When you talk, is your voice always hoarse? Or maybe you're not sure if your hearing is up to par.

If you're suffering from these or other speech or hearing problems, you may find help at the Speech and Hearing Clinic, located in 110 Moore.

The clinic is open to both University students and the public and offers University students free speech and hearing evaluations and up to 10 free therapy sessions. The public and faculty members can receive therapy but must pay a fee.

The clinic is part of the department of communication disorders and was first accredited in the 1960s. Undergraduate and graduate students in the department use the clinic to work with people who have speech or hearing problems.

"It is here basically as a training field for undergraduate and graduate students," said Jodi Stouffer, coordinator of clinical experiences at the clinic.

The clinic is primarily open about 12 weeks out of the semester. One of the oldest clinics of its type in the country, it serves more than 1,000 clients per year.

Undergraduate students are required to work on the audiology (hearing) and speech sides of the clinic, said Chrissy Heinbaugh (senior-communication disorders), who also is president of the Penn State chapter of the National Speech and Language and Hearing Association.

Most of the University students who come to the clinic have problems dealing with hearing impairment, language skills or speech, or have difficulties because English is their second language, Stouffer said.

One example of a speech problem is if a student comes in because his or her voice always sounds hoarse, Stouffer said. This may be caused by vocal nodules or a variety of other reasons, she added.

"We train patients how not to be hard on their voice. The college years tend to be very hard on their voices," Stouffer said, referring to alcohol use, smoking, cheering and other activities.

Students who work at the clinic are supervised by faculty members, speech language pathologists or audiologists -- who diagnose and treat people with hearing loss. All of the supervisors are certified for clinical competence in their field, Stouffer said. At least a master's degree is required for certification.

The speech language pathologists and audiologists also use the lab to work with children and adult clients. Speech language pathologists evaluate and treat people with speech and language problems ranging from stuttering to those that arise from strokes, head injuries and cerebral palsy, Stouffer said.

Many of the clinic's clients are children, said Jodi Waggoner (speech language pathology-graduate). The amount of time needed for treatment varies from person to person, she added.

"It depends on the severity of the problem," Waggoner said.

The clinic offers an intensive treatment program, which requires 10 hours of therapy sessions per week including five individual sessions and five group sessions, she said.

The clinic houses two audiology suites and 15 speech therapy rooms. The speech therapy rooms have one-way mirrors so that students working with their patients can be viewed by supervisors.

Although clients are given complete confidentiality, they sign a waiver to allow for the observation. Most of the students working in the clinic are graduate students since undergraduates take only one practicum course.