Certification Renewal Process

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 and either (1) satisfy continuing education requirements or (2) retake and pass the examination.

The annual renewal requirements and instructions on how to submit your materials are described in detail below.

Please note that certificants who do not submit the required fee and renewal application (including continuing education documentation) will become inactive after 60-days post certification expiration date. Certificants who do not renew within this 60-day grace period will be required to resubmit all application materials (including fee) and retake the examination.

Please note that the ACBIS Board of Governors enacted changes to renewal requirements.

The following is effective June 1, 2012:

Annual Renewal Process

*The ACBIS Renewal Process is now entirely online! The process for renewing your certification is described below. If, after reviewing the instructions, you have questions about the new process, please feel free to contact Jessica Kerney, ACBIS Coordinator, at 703-761-0750 x631 or jkerney@biausa.org*

Each year, certificants must submit the renewal fee ($60) and complete the online renewal form, found by the expiration date printed on the original 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.

If this is your first year renewing your ACBIS Certification, please note that your FREE one-year subscription to the Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation is coming to an end.  As an exclusive benefit, renewing ACBIS certificants have the opportunity to renew subscriptions to the Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation for only $50 per year (regular subscription price is $129.99). You may purchase this in our bookstore, through this link:  https://secure.biausa.org/detail.aspx?ID=490

RENEWAL REQUIREMENTS:

CBIS
10 contact hours of continuing education (CE) are required every year.

CBIST
15 contact hours of continuing education (CE) are required every year.

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).

* Webinars that are professionally oriented and related to brain injury.

The Brain Injury Association of America sponsors quarterly webinars on various topics related to brain injury. Brain injury professionals from around the country conduct the webinars.

The dates and times of upcoming webinars are posted here: https://secure.biausa.org/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=61.

Certificants are also welcome to purchase recordings of past webinars for CE credit. These can be found here: https://secure.biausa.org/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=12.

* 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. Certificants should complete this Journal Article Review Form or written answers to questions posted at the end of the article (this is done by some journals) and maintain the form or written answers in personal files in case the renewal is audited, at which time they should be submitted. 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.

CBIS and CBIST Renewal Process

*Please note that the forms require use of Internet Explorer 7 or higher, Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox*

*Ensure that all "Pop-Up" Blockers are disabled*

Step One - Payment:

You will need to have either completed your payment through our bookstore (links listed below) or have a check number in order to submit your renewal application. Instructions for where the check should be mailed are listed on the application. If you wish to pay by credit card, you can do so through one of these two links:

CBIS:  https://secure.biausa.org/detail.aspx?ID=461

CBIST:  https://secure.biausa.org/detail.aspx?ID=462

Step Two - Electronically Submit Your Application: (Printed, mailed copies will not be accepted)

PLEASE NOTE:

• THAT THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT CBIS/CBIST RENEWAL APPLICATION LINKS PROVIDED BELOW. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU MAKE THE DISTINCTION FOR THE FORM THAT APPLIES TO YOU AT THIS TIME.

• THE BIAA BOOKSTORE AND YOUR CERTIFICATION ARE TWO DIFFERENT SYSTEMS. IF YOU HAVE A USER ID AND PASSWORD IN OUR BOOKSTORE, THOSE DO NOT CORRESPOND WITH YOUR CERTIFICATION.

CBIS/CBIST LEGACY RENEWAL APPLICATION

This form applies to anyone who was certified under the "paper" process (took the paper and pencil version of the examination) and has NOT been established in our new system with a User ID and Password. You will need your certification number. Please click the "Retrieve Your Info" button to begin the application.

CBIS/CBIST RENEWAL APPLICATION

This form applies to anyone who has already established themselves in our new system. (Either previously completed and submitted a Legacy Renewal Application OR sat for the electronic version of the examination.) You will need your User ID and Password to start the application and populate your information.

Can't remember your User ID and Password?

Please use the ACBIS CREDENTIALS RECOVERY FORM to retrieve your credentials.

Step Three -

After completing the renewal application and indicating your payment method, please be sure to sign and submit the form. You will receive your updated certificate via email within 3-4 business days. (Please ensure that your email address is spelled correctly on the renewal application.)