CBIST Spotlight: Jordan Hearod

Jordan Hearod PhD, MPH, CBIST, is a Brain Injury Case Manager Clinical Evaluator for the Brookhaven NeuroRehabilitation Network and an adjunct professor in the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Hudson College of Health. Jordan serves as the Secretary of the Board for the Brain Injury Alliance of Oklahoma (BIAOK). He graduated with his Master of Public Health (MPH) from OUHSC in 2014, his Doctorate in Health Promotion Science (PhD) in 2018, and became a Certified Brain Injury Specialist (CBIS) through the Brain Injury Association of America in 2019 and a Certified Brain Injury Specialist Trainer (CBIST) in 2021. He is currently finishing up the credentialing process to become an Advanced Practice Brain Injury Specialist Trainer (CBIST-AP). Jordan lives and works in Tulsa with his husband, Jon, and daughter, Caroline.

Why have you chosen a career in brain injury? Why are you passionate about brain injury?

I have worked with marginalized groups throughout my entire academic and professional career. I began my work at Brookhaven Hospital specifically working with patients who had either mental health crises or substance misuse and from there transitioned to working with patients with the above issues and also a traumatic brain injury (TBI).

How has the field of brain injury changed in your time working?

I feel like there is a greater understanding about the need for specialized care for people who have sustained a TBI.

Why is having a CBIST important to you? How is it helpful in your daily work?

I think having the CBIST credential lets other professionals know that I’ve received extensive training in brain injury rehab. Since I’ve begun my professional career, I’ve amassed a personal library of around 15 professional or academic textbooks regarding brain injury and neuropsychology and I am able to implement the knowledge I’ve gained to better inform the treatment plans I write for our patients.

What are some challenges you have faced working with individuals with brain injury?

I think the biggest challenge in our field is always going to be funding and understanding how a brain injury differs from other injuries and how it exacerbates any premorbid issues.

How can clinicians best support individuals, caregivers, and family members?

Clinicians can better support the community by continuing to advocate for our community at the local, state, and federal level. Clinicians can also help our patients by listening to them and their families/caregivers. So many of the day-to-day issues our patients face cannot be captured by black-and-white medical records so it is important to understand the effects of brain injury from the patient and family/caregiver perspective.

What do you see as the future of the brain injury field/research/education?

I think the future of brain injury care will focus more on holistic approaches that take into account the biological, psychological, social, and behavioral effects of a brain injury and attempts to ameliorate the deficits at every level.