8th Annual Ethics in Professional Practice

Affiliation:

Chief Executive Officer, Kadiant

Presenter Bio:

Lani left a 15 year career in logistics and technology related companies, and in 2009 he co-founded Trumpet Behavioral Health, a leading provider of Applied Behavior Analysis and related services to individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Since that time, Lani has been active in the ABA provider community, advocating for access to services and developing and sharing organizational and clinical standards. Lani was a founding board member and the first treasurer of The Council for Autism Service Providers (CASP), a nonprofit association focused on cultivating, sharing, and advocating for provider best practices in autism services. Lani has an undergraduate degree in Economics from Georgetown University and an MBA from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

Affiliation:

Associate Professor of Practice & Doctoral Program Director, Department of Behavior Analysis, Simmons University

Presenter Bio:

Ron Allen received his doctorate thirty years ago from the University of Florida (Go Gators). Ron has worked both in the areas of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior and Applied Behavior Analysis. In the latter capacity he has directed three residential schools for adolescents with behavior disorders, including most recently serving for 18 years as the Director of the Ivy Street School for adolescents with brain injury. Currently he is an Associate Professor of Practice and Director of the Doctoral Program in the Department of Behavior Analysis at Simmons University. He is also the Director of Behavioral Treatment Services for Riverside Community Care supporting adult individuals with developmental disabilities and behavioral challenges. His research interests include brain injury, the management of negatively reinforced challenging behavior, adjunctive behavior, derived stimulus relations, conditioned reinforcement, and the philosophy of Behaviorism. He is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA-D) and is licensed as an Applied Behavior Analyst in Massachusetts (LABA). He serves on the Board of Directors of the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies, on the Advisory Board for QBS, Inc., and as a member of a Peer Review Committee for the MA Department of Developmental Services. He is a member of ABAI, BABAT, and The Massachusetts Brain Injury Association.

Affiliation:

President and CEO, Melmark

Presenter Bio:

Rita M. Gardner is President and CEO of Melmark, a multi-state human service provider with premier private special education schools, professional development, training and research centers. Rita has devoted 35 years to non-profit management in the field of community-based services for children and adults with the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders, acquired brain injuries, neurological disorders and severe challenging behaviors. In addition to leading Melmark’s $95-million operations across all of its divisions, Rita is the co-founder of Melmark New England in Andover, Massachusetts and a co-founder of Melmark Carolinas in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Rita has been recognized by the Commonwealth Institute and Boston Globe, on the organizations’ list of Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts for the past two years (#35 in 2018 and TBA in 2019). She is dedicated to creating opportunities for skills growth and advancement for women in the field of human services. Rita does this through her work with CASP (Council of Autism Service Providers), for which she and Melmark are founding members; her leadership role as a board member of maaps (Massachusetts Association of Approved Private Schools); and her vital role in WIBA (Women in Behavior Analysis), for which Rita volunteers her time and expertise as a mentor.

As a result of her far-reaching work, Rita is known throughout the disability community as a tireless advocate for services for children and adults with intellectual disabilities and autism. She has provided project consultation to nationally-renowned organizations and was appointed to Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick’s Special Commission Relative to Autism in 2010. She continues to serve in that capacity, appointed by the current Governor Charles Baker. Rita has testified before the legislature on numerous issues related to Autism Spectrum Disorders, written articles for professional journals, and made a number of presentations on topics ranging from program expansion and behavior management to transitioning students with brain injury back into the community.

Rita has been involved in the organization, design, development and implementation of over 100 community-based programs for children and adults. Her professional experience is focused on high level organizational design using her skills in child advocacy, clinical practice, health service administration, legal issues, public policy and fundraising. Her demonstrated focus on fiscal prudence, ability to build bridges with funding sources, and experience in the development and ongoing maintenance of donor relationships, ensures the future of services for individuals with intellectual disabilities, at Melmark and beyond.

Rita received her Master of Public Health degree from Boston University’s School of Public Health in the School of Medicine. Most important, she holds the heart of Melmark’s mission at the core of her professional standards. She is dedicated to every child, adult and family served at Melmark, as well as every member of Melmark’s professional staff.

Moral Philosophy, Ethical Theories, and Applied Ethics

Affiliation:

GuideWell, Endicott College

Presenter Bio:

David is a Principal Analyst of Behavioral Science and Analytics in the Department of Data Science at GuideWell. His graduate education and training spans behavior analysis (PhD), behavioral economics (post-doc), data science (post-doc), and bioethics (MS). David has worked in Applied Behavior Analysis since 2006 with ages ranging from children to adults and with diagnoses spanning developmental disabilities, psychoses, anxiety, and behavioral health. His basic research foci are quantitative and computational analyses of choice, complex verbal behavior, behavioral health, ethical behavior, and scaling basic and applied research in these areas to population behavioral health, health decision making, and clinical ethics. 

Towards an Ethical Behavior Analytic Organization: Compassion, Cultural Humility, and Sustainability

Afffiliation:

Clinical Director, Lehigh University Autism Services

Faculty, Lehigh University, Department of Education and Human Services

Research Coordinator, Global Autism Project

Presenter Bio:

Noor Syed, PhD, BCBA-D is faculty with and the Clinical Director of Lehigh University Autism Services (LUAS). She is also a Research Coordinator and Clinical Consultant with the Global Autism Project. Prior to this, Dr. Syed was an Assistant Professor of Special Education with Manhattanville College. Dr. Syed is a certified general and special education teacher, birth through grade six, and a licensed behavior analyst in New York, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. She has worked with individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and developmental disabilities for over 10 years from early intervention through adulthood. Dr. Syed received her undergraduate degree in Applied Behavior Analysis under Dr. Raymond G. Romanczyk in the Institute of Child Development at Binghamton University and completed her PhD in ABA with Dr. R. Douglas Greer at Teachers College, Columbia University.

Dr. Syed has consulted for autism clinics around the world, including in Uganda, India, Romania, Antigua and Barbuda, and Indonesia and currently serves as the international and school-based expert on ABAEthicsHotline.com with Dr. Jon Bailey. Her research interests lie in effective supervision as well as ethical, sustainable, and culturally humble practices. Most recently, Dr. Syed authored a set of criterion-referenced proficiency standards for RBTs and BCBA trainees. Dr. Syed is also currently engaging in international research collaborations with clinical sites in the Czech Republic, Kenya, and the Dominican Republic.

Afffiliation:

Senior Vice President for Adult Clinical Services and Training, May Institute

Presenter Bio:

Jennifer Zarcone is the Senior Vice President for Adult Clinical Services and Training at May Institute. Dr. Zarcone provides consultation and clinical support to staff around severe problem behavior, staff and parent training, and medication monitoring.

Dr. Zarcone obtained her doctoral degree from the Experimental Analysis of Behavior program at the University of Florida, Department of Psychology, in 1993. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and a licensed psychologist.

Dr. Zarcone has served as a co-investigator on several multi-center clinical trials in autism research at the University of Rochester Medical Center, and on self-injury at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. She is interested in further development of research in the effects of pharmacological and behavioral interventions in the treatment of severe behavior disorders as well as repetitive behavior disorders in individuals with autism.

Dr. Zarcone has served in leadership positions for the Association of Behavior Analysis (ABAI) on the ABAI Practice Board, and she is a current member of the Science Board. She was the conference coordinator for the annual Autism Conference and a Fellow of ABAI. She served as an associate editor for the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, and is currently an associate editor for the Journal of Intellectual Disabilities Research, and the American Journal of Developmental Disabilities. She is serving as Guest Editor for the Behavior Analysis in Practicespecial issue on Diversity and Inclusion. In addition, Dr. Zarcone is currently on the advisory boards for the Women in Behavior Analysis Conference and the Gatlinburg Conference for Research in Developmental Disabilities.

Psychology CE Credits (Includes Licensed psychologists, school psychologists, and EdDs/educational psychologists) and BACB® Learning CEs.

An additional $40 fee is required for continuing education.

APA Approved Sponsor

Psychology CE Credits (To be determined):

Amego Prepare (Orlando Behavior Health, LLC) is a co-sponsor of this conference for Continuing Education Credits for Psychologists. Amego Prepare (Orlando Behavior Health, LLC) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Amego Prepare (Orlando Behavior Health, LLC) maintains responsibility for this program and its content. *Attendees must be present during the entire conference.

BACB® Learning CEs (To be determined): The Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies is an approved Learning CE Provider by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board® (BACB®) and is authorized to offer Learning CE units for this conference.

**It is attendee’s responsibility to check with their State and Professional organization to confirm all CE offerings.

Endicott College Campus – Rose Auditorium in the Walter Manninen Center for the Arts

Interactive Map (Endicott College Campus)

General Directions to Endicott Campus