Jinan Erchid balances three roles that demand her full attention: licensed speech-language pathologist, mother of three boys, and advocate for underserved communities worldwide.
"I anchor myself in empathy and cultural respect," Erchid says when asked how she handles challenging situations with families and colleagues. "For families in grief, I sit with them in the hard emotions instead of rushing to fix. With multilingual communication, whether in Arabic, ASL or using interpreters, I slow down, check for understanding, and avoid jargon."
This patience often proves more therapeutic than immediate problem-solving attempts. Erchid's clinical skills span stuttering therapy, accent modification, and fluency in American Sign Language and Arabic. Her long-term goal involves continuing international travel to offer free services in communities where such care remains limited or unavailable.
The speech-language pathologist's work extends beyond individual therapy sessions. She has transitioned into program development, where strategic decisions about resource allocation and team leadership directly impact dozens of families. Her approach to these responsibilities mirrors the same cultural awareness that guides her clinical practice.
Growing up trilingual shaped Erchid's understanding of language as both a bridge and a barrier. Her early exposure to multiple languages naturally led her to study the science of language in college, establishing the foundation for her specialized work in speech pathology.
This linguistic diversity became particularly valuable when working with families navigating multilingual environments. Erchid's ability to communicate in Arabic and American Sign Language has opened doors for clients who might otherwise face cultural or communication barriers in traditional therapy settings.
Her belief that communication represents a fundamental right rather than a privilege drives her clinical decisions. This belief influences how she structures therapy sessions, designs treatment plans, and interacts with interdisciplinary teams.
The summer of 2015 marked a turning point in Erchid's career. Witnessing firsthand the scarcity of speech-language services and the lack of resources available to children in the Arab Gulf region reinforced her commitment to addressing healthcare disparities. The experience highlighted how cultural understanding must complement clinical competence to achieve meaningful outcomes and also sparked her commitment to providing culturally and linguistically appropriate care to populations both in the United States and internationally.
Erchid's clinical work focuses heavily on stuttering and accent modification, areas where cultural sensitivity proves particularly crucial. Many families approach these services with preconceived notions about communication differences, making her multicultural perspective essential for successful outcomes.
Her fluency in multiple languages extends beyond mere translation. She understands the cultural nuances that influence family decision-making, treatment compliance and long-term success. This deeper understanding allows her to modify traditional therapy approaches to better serve diverse populations.
When facing complex clinical decisions, Jinan Erchid employs a three-pronged approach that balances research evidence with practical constraints and cultural considerations. Her methodology ensures that treatment recommendations remain both scientifically sound and culturally appropriate.
"When I face tough calls, I always start with evidence-based practice: what the research says," Erchid says. "Then I weigh cultural and linguistic factors, asking whether the plan honors the family's values, language, and background. Finally, I test it against the real-world constraints like time, resources, and insurance."
This systematic method has proven particularly valuable in her program development role, where decisions impact multiple families simultaneously. Her guiding principle centers on making decisions she would want for her own children, ensuring that cultural, linguistic and practical factors receive equal consideration.
Erchid's commitment to evidence-based practice extends to her continuing education choices. She currently invests in AAC training, trauma-informed care, and bilingual language development through ASHA courses, webinars, and clinical journals. These educational pursuits directly translate into more effective and culturally responsive therapy for her patients.
Her goal-setting methodology relies on SMART criteria: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound objectives. She pairs these goals with consistent data tracking through therapy applications or Excel spreadsheets, ensuring that progress remains visible to families while allowing for quick adjustments when children plateau.
The speech-language pathologist designs session activities that directly map to established goals, creating clear connections between therapeutic interventions and measurable outcomes. This keeps therapy realistic and motivating while providing concrete evidence of progress to families who may be uncertain about the treatment process.
Erchid's approach to interdisciplinary collaboration emphasizes consistency and transparency as foundational elements for sustainable professional relationships.
Mentors shaped her understanding that professional relationships develop through listening first and speaking second, rather than knowing all the answers. She actively passes this wisdom to younger clinicians, recognizing the importance of modeling effective communication practices within healthcare teams.
"Consistency and transparency are the habits that sustain my professional relationships," Erchid says. "I make sure caregivers feel heard, physicians have timely updates, and interdisciplinary colleagues know their expertise is valued."
Her leadership philosophy centers on three core qualities: empathy, respect and lifelong learning. With patients, this translates to respecting their pace and cultural background. With colleagues, it means inviting questions and admitting knowledge limitations when they arise.
One example of her collaborative approach involved helping a colleague overcome hesitation about adopting AAC tools. The colleague worried that augmentative and alternative communication would replace rather than support verbal development. Erchid shared relevant case studies, modeled how AAC actually enhances verbal output, and provided coaching during her first session.
The intervention proved successful beyond the immediate situation. Weeks later, the colleague not only used AAC confidently but began advocating for its implementation with families. This shift expanded access for dozens of children within their program, demonstrating how individual mentorship can create broader systemic change.
As Jinan Erchid transitioned into program development, she developed criteria for determining which responsibilities to handle personally versus delegate to team members. Her method balances program quality with opportunities for professional development among staff.
She retains the most strategic, family-facing, and clinically specialized tasks while delegating responsibilities, like data collection or scheduling, that others can manage with clear guidelines.
"My criteria: does this task require my expertise or could someone else grow from the responsibility?" Erchid says. "That balance allows the program to scale without losing quality."
This delegation strategy reflects her broader leadership philosophy of empowering team members while maintaining program standards. This recognizes that effective program growth requires developing capabilities across multiple team members rather than concentrating all specialized knowledge in leadership positions.
Her team's motivation practices focus on anchoring staff in their fundamental mission: ensuring every child receives a voice and dignity through appropriate communication services. During demanding periods, she employs small check-ins, celebrates incremental progress, and models flexibility when stress levels rise.
Understanding burnout risks from her dual perspective as clinician and mother, Erchid emphasizes the importance of helping team members feel valued while maintaining connection to their larger purpose. This has proven effective in maintaining patient-centered, culturally responsive, and results-driven services even during challenging periods.
Erchid's success in managing clinical leadership responsibilities alongside raising three boys relies heavily on time-blocking and establishing non-negotiable routines.
"I carve out focused, interruption-free windows for clinical work and program leadership, and equally important, I set clear 'home hours' where I'm fully present with my boys," Erchid says. "I also give myself grace, knowing that some seasons require heavier professional investment, while others call for leaning into motherhood."
This balance influences her leadership style and understanding of team members who face similar challenges. As both a clinician and mother, she recognizes the reality of competing demands and builds flexibility into program expectations while maintaining quality standards.
Her experience navigating multiple roles also enhances her empathy when working with families. Parents often struggle with time constraints, competing priorities, and emotional challenges related to their children's communication needs. Erchid's personal experience provides an authentic understanding of these pressures.
The integration of her professional and personal roles extends to her children, who observe their mother's commitment to lifelong learning. She models the principle that education continues beyond formal schooling, demonstrating through her ongoing professional development that growth remains constant throughout life.
Her maternal perspective influences her professional interactions consistently. She approaches each clinical decision by considering whether she would want similar treatment for her own children, ensuring that dignity and respect remain central to every therapeutic relationship.
This comprehensive approach has established Jinan Erchid as a leader who successfully bridges clinical competence with cultural understanding, creating programs that serve diverse populations while maintaining the highest professional standards. Her dedication to providing culturally appropriate communication services continues to expand access for families who might otherwise face significant barriers to quality care.
