SLI and ReMed Partner on Virtual Group Therapy for Traumatic Brain Injury Patients

The Speech Language Institute (SLI), following the pandemic, partnered with ReMed, a care center for clients who experienced traumatic brain injury (TBI), to provide a weekly virtual group entitled "Cognitive Classroom.”  

ReMed is one of the only remaining originally owned and operated brain injury rehabilitation companies in the country and focuses on the single premise that people with brain injuries have the potential to return to life in the community. ReMed’s extensive continuum of care allows access at multiple levels and varying stages of recovery.

Robert Serianni, MS, CCC-SLP, FNAP, Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) chair and program director, Eileen Hunsaker, MS, CCC-SLP, director of Clinical Education and three students from Salus University’s SLP Class of 2022, Alyssa Boemer, Jessica McMullen, and Chloe Laumakis just completed their first semester in collaboration with ReMed.

The students worked with clients to enhance individual goals and to learn about brain injury from real experts - people who have experienced it. The students were also able to conference with the client's treatment team members to ensure their interventions were on track and useful.

“We provided a weekly virtual therapy group with eight of their clients as well as conducted two client rounds with the ReMed staff and caregivers. Our data shows positive clinical outcomes for each client. But even better, is that the ReMed staff report, anecdotally, an improvement in their clients’ behaviors, interactions and relationships,” said Hunsaker. “We had so much positive feedback from the ReMed administrators about the positive changes these clients evidenced in their interactions and relationships with each other.”

The TBI group consisted of eight participants, ranging in age from late 20s to 70s, who live in a group home at the Paoli, Pennsylvania location. The participants had a diagnosis of cognitive problems ranging from moderate to severe. The 10, one-hour sessions, were held on Monday afternoons and included group therapy practices to help improve cognitive and communication skills. The participants enjoyed the sessions which included Jeopardy games, common trivia and word memory, therapy aimed at helping que them for specific goals and pragmatic skills. Participants referred to the SLI group as Charlie’s Angels.

"Through working with the clients at ReMed, the Speech-Language Pathology students learned not only about brain injury but about how to help survivors of brain injury use their cognitive-communication skills in the best way possible. The students and I enjoyed hearing the client’s stories and were impressed with their resiliency and sense of humor,” said Hunsaker.

SLI plans to continue the partnership with ReMed with the next group of students starting this month.