Agenda: BIAA-Maine Defining Moments in Brain Injury Conference 2022

In this keynote presentation, Kelly will share her family’s introduction to the brain injury world, and her unique perspective on the importance of effective communication in brain injury care. She will also explore how speaking up for her family’s care led her to speak out on a national scale, advocating for the care she feels her family and other individuals with brain injury deserve.

This presentation will include examples of both positive and negative outcomes of communication with medical providers, school administrations, and other professionals involved in brain injury recovery, along with tips to make conversations more beneficial for everyone involved. She will also share advocacy strategies to attain medical, educational, therapeutic, and job support needed to maximize recovery as well as quality of life.

Grab a cup of coffee, connect with a colleague, or meet a new friend.

It is intended that attendees participate in both levels 1 and 2 of the youth concussion management track.

• Independence through Assistive Technology
  Jessi Wright, ATP, MBA
  What assistive technology devices are available to help brain injury survivors increase their independence? This session will provide an overview and demonstration of assistive devices and resources available for brain injury survivors. Learn how these devices can increase independence, open up new opportunities, and improve the quality of life for survivors.
• Modern Stroke Care
  Robert Ecker, M.D., MBA, FAANS
  Neurosurgeon Robert Ecker, M.D. will share insights on stroke care, with a special focus on stroke in settings of acute trauma. Learn about current innovations and best practices in stroke treatment at this information-packed session.
• A Primer on Special Needs Trusts and ABLE Accounts
  Rachel Trafton, Esq.
  Learn how special needs planning with trusts and ABLE accounts can maximize resources for individuals with disabilities and protect financial eligibility for means-tested public benefits like SSI and MaineCare. Topics include: who benefits from special needs planning, how to identify beneficiaries, identifying means-tested public benefits and eligibility criteria, and the differences between means-tested and non-means tested benefits. You will also learn about the types of special needs trusts, and the eligibility, mechanics, and limitations of the ABLE accounts.
  
• Rebuilding a Meaningful Life after Brain Injury
  Alyson Maloy, M.D.
  After sustaining a brain injury, patients can be kept busy addressing numerous physical injuries. What can be overlooked by clinicians and patients is acknowledging the patient’s loss of the self that existed prior to the brain injury. In this talk, Dr. Maloy, who is board-certified in both neurology and psychiatry, will focus on the self-identity problems that can occur after brain injury and the ways clinicians can help patients reconstruct meaningful lives after experiencing this disruption.

Stretch your legs, visit with exhibitors, and head over to the next session.

Lewis and Clara Lamont Brain Injury Advocacy Award

As a police officer and firefighter in Lewiston, Maine for 25 years, Guy Pilote always took good care of himself. At the age of 49, after a three-mile run, he suffered a catastrophic left ischemic stroke. A large portion of the left hemisphere was damaged, and doctors were not sure whether he would be able to walk, talk, or use his right hand and arm again. After intensive therapy he proved them wrong: he regained limited speech and the use of his body, although he still has limitations with his right hand and experiences aphasia.

When Guy told his wife that he wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail, she was not at all surprised. She knew he had the determination, intelligence, and strength to complete the 2,190+ mile hike. He started in Georgia in April 2021, hiking an average of 12 miles a day. The trail ends on the summit of Mount Katahdin in Maine, and only one in four people make it all the way to the end. Guy reached the base of Mount Katahdin in October 2021, where he encountered dangerous snow and ice conditions and was unfortunately unable to complete the last 1.5 miles of the trail. However, he inspired many brain injury survivors with this amazing accomplishment and is here to share his story.

Lunch is provided for all attendees. Take a break, enjoy delicious food, and network with fellow attendees.

• Anxiety Disorders after Brain Injury
  Jen Blanchette, Psy.D.
  A brain injury can be a life-altering event, and the effects can last long after the initial injury has healed. One of the most common long-term effects of a brain injury is anxiety. Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress, but for people with a brain injury, it can be more intense and harder to control. Moreover, people with a brain injury are also more likely to develop other anxiety disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or social anxiety disorder. The prevalence of co-occurring anxiety disorders after a brain injury underscores the importance of comprehensive treatment. During this talk, we will explore the treatment options and recommendations for mental health concerns after a brain injury. 
  
• A Collaborative Approach to Community Resource Management Post-Acute Inpatient Rehab
  Carolyn Sarich, MS, OTR/L, CBIS and Katy Bizier, M.Ed.
  Join us for an inside look at the collaborative work between the Brain Injury Association of America – Maine Chapter and New England Rehabilitation Hospital of Portland to support our patients transitioning back into the community after inpatient rehab. Learn about neuro-resource facilitation activities, community resources, and how to incorporate supports into hospital-based treatment.
• Strategies for Establishing Healthy Habits after Brain Injury
  Melissa Emmons and Jen Paquet
  The training manager for Healthy Living for ME and a Community Programs Coordinator for MaineGeneral Medical Center team up to provide practical strategies for issues that affect a healthy lifestyle, such as problem-solving, medication use, making informed treatment decisions, reading food labels, and managing challenging care partner behaviors.
• When Can I Drive? An Overview of the Process and Resources for Returning to Driving after Brain Injury
  Heather Shields, OT
  How do you return to driving after a brain injury? What do you do if it is determined it is not safe for you to drive? This session will examine the evaluation process and list the steps needed to return to safe driving after a brain injury. Learn what to expect in the Clinic Evaluation and Driving Assessment, the adaptive equipment options available and how to finance them, community resources, and the importance of coordinating with your doctor and the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles. If it is determined that it is not safe for you to drive, learn about community resources and transportation alternatives available.

• Intensity of Aerobic Training in Brain Injury
  Cory Hall DPT, ATC, NCS
  What are the specific aerobic capacity deficits of individuals with brain injury? Learn about the indications and contraindications for aerobic exercise in individuals with acquired brain injury, and the modifications and feasibility of modifying exercise for individuals with varying levels of functional capacity. A case study that exemplifies a complex return to walking program will be reviewed.

• Let’s Make a Scene: Use of Improv in Community Brain Injury Programs
  Craig Werth, M.Ed. and Kelly Redwine-DePierre, MS, OTR/L, CBIS
  Representatives of Krempels Center in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, will share their experience using “Improv” classes in their community of individuals living with brain injury. They will review the many benefits observed by staff and reported by members. This session will feature video and live demonstrations of improv to better illustrate its use. You will also learn how to facilitate an improv program at your facility.

• Self-Determination in Maine and the Brain Injury Waiver
  Kirsten Capeless and Derek Fales, LSW, CBIS
  This session will focus on the expansion of self-direction, under the temporary standalone Appendix K to Maine’s Brain Injury Waiver, as a service delivery option. This training will be an introduction to self-direction. Participants will gain knowledge about the services under the brain injury waiver and those that can be self-directed and navigating the person centered planning process to choose self-direction. They will also leave with information on the authorization and monitoring of self-direction in Maine.
• Neurobehavioral Issues & Strategies (Part 1)
  Pritesh Parbhoo, Psy.D.
  This session will explore the issue of challenges in engagement in a rehabilitation program. Topics include the different domains of noncompliance, and neurologically-based reasons that can influence behavior. (This is part 1: part 2 is scheduled for 3:30-4:30 p.m.).

Stretch your legs and head over to the next session.

• Music & Neuroscience: Clinical Applications in Neurorehabilitation
  Brian Harris, MA
  This presentation will cover the impact of music on the human brain and its applications in neurorehabilitation. It will present the neuroscience foundation of music perception and how this research can be clinically applied to aid in the recovery of movement, language and cognition. The information will be presented through lecture, interactive demonstration and video examples.
• Neurobehavioral Issues & Strategies (Part 2)
  Pritesh Parbhoo, Psy.D.
  In this follow-up to the previous session, Dr. Parbhoo will discuss ethical considerations relevant to neurobehavioral case management for brain injury patients. You will learn about intervention procedures likely to promote and maintain positive behavioral change, and the unique dynamics and complexities of substance misuse/dependency and barriers to recovery.
• Pathways to Recovery – New Models of Care
  Christine Martin, MS, OTR/L, CBIS
  What are recovery options after brain injury? In this presentation, two brain injury survivors will share their stories of recovery. A clinician will then discuss continuum of care options, benefits of home and community-based rehabilitation services, and provide tips on advocating for alternative/new care options, along with tactics and strategies for support.
  
• Puzzle Activity
  Navigating life post brain injury can be like finding puzzle pieces that you can’t see the picture for. Help us design and assemble a literal puzzle to help others find support as they navigate this journey.

Maine Acquired Brain Injury Advisory Council will hold a public hearing during the Brain Injury Association Annual Conference to receive information from persons with brain injuries, their families, rehabilitation experts, providers of services and the public to generate greater understanding of this growing public health issue. The ABIAC is seeking responses to the Council’s published priorities, the Brain Injury Waiver, and the unmet needs of persons with brain injuries and their families.  The council encourages written or spoken testimony during the public hearing.