To work collaboratively with school personnel to develop and implement positive support plans for students with challenging behavior; provide support and professional learning to teachers, school staff, and instructional assistants in appropriate behavior intervention techniques. The BCBA is required to adhere to the Behavior Analyst Certification Board Guidelines for Responsible Conduct.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop materials/resources and provide professional learning to administrators, educators, and instructional assistants in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Competent Learner Model (CLM), and /or other evidence-based methodologies related to addressing the needs of students with challenging behavior.
• Plan and oversee the development and implementation of programs, policies, and best practices related to instruction using the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).
• Conduct Functional Behavior Assessments (FBA) for individual students and collaborate in the development of Behavior Intervention Plans (BIP).
• Create and assist school staff with the development of behavior plans, ABA programs, and other appropriate programs for students that present skill deficits (e.g., communication and adaptive behavior) and problem behavior (e.g. aggression. Self-injurious behavior), among others.
• Assist in the management of behavior that is deemed unsafe.
• Work directly with students who exhibit inappropriate behaviors and provide support and professional learning for staff that work with such students.
• Design and implement data collection systems and assist in interpretation of that data.
• Provide training, professional development, and coaching on effective behavior interventions and strategies.
• Cooperate with staff and administration to promote a positive organizational climate.
• Work with classroom teachers and instructional assistants to model effective behavioral and instructional programming.

Other Functions

• Supervise BCBA and BCaBA candidates within the assigned school division, as appropriate.
• Provide necessary supervision for Registered Behavior Technicians (RBT) to maintain certification.
• Serve as a mentor to assigned interns from local universities.
• Collect data and prepare a variety of reports for the purpose of documenting case history, assessments, and treatment.
• Travel from site to site and participate in IEP meetings and other meetings as necessary.
• Perform related duties as assigned.
• Participate in and complete Competent Learner Model (CLM) coach certification.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Must possess ability to establish rapport and work constructively with staff, students, parents, and administration.
• Possess knowledge of related assessments and their analysis/interpretation in regard to student behavior.
• Demonstrate the ability to present analytical data in an articulate manner to a variety of audiences, including oral presentation and written reports.
• Possess leadership qualities and effective organization skills.
• Must possess an understanding of various disabilities and best practices for working with such students.

Qualifications / Education and Experience

• Masters level degree or higher in a Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) approved field
• BCBA Certified
• Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA)
• Minimum of two years experience in a related field
• Demonstrate the leadership qualities and personal characteristics necessary for working effectively with students, teachers, administrators, and parents.

Other Qualification conditions

• Superior candidates with requisite coursework and fieldwork near completion in addition to commensurate experience can be considered for this position. Candidates would be required to complete fieldwork, coursework, and exam eligibility within one calendar year of hire and would be considered a Behavior Specialist until licensure requirements have been met.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Duties performed typically in school settings to include classrooms, gyms, cafeteria, auditorium and recreational areas. While performing this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, sit, use hands to finger, handle or feel, reach with hand, and talk or hear; light lifting up to 40 pounds and other limited physical activities are required. Movement of students by wheelchairs and other mechanical devices may be required.

This position will report to the Director of Student Services of Shenandoah County Public Schools - Jennifer Stratton (jtstratton@shenandoah.k12.va.us) and Jennifer Matheny, Director of the Shenandoah Valley Regional Program (SVRP) - matheny.jd@augusta.k12.va.us.