CBIS Spotlight: Jenny Vaughn
Categories: ACBIS Insider, Professionals
Jenny Vaughn is a speech language pathologist and Regional Rehabilitation Director for Minds Matter LLC in Wichita, Kan. Prior to working with Minds Matter, she provided speech therapy services to students in Butler County, Kan., with the Special Education Interlocal from 2014 to 2021. She graduated from Kansas University in 1994 with a degree in mathematics and returned to school in 2011 to pursue a graduate degree in Communication Sciences & Disorders and graduated Wichita State University in December 2013. She maintains her Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) as a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) and completed her CBIS certification in 2023.
Why have you chosen a career in brain injury? Why are you passionate about brain injury?
My career in brain injury really chose me. I had been working in the school setting and could not provide the level of speech therapy to my students due to the system’s constraints. When I found Minds Matter, I was very intrigued by their person-centered therapy model. No two brain injuries are the same, so there is the challenge of figuring out the best therapeutic approach for the person’s specific goals. I am also passionate about brain injury because it is often misunderstood and misdiagnosed. The true impact of the injury cannot be shown in test scores or by one or two doctors’ visits. The impact is seen in their everyday lives, struggling to do those daily activities most people take for granted.
How has the field of brain injury changed in your time working?
I have only been working directly with brain injury for about three years but since becoming a speech language pathologist, there has been increased focus on the impact of concussions, especially in sports. We now have an improved understanding of how even a minor concussion, or multiple minor concussions can cause long-term brain injury.
Why is having a CBIS important to you? How is it helpful in your daily work?
The CBIS is important because it shows I have the knowledge, qualifications, and experience to speak on the impacts of brain injury, especially when working with other health professionals who may not have the specific training, understanding or education needed to treat a person with brain injury. My position with Minds Matter requires me to navigate a variety of issues and collaborate with therapy teams. My CBIS helps me stay focused on understanding the underlying reasons behind the behavior or actions of a person with a brain injury.
What are some challenges you have faced working with individuals with brain injury?
The biggest challenge I have faced when working with brain injury has been providing education to other professionals, even in the medical field, on the impact of brain injury on a person’s daily life. In my experience of working with people with a brain injury, I have a better understanding of the barriers they face in the community and how difficult it can be to access basic community resources such as transportation and housing. It is difficult to help others understand how recovery is not linear. One “good” day can be followed by a string of bad ones, the ups and downs of brain injury can be exhausting.
How can clinicians best support individuals, caregivers, and family members?
Listen. Then listen some more. The knowledge we have as therapists and specialists is only beneficial if it is applied in a way that can help others. We may have clinician answers to the deficits created by brain injury and brilliant treatment plans, but if we do not understand the impact of those deficits on the individual, caregivers, and family members, telling someone what they “should” be doing is not going to improve anyone’s situation.
What do you see as the future of the brain injury field/research/education?
We will continue to see more research on the long-term effects of brain injury and the benefits of therapy past the first six months of rehabilitation. I hope our increased understanding of how a person with brain injury is different when being treated for mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. Treating brain injury is not just done by providing therapy but by educating a community about how we can create an environment where everyone can participate and have access to jobs and community events.