91´ÎÔª

Mission and Principles

Mission of the Big Sky Aphasia Program

The mission of the Big Sky Aphasia Program (BSAP) at the 91´ÎÔª is to provide high-quality, cost-effective, research-driven speech and cognitive-linguistic therapy to individuals with aphasia and associated deficits resulting from stroke and traumatic brain injury, while serving as a clinical training facility for graduate student clinicians who attend the School of Speech, Language, Hearing, & Occupational Sciences in the College of Health at the 91´ÎÔª.

Program Principles & Goals

• All individuals with aphasia can benefit from speech-language therapy, regardless of aphasia type, severity, or time post-onset. Aphasia services should take place across all phases of stroke recovery (acute, subacute, post-acute, chronic).
• Speech-language therapy interventions must be grounded in current evidence of best practices and based upon principles of neurobiological recovery.
• Treatment should be person-centered and individualized to incorporate patient values, interests, and skills.
• Treatment should be holistic and target the impairment along with activity and participation restrictions according to the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (WHO, 2001).
• The patient should be defined as: the individual with aphasia and their family care partners.
• Family care partners educational/informational counseling, communication strategy, training, and psychosocial support are vital components of effective aphasia therapy. Communication partner training (CPT) is an essential and evidence-based component of aphasia management.
• Aphasia treatment should include a variety of service delivery modules including individual, group, and technology-based therapies.

What is Aphasia?

Aphasia is an acquired communication disorder resulting from injury to the parts of the brain that control language (usually the left hemisphere of the brain). The most common cause of aphasia is stroke, but aphasia can also be the result of traumatic brain injury, neurodegenerative disorders, brain tumors, infections, or exposure to toxins.

Aphasia may affect any or all of the four modalities of language: speaking, understanding, reading, and writing.  A person with aphasia may have difficulty with all aspects of language, or in some areas but not others. Each area of communication may be affected to different degrees. Aphasia does not impact intellect. That is, aphasia is a loss of language, not a loss of intelligence. Regardless of the severity of aphasia, or how long a person has had aphasia, communication improvement is always possible.

Each person with aphasia and their family care partners present with unique skills and needs. A person’s aphasia profile depends upon many factors, including what part of the brain was damaged and the severity of the injury.  In general, people with aphasia have non-fluent aphasia or fluent aphasia. The most common sub-types of aphasia are: Broca’s Aphasia, Wernicke’s Aphasia, Global Aphasia, and Anomic Aphasia. For more information about the specific types of aphasia, see the

Who We Are

Catherine A. Off, Ph.D., CCC-SLP - catherine.off@umontana.edu

Founder and Co-Director of the Big Sky Aphasia Program

Catherine Off is a Professor and Chair of the School of Speech, Language, Hearing, & Occupational Sciences in the College of Health at the 91´ÎÔª. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics at the University of California - Berkeley in 1996 and her Masters of Science in Communication Disorders and Sciences at the University of Wyoming in 1999. She worked as a staff speech-language pathologist at the Veteran's Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in Philadelphia, PA for two years in acute, sub-acute, and outpatient rehabilitation units as well as at the VAMC's nursing home. Catherine received her Ph.D. in Speech and Hearing Sciences from the University of Washington in 2008, with emphasis on aphasia rehabilitation and principles of experience-dependent neuroplasticity for individuals recovering from stroke. After completing her doctoral degree, Catherine joined the clinical faculty at California State University, Northridge as a lecturer and clinical educator. Catherine's clinical research focuses on innovative models of stroke and aphasia rehabilitation, including Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia Programs. Her research investigates the effects of intensive and comprehensive therapy for individuals with aphasia. Catherine is certified by the and licensed in the states of Montana and California. She is an active member and current President-Elect of the , is a member of the ), and is a member of the .

Jenna Griffin Musick, PhD, CCC-SLP, CBIS - jenna.musick@mso.umt.edu

Co-Director of the Big Sky Aphasia Program (BSAP)

Jenna Griffin Musick, PhD, CCC-SLP, CBIS is an assistant professor in the school of Speech, Language, Hearing, and Occupational Sciences at the 91´ÎÔª, and serves as co-director of the Big Sky Aphasia Program (BSAP) and co-director of the Behavioral Research for Aphasia and Intensive Neurorehabilitation (BRAIN) Lab. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in the department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders in 2012, and graduated from the speech-language pathology graduate program at the 91´ÎÔª in 2014. Jenna returned for her PhD and graduated in 2024. Dr. Musick utilizes evidence-based practice, individual client variables, and principles of neuroplasticity in a clinical setting. Jenna’s areas of research interest include evidence-based practice for acquired neurologic disorders, education and counseling for persons with aphasia and their family care partners, and investigation of principles of neuroplasticity such as intensity and dosage for aphasia rehabilitation. She is an active member of , is a certified Brain Injury Specialist (CBIS), and is certified by the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA).

Sarah Conkle, M.S., CCC-SLP, CBIS – sarah.conkle@mso.umt.edu

Clinical Educator in the Big Sky Aphasia Program (BSAP)

Sarah is a Ph.D. student in the School of Speech, Language, Hearing, and Occupational Sciences at the 91´ÎÔª and serves as a clinical educator in the Big Sky Aphasia Program’s neurological rotation at the DeWit RiteCare Speech, Language, and Hearing Clinic. Sarah received a Master of Science Speech-Language Pathology from the 91´ÎÔª in 2021. She has worked with the BSAP Neuro rotation at the 91´ÎÔª since 2023, guiding students in the assessment and treatment of neurogenic communication disorders. Her research interests include the long-term outcomes of Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia Programs (ICAPs); the impact active ingredients have on communication and psychosocial well-being in Community Aphasia Groups; and the integration of quantitative and qualitative methodologies to capture both measurable linguistic changes and participant-reported experiences. She is a member of the Montana Speech-Language-Hearing Association (MSHA), Academy of Neurologic Communication Disorders & Sciences (ANCDS), Academy of Aphasia (AoA), and is certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and the Academy of Certified Brain Injury Specialists (ACBIS). She is an Aphasia Access Individual Affiliate and holds certification in Person Centered Care: The Life Participation Approach to Aphasia (LPAA). 

Anya Leyhe, M.S., CCC-SLP - anya.leyhe@umontana.edu  

Clinical Educator in the Big Sky Aphasia Program (BSAP)

Anya Leyhe, MS, CCC-SLP is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the School of Speech, Language, Hearing, and Occupational Sciences at the 91´ÎÔª, and serves as clinical educator in the Big Sky Aphasia Program (BSAP). She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Cultural and Linguistic Anthropology in 2014 from Scripps College, Bachelor of Science in Communicative Sciences and Disorders in 2017 from University of Washington, and graduated from the speech-language pathology graduate program at the 91´ÎÔª in 2019. She has worked with the Big Sky Aphasia Program since 2020 to support students learning how to work with families living with neurogenic cognitive-communication conditions. Professor Leyhe prioritizes culturally responsive evidence-based practice that harnesses principles of neuroplasticity. She is a member of the Montana Speech and Hearing Association (MSHA), Aphasia Access, Academy of Neurologic Communication Disorders and Sciences (ANCDS), and is certified by the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA). She holds certifications in Person Centered Care: The Life Participation Approach Knowledge and Practice. 

The Community We Serve

We serve individuals, families, and care partners of individuals who have acquired neurogenic communication disorders including: cognitive-communication impairments, aphasia, acquired apraxia of speech, and dysarthria, stemming from stroke, traumatic brain injury, and/or other neurological disorders or diseases (e.g., Neurodegenerative diseases, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, etc.). Our patients include students, veterans, and community members from across the state of Montana and across the country. Prospective patients must be medically stable; those wishing to participate in the intensive aphasia programs must have the cognitive and physical endurance to withstand the rigors of an intensive therapy program.