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Welcome to ACBIS!

ACBIS

Board Of Governors

The Academy of Certified Brain Injury Specialists (ACBIS) offers a voluntary national certification program for both direct care staff and professionals working in brain injury services. ACBIS provides the opportunity to learn important information about brain injury, to demonstrate learning in a written examination, and to earn a nationally recognized credential.

ACBIS offers three certification options representing distinct levels of experience and supervisory skills: Certified Brain Injury Specialist (CBIS), Certified Brain Injury Specialist Trainer* (CBIST) and Provisional Certified Brain Injury Specialist (PCBIS). Certification is based on a comprehensive training manual that covers the following topics:

Incidence and epidemiology of brain injury
Continuum of services
Brain anatomy and brain-behavior relationships
Functional impact of brain injury
Effective treatment approaches
Children and adolescents with brain injury
Health and medical management
Family issues
Legal and ethical issues

Certification is not restricted to any one profession or discipline. Rather, it is intended for anyone who delivers services specific to brain injury. Please read Certification Disclaimer.

*Previously known as Clinical Examiner and, most recently, ACBIS Trainer.

ACBIS Announcements

Display your achievement as a Certified Brain Injury Specialist or Trainer with the new ACBIS pin. These are now available for purchase in the BIAA bookstore! Order Here!

ACBIS has updated its Examination Accommodations Request Policy. For more information, please visit this section of the ACBIS website: http://www.acbis.pro/accommodations.htm

On recommendation of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Certified Brain Injury Specialists, certification application and renewal fees increased on March 15, 2013 in the first rate increase since mid‐2007.

The new fees are as follows:

New Applications:

1‐4 applicants - $300 per person (unchanged)

5‐29 applicants - $225 per person

Over 30 applicants - $200 per person

Annual Renewal Fee per Certificant - $60

The Board of Governors and the BIAA staff serving ACBIS continue to pursue process improvement and program enhancement. We have enacted three changes to the group fee structure to ease paperwork burdens. The following policies will be enacted starting September 1, 2012.

Two week time limitation for application fee adjustment. Applicants who are part of a group (and are responsible for making their own payment) but mistakenly submit the individual application rate of $300 have two (2) weeks to notify the ACBIS office of the mistake and request a refund. Requests for refunds after two weeks will not be granted.
Retroactive group fee adjustment. The retroactive cumulative group application fee adjustment has been discontinued. A group’s size and fee structure is determined at its inception with each Group Registration Form that is submitted.
Group application substitution fee. Substituting a new applicant for another who has discontinued the application process will incur a $35 fee. Please contact the ACBIS office to request the substitution.

As a reminder, in order to ensure the fastest processing of renewal applications, if you are making a renewal payment on another certificant’s behalf, please be sure to list that person’s name in the “Special Instructions” field during checkout in the BIAA bookstore.

The paper application processes have been entirely replaced by online forms. For further information please click the appropriate category:

GROUP ADMINISTRATION

INDIVIDUAL CBIS APPLICATION PROCESS

INDIVIDUAL CBIST APPLICATION PROCESS

CBIS/CBIST RENEWAL

The ACBIS Board of Governors has updated its Code of Ethics. The detailed version is available here and the brief version is available here.

The Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation announcement can be found here.

Upcoming Strauss, Rosenthal and

Family/Caregiver Lectures

Please visit the "Upcoming Webinars" section of the BIAA bookstore for information on upcoming lectures.

More information can be found here.

All Participants

New Certified Brain Injury Specialist Trainers and formerly certified Clinical Examiners and Clinical Instructors are required to attend ONE "Train the Trainer" webinar. 2013 dates for the CBIST Webinar will be January 16, April 17, July 17 and October 16. If you are already a CBIST and would like to attend one of these as a refresher to the materials, please register by emailing Jessica Kerney at acbis@biausa.org. If you are applying for CBIST status, you will be personally contacted to confirm attendance upon your approval.

Incomplete applications (including payment) will be maintained for up to one year. After one year, the application will become null and void and the applicant will need to reapply. Applicants who have submitted completed applications but have not taken the certification exam within one year will need to reapply after one year.

Please update your contact information by visiting THIS section of the website. It is very important that your email address is current so that you can receive regular updates and announcements.