Meet Pamela Won of PJW Speech and Language Therapy, Inc.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Pamela Won.

Pamela, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Before establishing PJW Speech and Language Therapy, Inc., I worked as a full time speech language pathologist in a public school. I also previously worked in hospitals and skilled nursing facilities. But I was a school based SLP the longest, perhaps because it was due to my background in education (I was previously a high school English teacher) and I enjoyed the collaborative aspect of supporting students as part of team. Over time though, the high caseloads, bringing work home almost every night, contentious IEP meetings overwhelmed me. I started to feel like I was not giving it my all to the students. Everything came to a head during the pandemic and subsequent lockdown, because that was when I was at a crossroads with what I wanted to do with my career. I wanted to keep working with families, provide individualized care, especially to families who did not have access to the resources I had. But I wanted the independence that would help me thrive. That was when I decided to open my own practice. What started out as a one-woman show in 2020 is now a growing team of 19 that includes an administrator, scheduling coordinator, speech pathologists and speech pathology assistants.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I don’t think anyone would say building, maintaining, and growing a company is smooth sailing, and PJW is no different in that regard. And like any other manager, I’ve experienced employee resignations, unexpected leaves of absences, difficulty finding clinicians who can accommodate specific locations, languages and schedules. But there were definitely a unique set of challenges. I had to wear multiple hats, and I was no longer only a clinician. I was also a business owner, employer, administrator, and advocate for my patients, all the while trying to build a company that reflected our standards of care. I also now have a 16 month at home so I’m in full time mom mode. I have to continuously balance a high quality of care and continued growth. Growing is exciting, but there is the added pressure of maintaining clinical standards and working ethically.

Recruitment continues to be an ongoing challenge, especially when you are trying to build a team who are not only qualified in what they do, but who are also reliable, compassionate, and aligned with PJW’s values. I always say that you are only as good as the people around you.

We’ve been impressed with PJW Speech and Language Therapy, Inc., but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We are a mobile practice that provides individualized speech language therapy to adults and kids of all ages. In addition to working with the Early Intervention population (ages 0-3 years), what definitely sets us apart is the fact that we also support patients in hospital settings, providing imagining studies (using Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing) for patients diagnosed with dysphagia (swallowing disorders). We also provide specialized care using AAC (Augmentative Alternative Communication), in addition to supporting families in their own homes. Altogether as a team, we provide bilingual therapy in nine different languages in across Southern California.

I would say there is never a dull moment at PJW. We are learning from our clients just as much as they are learning from us. Once you work in E.I., or provide any home based service, you can work anywhere. There are so many growth opportunities with our agency. I think it is also important for clinicians to continue honing their clinical skillset, so we offer support in that area as well.

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Advice for someone who wants to enter the speech pathology field or open up their own private practice? For the former, I would say stay curious, be compassionate, and never stop learning. For the latter, I would encourage one to take the leap, but be prepared to learn along the way. Being a great clinician and a great business owner require two very different sets of skills. You have to know what you are doing, but you also have to be willing to learn through that journey.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.pjwspeech.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pjwspeechinc/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pjwspeechandlanguage/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/pjw-speech-and-language-therapy-fullerton-2?osq=pjw+speech

Image Credits
Photo of me credit goes to Caroline Yoon Fine Art Photography