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(508) 475-0032 www.biama.org
34 th ANNUAL
BRAIN INJURY CONFERENCE
Registration Information
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel
181 Boston Post Road West
Marlborough, MA 01752 (508) 460-0700
www.rplazahotels.com
About the Conference
Keynote: Carolyn Roy-Bornstein, MD, FAAP
“Telling Our Stories, Healing our Hearts”
In 2003, Dr. Carolyn Roy-Bornstein’s teenaged son Neil was hit by a drunk driver while walking his girlfriend
Trista home after a study date. Trista did not survive her injuries. Neil carries his injuries with him to this day,
in the form of a traumatic brain injury. In an effort to process the experience, Dr.
Roy-Bornstein wrote her memoir Crash: A Mother, a Son, and the Journey from Grief
to Gratitude.
Realizing that other families affected by traumatic brain injury may benefit from
hearing and telling stories from fellow survivors, their families, and caregivers,
she contacted Amy Newmark, publisher and editor-in-chief of the Chicken Soup
for the Soul series, about collaborating on a book about TBI.
In June of 2014, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Recovering from
Traumatic Brain Injuries: 101 Stories of Hope, Healing, and Hard
Work was published.
Since that time, Dr. Roy-Bornstein has become convinced that
writing about our trauma can help us process and make sense of those experiences in
profound ways. She has written about this topic in an essay in The Truth of Memoir by
Kerry Cohen, published last year by Writer’s Digest, and in another essay called “Going
Back to Where it Was” in the Jan/Feb issue of Poets & Writers magazine. She has been
leading writing workshops for brain injury survivors at the Krempels Center in Portsmouth, NH for the past
year.
A Word from the Executive Director
Dear Friends,
As the Executive Director of BIA-MA, I would like to invite you to participate in our
34th Annual Brain Injury Conference on March 26, 2015 at the Best Western Royal
Plaza Hotel in Marlborough, MA. For over 30 years, the BIA-MA Annual Conference
has provided a place to gather and discuss the challenges facing professionals,
survivors and family members, as well as to learn about new developments in the
brain injury field.
I am very pleased to announce that Dr. Carolyn Roy-Bornstein will be presenting the
keynote, entitled “Telling Our Stories, Healing Our Hearts”. There will be over two dozen workshops offered
on a wide variety of topics, including brain injury treatment options, tips for decreasing stressors related to
brain injury, legal topics, and alternative therapies. Whether you are a professional, survivor or caregiver, I
am sure you will find the keynote and workshops informative and inspirational.
Hope to see you on March 26th!
Best Regards,
Nicole M. Godaire
Executive Director, Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts
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Continuing Education Credits
Continuing education credits are offered in the registration price for professionals in the following fields:*
• Audiologists
• Case Managers*
• Certified Brain Injury Specialists
• Educators
• Licensed Alcohol & Drug Counselors
• Licensed Mental Health Counselors* *
• Nurses
• Occupational Therapists
• Physical Therapists
• Psychologists
• Recreational Therapists***
• Rehabilitation Counselors**
• Social Workers
• Speech-Language Pathologists
*If CEUs do not apply, you may request a Certificate of Attendance on the conference registration form.
**Applications for these CEUs have been submitted.
***CEU pre-approval is in process. ATRA and NCTRC cannot guarantee that every session offered for
this continuing education opportunity will be granted CEUs.
Continuing education credit is provided in part by Commonwealth Educational Seminars.
• Psychologists: Commonwealth Education Seminars is approved by the American Psychological Association to
sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Commonwealth Educational Seminars maintains responsibility for
these programs and their content. Psychologist attending this program receive 6 hours of credit.
•
Social Workers: Commonwealth Educational Seminars, Provider #1117, is approved as a provider for continuing
education by the Association of Social Work Boards, 400 Southridge Parkway, Suite B, Culpeper, VA 22701,
www.aswb.org.
Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists:
This course is offered for 0.6 ASHA CEUs (Intermediate level, Related area). Information pertaining to
financial and non-financial relationships can be found on the BIA-MA website at www.biama.org.
To obtain a Conference Attendance Certificate, each professional must sign in at the CEU registration table, attend the
Keynote Address and three workshop sessions, for a total of 6 hours, and sign out at the end of the day. This year we will
once again be using an online certification process: Evaluations must be submitted within one week of the close of the
conference to receive certificates. Further details will be provided upon registration.
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Schedule of the Day
7:00-8:00
Registration
8:00-8:15
Welcome - Nicole Godaire
8:15-9:45
Keynote Speaker - Carolyn Roy-Bornstein, MD, FAAP
9:45-10:15
Break
Continental Breakfast and Exhibits
Executive Director, Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts
“Telling Our Stories, Healing our Hearts”
Network with Exhibitors
10:15-11:45 Session I - Workshops 1-10
11:45-12:00
Break
Network with Exhibitors
12:00-1:00 Lunch in the Main Ballroom and Zachary’s Restaurant
1:00-2:30
Session II - Workshops 11-19
2:30-2:45
Break and Refreshments
2:45-4:15
Session III - Workshops 20-28
4:15
Network with Exhibitors
Continuing Education Certificates & Certificates of Attendance
Conference Committee
Eileen Chernoff, RN, MBA, LicNHA
Ann Coney, MBA
Ruth Crowley, MS, CCC-SLP
Danna Delaney-Young, CBIS
Michelle Demore-Taber, ScD, CRC, LRC, CBIS
Catherine Dennehy, MSPT
Nicole M. Godaire, CBIS
Marine Johanson, LPN
WIlliam Kowalczyk
Laura MacFeeley
Sandra Madden
Janet McBride-Roy, CTRS
Daniel Meninger, MSPT
Beth Murphy
Zelinda Pereira, CBIS
Rebecca Pritchard, MS, OTR/L, CSRS
Joseph Ricciardi, PsyD, ABPP, BCBA-D, CBIS
Tress Ricker, LSW
Margaret Rivera
Lisa Saba, CBIS
Heller Shoop, MS
Stacey Sirotta, MS, DPT, CBIS
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Session I
10:15-11:45 am
1. Waiver Soup: Opportunities for Community Living through Home and Community Based
Services (HCBS) Waivers
Intended Audience: All
Amy Bernstein, Director of Community Based Waivers, MassHealth
Massachusetts now has a total of 10 HCBS waivers serving adults with brain injuries, other disabilities and
elders. This session will review the benefits of HCBS waivers, waiver eligibility rules, services available through the
waivers, and how to find the right waiver.
2. Talking with Pictures: Using PhotoVoice to Make a Difference for Yourself and Others
with Acquired Brain Injuries
Intended Audience: Survivors/Family
Laura Lorenz, PhD, MEd, Director Research & Education, Brain Injury Wellness Center and
Therese M. O’Neil-Pirozzi, ScD, CCC-SLP, Northeastern University, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital
A review of participatory research using PhotoVoice to understand personal and environmental factors impacting
community integration in Lexington, MA adults aged 55+, with disabilities from brain injury and other neurological
conditions. Photos, captions, and experiences will be shared, as well as cognitive-communicative strategies to
maximize use of PhotoVoice.
3. Compassionate Caregiving: Instilling Hope When We Have Little Left to Give!
Intended Audience: Caregiver/Family
Donna McCarten White RN, PhD, CS, CADAC-II, Addiction Specialist, Lemuel Shattuck Hospital
This workshop will present a new perspective on the issue of compassion stress and how it may potentially impact our
daily lives. Research presented will demonstrate how caretaking behaviors in the professional, as well as caregivers
in the community at large, may increase the risk of specific stressors that often lead to stress, feelings of being
overwhelmed and compassion fatigue.
4. Treating Substance Abuse Following TBI
Intended Audience: Professionals
Christopher Carter, PsyD, Director of Continuity for Brain Injury and Spinal Cord Services, Spaulding
Rehabilitation Network
A review of the contribution of substance abuse to brain injury, the risks associated with relapse or use of substances, barriers to traditional treatment programs, strategies for encouraging participation in treatment and accommodations to make treatment more effective.
5. One Care: MassHealth + Medicare, What Is It and Why Should I Consider Joining?
Intended Audience: All
Roseanne Mitrano, Director, One Care Program and other panelists
For over a year, One Care has served as a new coordinated care option for MassHealth beneficiaries between the
ages of 21-64 who also have Medicare (sometimes referred to as ‘dual-eligibles”). One Care members have access
to an expanded range of benefits and receive all MassHealth and Medicare benefits through one coordinated plan.
In this 90 minute workshop, MassHealth will present an overview of the One Care program, followed by a panel
discussion and Q&A session. The panel will include representatives from MassHealth and all three of the One Care
plans (Commonwealth Care Alliance, Fallon Total Care, and Tufts-Network Health).
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Session I
10:15-11:45 am
6. Assessment and Treatment of Patients in Post-Traumatic Confusional State (PTCS)
Intended Audience: Professionals
Anne Citorik, MS, CCC-SLP, CBIS, Speech-Language Pathologist, Carrie Charney, MS CCC-SLP CBIS, SpeechLanguage Pathologist Practice Leader, Brooke Lenahan, MS, CCC-SLP, CBIS, Speech-Language Pathologist, and
Kaitlin Trucchi, MS, CCC-SLP, CBIS, Speech-Language Pathologist, all from Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital
This presentation will provide a comprehensive description of post-traumatic confusional state and will discuss recent
literature and assessment tools utilized with this population. A case study will be presented to illustrate key points.
7. Considerations for Vision Rehabilitation for People with Brain Injuries
Intended Audience: Professionals
Denise Chrystine Peralta, MS, MEd, OTR/L, OT , Occupational Therapist and Bianca Fillion, MEd, COMS, Director of
Orientation and Mobility Services, both from MAB Community Services
This session will enable attendees to identify the types of vision loss common in people with brain injuries as well
as explain functional field of vision loss which is usually diagnosed by a Low Vision Specialist. Attendees will learn
to recognize the effects of vision loss on behavior and activities of daily living and understand how mobility training
should be provided. Recommendations for adaptive equipment will be discussed, as will strategies for training the
individual with vision loss. Finally this session will identify community resources available to people with vision loss
and brain injuries.
8. The Epidemiology of Acquired Brain Injury In Massachusetts
Intended Audience: All
Holly Hackman, MD, MPH, Epidemiologist, Massachusetts Department of Public Health and
Francesca LaVecchia, PhD, Clinical Neuropsychologist, Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission
In 2014, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission completed an
epidemiological assessment of acquired brain injury in Massachusetts. Major findings, as well as their limitations and
implications, will be reviewed and discussed.
9. Hands-on Practicum: Behavior Management Techniques for Inpatient Use across the
Rehabilitation Continuum - Part 1
Intended Audience: Professionals
Pam Ayotte, CTRS/L, (Team Leader of Therapeutic Research), Tricia Desrocher, PT, MS, CSRS, Program Director,
Ryan Dumigan PT, DPT, Clinical Instructor, Erin Fabian, PT, DPT, CSRS, Physical Therapist, and Susan Riley,
OTR/L, Inpatient Occupational Therapist, all from Northeast Rehabilitation Hospital Network
A comprehensive overview of behavior management, including assessment of behavior problems, identification of
environmental factors affecting behavior, and treatment considerations. PARTICIPANTS MUST ALSO ATTEND PART 2.
10. Special Needs Trusts: Basics & Beyond
Intended Audience: All
Richard Blank, Esq, Partner, Rubin & Rudman, LLP, and Co-Author of “Managing A Special Needs Trust”
A special needs trust can be a wonderful tool for preserving a disabled individual’s government benefits and financial
resources. This workshop is designed to make a complicated subject, the special needs trust, less complicated. After
a whirlwind tour of key government benefits, the focus will turn toward the basic elements of a trust and the scope
of permissible distributions. Both housing and transportation will be covered. Time permitting, the workshop will
conclude with a reality check by discussing what can go right and what can go “not so right”.
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Session II
1:00-2:30 pm
11. Defining the Massachusetts’ No Wrong Door System (NWD) and the Aging and
Disability Resource Consortia (ADRC)
Intended Audience: All
Marylouise Gamache, BA, ADRC Coordinator, Carole Malone, Directory of Community Programs, and Rachel
Weiner, Director of the Options Counseling Program, all from Executive Office of Elder Affairs. Ann Shor, Independent Living and Assistive Technology, Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission
This workshop will share information about the Aging and Disability Resource Consortia, the No Wrong Door System
and access to long term services and support in Massachusetts. Please come and meet your state and local ADRC
colleagues.
12. Interactive Poetry Writing Workshop: Rediscovering Individuality through the Sharing
and Healing Power of Artistic Expression
Intended Audience: Survivors/Caregivers
Philip Hasouris, Poet
To create a supportive environment, participants will take the time needed to reflect on life. The experience teaches
stress management and allows an opportunity to connect with your inner artist. Learn how poetry can relieve stress
and have long-term health benefits.
13. Preventing and Responding to Challenging Behavior following Brain Injury: Tips and
Strategies using Applied Behavior Analysis
Intended Audience: Professionals/Caregivers
Jennifer Silber, PhD, BCBA-D, Clinical Director and Whitney Wood, MS, Doctoral Intern from May Center
School for Brain Injury and Related Disorders
This workshop will review strategies from the field of Applied Behavior Analysis that are effective when working
with individuals with brain injury. Strategies for both preventing challenging behavior from occurring as well as
responding appropriately will be discussed.
14. Project Career: Interprofessional Development to Support the Transition of Students
with TBI from Post-secondary Education to Employment
Intended Audience: All
Karen Jacobs, EdD, OTR/L, CPE, Clinical Professor, Rebecca Fleischer, Research Assistant, Colleen Moore,
BA, Research Assistant, Angelina Telatovich, Research Assistant, and Amanda Nardone, BS, Technology and
Employment Coordinator: Project Career, all from Boston University
A 5-year inter-professional NIDRR-funded development project designed to improve the employment success of
undergraduate students with TBI through the use of assistive technology (iPads) and Career Support Services. Case
studies will be incorporated in the interactive workshop.
15. Driving after Brain Injury: Determining Driver Competence
Intended Audience: All
Rachel Bernzweig, OTR/L, Occupational Therapist, Fairlawn Rehabilitation Hospital
A comprehensive overview of how brain injuries affect an individual’s ability to drive, the impact of non-driving in the
community, the process for determining driver competence, and community resources for non-drivers.
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Session II
1:00-2:30 pm
16. Neurologic Continuum of Care: Evidence-Based Model of Post-Hospital System of Care
Intended Audience: Professionals
Frank D. Lewis, PhD, National Director of Clinical Outcome Services, NeuroRestorative
The first objective of this workshop will be to describe the nature of and evidence for neural plasticity after a severe
brain injury. Building on knowledge of brain plasticity, the second objective evaluates the efficacy of four levels
of post-hospital care (active neurorehabilitation, neurobehavioral intensive, day treatment, and supported living)
based on the outcomes from 1276 adults with acquired brain injury. Finally, functional variables most important to
success in each of the four levels of care will be discussed.
17. Employment and Disability Benefits
Intended Audience: All
Linda Landry and Thomas Murphy, Staff Attorneys from the Disability Law Center.
This workshop will discuss disability benefits and work incentives as well as an overview of employment discrimination
protections. After the workshop, staff from the Disability Law Center will meet privately with participants about their
benefit and employment issues.
18. Hands-on Practicum: Behavior Management Techniques for Inpatient Use across the
Rehabilitation Continuum - Part 2
Intended Audience: Professionals
Pam Ayotte, CTRS/L, (Team Leader of Therapeutic Research), Tricia Desrocher, PT, MS, CSRS, Program Director,
Ryan Dumigan PT, DPT, Clinical Instructor, Erin Fabian, PT, DPT, CSRS, Physical Therapist, and Susan Riley,
OTR/L, Inpatient Occupational Therapist, all from Northeast Rehabilitation Hospital Network
A comprehensive overview of behavior management, including assessment of behavior problems, identification of
environmental factors affecting behavior, and treatment considerations. PARTICIPANTS MUST ALSO ATTEND PART 1.
19. Secondary Trauma - Impact on Family
Intended Audience: Caregivers/Professionals
Dorothy Bergold, LICSW, CBIS, Clinical Social Worker and Sally Johnson, LICSW, Clinical Social Worker, from
Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital
Overview of how family members experience emotional trauma as a result of the brain injury. Ways to support
family members and strategies for families experiencing trauma will be explored. A family member will share her
experience of trauma and recovery.
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Session III
2:45-4:15 pm
20. Successful Transition using the MFP Demonstration and the MFP and ABI Home and
Community Based Waivers
Intended Audience: All
Nancy Weston, Department of Developmental Services and
Kerri Zanchi, MSW, LCSW, Assistant Commissioner, Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission
A panel discussion facilitated by MRC and DDS waiver staff. Panel members will be comprised of enrolled ABI and
MFP Waiver participants and waiver case managers. The panel will highlight: nursing facility transition, coordination of services, challenges/opportunities to overcome barriers.
21. Integrative Speech-Language & Cognitive Therapy approaches with the TBI Patient
Intended Audience: Professionals
Kari Star, MS, CCC-SLP, Speech-Language Pathologist, Southcoast Ear, Nose & Throat Speech and
Swallowing Disorders Clinic
Practical short course with hands on demonstrations & role playing of therapy approaches and materials with the TBI
patient. Participants are encouraged to bring case studies for discussion.
22. Using iDevices in Brain Injury Rehabilitation
Intended Audience: All
Joanne Heffernan, MS, CCC-SLP, Speech-Language Pathologist and Lucia Watson, M.S., CCC-SLP, Speech-Language Pathologist, from Sargent Rehabilitation Center
Handheld touch screen devices such as iPhone and iPad are popular because they are powerful, portable and easy
to use. Successful implementation of this technology requires thoughtful matching of the individual with the right
tools as well as systematic training.
23. Neurologic Music Therapy - From Neuroscience to Clinical Application
Intended Audience: All
Brian Harris, MA, MT-BC, NMT, Neurologic Music Therapist, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital/
MedRhythms, LLC
Overview of Neurologic Music Therapy as it applies to Sensorimotor, Speech & Language, and Cognitive goals
resulting from neurologic disease or injury. The neuroscientific principles will be presented, case videos will be
shown, along with interactive activities, demonstrating clinical applications.
24. Further Strategies for Applying Behavioral Principles in the Neurorehabilitation of
People with ABI
Intended Audience: Professional
Joseph Ricciardi, PsyD, ABPP, BCBA-D, CBIS, Assistant Vice President and Director of Clinical Services and
Brian Jones, MA, CBIS, Clinician, from Seven Hills NeuroCare
ABA is an approach to skills development that can support a neurorehabilitation program for people with ABI.
However, ABA practitioners must integrate neuropsychology and other disciplines to be successful. This workshop
will provide strategies and recommendations for implementing ABA-based practices in neurorehabilitation
programs for people with ABI. Strategies for presenting comprehensive behavior support plans, goals selection,
skills development, and outcomes monitoring will be discussed.
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Session III
2:45-4:15 pm
25. Adaptive Sports Centers: Helping Individuals of All Abilities Lead Active Lives
Intended Audience: All
Sandra Villante, CTRS, CBIS, Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital
A comprehensive overview of sports and recreation programs that occur throughout the year. Demonstrations of
specific equipment used such as hand cycles and court sport chairs. Case studies will also be presented to illustrate
the benefits of the program.
26. Healthy Responses to the Stresses of Brain Injury
Intended Audience: All
Sarah Gray, PsyD, Psychologist, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital
An overview of positive coping strategies, mindfulness techniques and relaxation exercises will be presented along
with opportunities to experience the positive impact of these techniques through demonstration and experiential
exercises. Participants will be provided with practical tools for encouraging positive responses to stress for themselves, their clients, and family members.
27. What to do after discharge from therapy? Strategies for Caregivers/Survivors for return
back to life
Intended Audience: All
Julia Krasheninin, MS, CCC, SLP, Speech-Language Pathologist and Karla McAuliffe, MA, CCC-SLP, Speech-Language Pathologist, from Fairlawn Rehabilitation Hospital
Comprehensive review of cognitive strategies for attention, organization, executive function; adaptations for home,
school, and work environments; review of applications for cognition.
28. Insights on Cognitive Remediation Treatments to Improve/Restore Attention, Memory,
Processing Speed & Executive Function
Intended Audience: All
Javier Arguello, Founding Executive Director, Cognitive Pro, LLC (COGX)
Frontal lobe injuries are among the most common for brain injury patients, affecting: attention, working memory,
processing speed and executive function abilities. How effective are common ABI treatments at restoring these
after injury? How well do treatments target these cognitive skills given what we know is scientifically possible to
accomplish? The talk will provide a review of the most common approaches and best practices for treating/restoring
cognitive impairments. Overview of available methodologies will be presented along with a review of the scientific
literature that supports cognitive skill malleability (ability to restore cognitive skills) with various approaches, and
evolution of the cognitive training industry.
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Registration
ONLINE REGISTRATION ONLY
To register go to: www.biama.org/conferences.html
ON or BEFORE MARCH 1ST
AFTER MARCH 1ST
PROFESSIONALS (& OTHERS)
PROFESSIONALS (& OTHERS)
Member
Non-Member
Member
Non-Member
$130
$170
SURVIVORS & FAMILY MEMBERS
SURVIVORS & FAMILY MEMBERS
Member
Non-Member
$ 60
$ 75
STUDENTS
Member
Non-Member
•
•
•
•
$170
$210
Member
$ 75
Non-Member
$ 90
STUDENTS
$105
$120
Member
Non-Member
$120
$135
Limited scholarships are available to survivors and family members: fee $10
Printed registration form available by request for brain injury survivors and families
Conference registration includes breakfast, lunch, educational workshops.
FOR QUESTIONS OR INQUIRIES CONTACT: Laura MacFeeley, Education Coordinator, lmacfeeley@biama.org,
(508) 475-0032 x 30
CANCELLATION POLICY: Cancellations made on or before March 13, 2015 will receive a full refund.
Cancellations made between March 14 - 20 will be charged a $30 administrative fee, deducted from the
refund. NO REFUNDS will be provided after March 21, 2015.
To sponsor, exhibit or present a poster, please visit: www.biama.org/conferences.html
No walk-in registrations will be accepted
•
•
•
BIA-MA Membership
Become a member of BIA-MA to take advantage of discounted conference rate!
Survivor - $5Individual - $35
Caregiver/Family Member (up to 4 people) - $50
Professional - $75
Professional PLUS - $125*
*Includes a one year print subscription to The Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, plus
a print subscription to The Challenge, the Brain Injury Association of America’s magazine.
As a BIA-MA member, you will receive:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Discounts on registration for annual statewide conferences, workshops and trainings
BIA-MA’s Quarterly Newsletter, Heads Up Headlines
Online access to The Challenge, the Brain Injury Association of America’s magazine
Recognition in our BIA-MA Quarterly Newsletter and Annual Report
Invitations to programs and special events
Informational updates and advocacy alerts via e-mail
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30 Lyman St., Suite 10
Westborough, MA 01581
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Return Service Requested
34th Annual BIA-MA Brain Injury Conference!
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel, Marlborough, MA
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Dr. Carolyn Roy-Bornstein
“Telling Our Stories, Healing Our Hearts”
Register Online at www.biama.org