone we could not be happier to have join our Family. Read the questions below to learn more about Melissa!
First tell us a little bit about yourself?
I was raised in Michigan but moved to Minnesota for graduate school. Since graduating, I have worked for over seven years throughout the midwest, and now am very excited to be returning to the Twin Cities. In my free time I love to do anything active – walk, run, bike, golf, you name it! I love being near water having been spoiled by Lake Michigan and the land of 10,000 lakes my whole life. I also love to cook and try new restaurants. I cannot wait to return to the cities where the gourmet restaurant options seem endless!
Why did you choose Speech-Language Pathology?
I was first introduced to Speech-Language Pathology when I was in middle school. My cousin, Joshua, was born with Down’s syndrome, and my aunt invited me to tag along to his therapy session when he was about 2 years old. She thought I’d be interested to learn about his therapy, and she was right! After that first experience there was no looking back. I had my heart set on Speech-Language Pathology, and I have spent the majority of my career working with kids. I love working one-on-one with children and empowering families to help their child develop. I know from my experience with Joshua that it is amazing to watch a loved one hit those milestones!
What is your work experience?
The majority of my career has involved working with children. I spent one year in a school working with 3-5 year olds, and my other years of experience were spent in an outpatient clinic setting and a little bit of home-based therapy. I’ve worked with kids ages 2 months to 21 years. My most recent passions are feeding and apraxia, but I’ve seen a big range of diagnoses in my career and I enjoy it all!
What are you most excited about when you think about joining Family Chatterbox
I am very excited to join Family Chatterbox because I know everybody on the team is passionate about their work and strives to continually develop into better clinicians. I love the home-based therapy model because we get to see kids in their most comfortable environment and we can engage siblings and parents into the treatment session so much more than we might in the school or clinic.
Lastly and most importantly … what’s your favorite food:
Tacos! Bonus if there is some guacamole on the side… and ice-cream for dessert.
Melissa, we are so so so excited to have you join our company, team and Family. Welcome aboard!
-Kasey-