CBIST Spotlight: Dave Anders

Dave Anders, MS, CCC-SLP, CBIST, earned his degree from the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 1997. He worked as a speech-language pathologist in the area of acquired brain injury rehabilitation until 2010, when he took on the role of clinical director at On With Life, a not-for-profit brain injury rehabilitation provider near Des Moines, Iowa. Dave earned his CBIS designation in 2004 and became a CBIST in 2012. He coordinates both CBIS and Fundamentals training for On With Life’s inpatient, outpatient, residential and extended care programs. In addition, he has been part of the CBIS training team at the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine’s annual conferences for the last two years.

As an active ACBIS trainer in Iowa and the U.S. for both CBIS and Fundamentals programs, why do you feel it is important to dedicate your time to educating those working in the brain injury field?

One of my core beliefs as both a speech-language pathologist and clinical director is rooted in the concept of transdisciplinary care. The people we serve and their families need us to understand their experience through a window that extends beyond our discipline-specific expertise. The ACBIS curriculum allows me to put this core belief into action. No matter the credentials behind one’s name, each professional who completes the training comes away with a broader awareness of the complexities and needs of this special population. It is a privilege to represent BIAA and add value in brain injury rehabilitation through my role as a CBIST.

What are some of the latest trends in brain injury treatment that you feel will have a strong impact on patient outcomes?

In recent years there has been a tremendous amount of public attention brought to the topic of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). In response, researchers have focused their resources to better understand mTBI, its assessment and treatment. As a professional in the field, the sheer volume of research available in this area can be overwhelming. Organizations like the Brain Injury Association of America are working to compile and interpret these data to inform evidence-based care. As On With Life has developed programming to meet the needs of individuals who present with persistent post-concussive symptoms it has been exciting to use available evidence to enhance outcomes.

How has On With Life’s program evolved to meet the needs of those who have sustained a concussion or mild TBI?

For many years, On With Life’s outpatient program has provided rehabilitative services to individuals with altered recovery trajectory following mTBI. Based on our experience with this complex population, we identified a need to shore up our comprehensive assessment and intervention protocols based on the most recent evidence. We brought together a transdisciplinary team including PT, OT, SLP, neuropsychology and case management to complete an evidence and practice review to inform our program’s conceptualization. In addition, we collaborated with professionals in the field and the persons that we serve, to help us develop “On With Life’s Seven Domains of Complex Concussion Care.” We use the seven domains as a framework for our comprehensive assessment and rehabilitation care planning process. It’s exciting to be in the field at a time when knowledge and outcomes are advancing so quickly!