AACBIS Group Administrator Guidelines

Welcome AACBIS Group Administrator! As a Group Administrator, you are responsible for facilitating the certification process for a group of 5 or more CBIS candidates. You may function in this capacity either for your brain injury facility or for your BIAA state affiliate. If you represent your facility or organization, you will coordinate the certification process for your fellow employees. If you represent your BIAA state affiliate, you will represent paraprofessionals and professionals who work at brain injury facilities throughout your state.

As a Group Administrator, you represent your group throughout the certification process and act as the liaison between AACBIS and group members. As such, you have several important responsibilities, such as (a) submitting group member applications and fees; (b) maintaining records of applications, payments, and test answer sheets; (c) coordinating training; (d) monitoring the testing process; and (e) contacting AACBIS staff with any questions or concerns. Each of these responsibilities is explained in detail in the sections that follow.

The AACBIS Group Administrator Guidelines are provided to all administrators. The purpose of the guidelines is to clarify the group administrator's role, summarize the certification process, provide specific instructions for submitting applications and coordinating training, and offer suggestions for implementing a facility-wide or regional certification program. These guidelines are not intended to describe the details of the certification process. This information can be found on the AACBIS website: www.aacbis.net.

Please note: The information provided reflects the current process and is subject to change. AACBIS will make every effort to communicate these changes in a timely manner. However, before each training session, administrators should check the AACBIS website for new developments or changes.

CBIS

Application Requirements

CBIS applicants must submit the following:

1. Applicants must have worked or have had direct contact with one or more individuals with a brain injury, 10 hours per week (25% of a 40 hour work week) for a minimum of 12 months. Part-time employment must accomplish the same amount of required contact time within a two-year period.

2. Experience can be employment and/or academic internship.
3. The qualifying experience must have included formal supervision or have been conducted while the applicant operated under a professional license.  Volunteer work does not qualify.
4. The qualifying experience must have been obtained within the three years prior to the application.

   

• Education:  Applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalent.
• Resume or CV

Step 1: Collect group member applications.

Step 2: Review applications to ensure that all necessary parts are completed correctly. Important: Administrators do not make judgements as to acceptable qualifications. These decisions must be made by the AACBIS Board. Any questionable applications or issues should be discussed with AACBIS office staff.

Step 3: Maintain copies of all candidate applications.

Step 4: Send all applications and payment for the group (see below for the group fees) to the AACBIS office. All group applications must be submitted at the same time.

AACBIS respects each trainee's right to confidentiality. Therefore, individual applications will not be shared with group administrators unless the trainee is part of that group.

CBIST

(previously known as Clinical Instructors/Clinical Examiners)

CBISTs are approved to provide official AACBIS training to CBIS candidates. CBISTs must demonstrate advanced skills in brain injury and must provide documentation that those skills are being maintained through continuing education. To be certified, all eligible candidates must do the following:

Eligibility Requirements

Education

Minimum of bachelors degree from an accredited four-year institution

Clinical Experience

Professional Skills

Applicants must demonstrate skills in the areas of training, supervision, and/or teaching within the brain injury field. Applicants must demonstrate experience in each of these skill areas and must provide approved documentation (see below). Examples of skills in each of the areas are listed below. Applicants are also required to submit a CV or resume and two letters of recommendation. At least one of the recommendations must refer to the applicant's skills in the areas of training, supervision, and/or teaching within the field of brain injury. This recommendation should be from a professor, supervisor, or director and should specifically discuss the applicant's ability to conduct training and to provide advanced knowledge in brain injury.

Skill Areas: Applicant must demonstrate experience in each of the following skill areas:

Teaching Skills

Community Service and Professional Dissemination

Continuing Education

Approved Documentation

Application Process

Training

Candidates may either attend a didactic training or engage in self-study. Didactic training is highly recommended to facilitate learning. As such, the training should be considered a learning opportunity rather just a way to study for the exam. This training can take from 8 -12 hours depending on the nature of the training. Training that includes discussions and group activities will take longer than training that involves mostly lecture. However, interactive training sessions will enhance the candidates' learning and, hopefully, positively impact their clinical work. An AACBIS Trainers' Manual with supplementary training materials has been developed to assist trainers in this effort.

Only CBISTs or other approved trainers should conduct the training. Group administrators are responsible for finding a trainer and coordinating this training. Contact AACBIS for a list of trainers in your area or region.

Facility-wide or regional training: Here are a few suggestions for establishing an effective training program.

For more information, please contact Marianna Abashian at 703-761-0750, x. 636, or via email at aacbis@biausa.org

Testing

Candidates must pass (80% or higher) a national written certification examination. An oral exam (Performance Based Exam) is no longer required. The new exam is based on The Essential Brain Injury Guide and includes 50 multiple-choice questions on the manual content and 20 multiple-choice application questions regarding several case studies. The exam can only be taken after all forms and fees have been submitted and processed. Applicants who have completed the training or self -study and are ready to take the National Written Examination must contact the AACBIS office.

Step 1: Arrange for a proctor. The proctor can either be the CBIST, the group administrator, or other pre-approved person. Contact AACBIS to approve a proctor that is not a CBIST or group administrator.

Step 2: Schedule a group test date. The test should ideally be scheduled for a date a few weeks after the training has been completed. If possible, offer a 2-3 hour window during which candidates can take the test.

Step 3: The test may take anywhere from 45 minutes to 1 ½ hours to complete. Send each group member's test, answer sheet, and attestation to the AACBIS office in one installment.

Note: Group administrators are advised to send the package of tests, answer sheets, and forms certified mail and to retain copies of the group's completed answer sheets. This should be done as a safeguard in case of problems with postal service.

Step 4: The AACBIS office will send the group's results directly to the group administrator. Test results will also be sent to each group member.

Cost

In July 2007, the following fee structure was implemented (fees per person).  Groups are cumulative in each calendar year; therefore, if a group whose original size is 6 candidates (and pays $175 per person) later in the year adds 25 more candidates, the group rate for the whole group of 31 candidates will be assessed at $150 per person. For more information, contact the AACBIS office at 703-761-0750, x636.  

Cost Level	Number Candidates Per Group	Cost Per Person
A	5-29	$175
B	Over 30	$150

Maintaining Certification

In order to maintain certification, both Certified Brain Injury Specialists (CBIS) and Certified Brain Injury Specialist Trainers (CBIST) are required to pay annual renewal fees, satisfy the employment requirement, and either (1) submit continuing education requirements (every 2 years) or (2) retake and pass the written examination (every 2 years). Both the continuing education and employment requirements are efforts to ensure that certificants continue developing the skills and knowledge necessary to deliver quality care that is consistent with current best practices.

The annual renewal process, continuing education requirement, and approved documentation are described in detail below.

Please note that certificants who do not submit the required fee and continuing education documentation will become inactive until the required documentation is sent or until they retake and pass the exam. Inactive status means that the certificant cannot use the CBIS/CBIST credentials after his/her name.

Annual Renewal Process

Each year, certificants must submit the renewal fee ($50) and renewal form. The form and fee must be postmarked by the certification date. This date is printed on the AACBIS certificate. Documentation of continuing education accrual is included on the renewal form. A random sampling of 10% of renewal applicants will be contacted to submit documentation for completion of continuing education activities listed on the renewal form.

Employment Requirement

CBIS
Certificant must be employed in a brain injury service setting for a minimum of 1200 hours over a two year period. Verification of employment must be submitted every 2 years.

CBIST

CBITs must be employed in a brain injury service setting for a minimum of 2000 hours over a two year period. Verification of employment must be submitted every 2 years.

Continuing Education Requirements

CBIS

12 contact hours of continuing education (CE) are required every 2 years.

CBIST

24 contact hours of continuing education (CE) are required every 2 years.

Continuing Education (CE) Options: CBIS and CBIST

The following list provides examples of continuing education options approved for CE requirements for both CBISs and CBISTs. Continuing education hours may be distributed across the areas listed below. However, certificants must obtain CE hours from a minimum of 2 of the options listed below.

If audited, certificants must submit evidence of continuing education hours. Approved documentation may include continuing education unit transcripts/letters from national organizations, college transcripts, or proof of attendance at in-services/seminars/workshops.

* Attendance or Presentations at State and National Conferences with lectures related to brain injury (All contact hours for BIAA conferences could be applied). For other professional conferences (i.e. ASHA), contact hours will only be applied for lectures specifically related to brain injury. This option applies to both conference attendees and conference presenters of brain injury related lectures.

* College/University courses related to brain injury (contact hours can equal no more than 50% of required CE contact hours).

* Facility In-Services related to brain injury (in-services, lectures, or workshops provided within work environment).

* Quarterly David Strauss Phone Seminar Series: AACBIS will be sponsoring quarterly phone seminars on various topics related to brain injury. Brain injury professionals from around the country will conduct the seminars. The dates and times of these seminars will be posted on aacbis.net.

* Journal Article Review: Certificants may read current (within the past 3 years) brain injury related articles from peer-reviewed journals. Journals specific to brain injury (i.e., Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, Brain Injury) or special editions of journals that highlight brain injury (i.e., Behavioral Interventions, 2000, v. 15, n. 3) are recommended. To be awarded continuing education credits, certificants may be required to submit either a 1-page article summary or written answers to questions posted at the end of the article (this is done by some journals). One contact hour will be awarded for each article reviewed.

* Journal Study Groups: Certificants may organize journal study groups that meet regularly to review and discuss specific articles related to brain injury. These groups may be formed for the purpose of satisfying CBIS continuing education as well as other specific professional certification requirements (i.e., ASHA). Group members should take brief notes at their meetings. Group meeting notes may be submitted for CE documentation. One contact hour will be awarded for each meeting.

* Published Articles: Authors of brain injury related articles can apply credits toward their CE requirement. Peer reviewed journals are preferred but are not required. Newsletter articles do not apply. Primary authors can receive 3 contact hours per article; secondary authors can receive 2 contact hours.

Important Policies Regarding Current Certificants

Current certificants who were certified under the previous guidelines follow the new guidelines when they renew their certification (by the date on their current certificate). For example, if your certification renewal date is August 15, 2007, you send in a $50 renewal fee and renewal form by that date. The following year, you send in a $50 renewal fee and renewal form plus continuing education documentation by August 15.

Current CI/CE who attend the CBIST training receive a certificate with the new designation. Certificants use the date on their original CI/CE certificate as their recertification date. Certificants then follow the procedures stated above.

© 2005, Brain Injury Association of America