11th Annual ETHICS in Professional Practice Conference

Jomella Watson-Thompson, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Applied Behavioral Science
University of Kansas

Presentation Title: Ethics of Collaboration: Using A Behavioral-Community Approach to Address Disparities through Collaborative Action

Abstract:

There is increased attention to addressing problems of significant societal concern to contribute to improving community health and well-being. The application of behavioral community approaches to advance community change through multisector collaboration is examined as a method of social validation. As an example, initiatives that integrate behavioral community approaches to prevent youth and community violence through multisector collaboration are presented. The importance of addressing determinants or underlying factors that may serve as setting events and contribute to disparities in access to services and cultural representation in the field are raised. Ethical considerations will be examined including the strengths, challenges, and opportunities for using a behavioral science approach to advance community applications through multidisciplinary and multisector collaboration. Strategies to facilitate change across systems through multisector collaboration to foster broader applications of our science and engagement with diverse scholars, practitioners, and communities will be examined.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Understand the importance of multisector and cross-disciplinary collaboration to address large-scale problems of social significance.
• Understand the influence of social determinants of health and the importance of addressing disparities in communities.
• Identify examples of the application of behavioral-community approaches to address social issues through multi-sector collaboration.

Presenter Bio:

Dr. Jomella Watson-Thompson is a Professor in the Department of Applied Behavioral Science and a researcher affiliated with the Center for Community Health and Development. She is also the Director of the Center for Service Learning at the University of Kansas. Dr. Thompson leads the Youth Violence Prevention Center- Kansas City, a Center for Disease Control and Prevention National Center of Excellence in Youth Violence Prevention. Her research has focused on behavioral-community approaches to neighborhood development, substance abuse prevention, and youth and community violence prevention. She also works with community collaboratives to examine social determinants or factors, including educational attainment and access to resources and supports, that may contribute to disparities, particularly for racial and ethnic groups and underserved communities. Dr. Thompson researches and promotes community-academic partnerships through community-engaged scholarship as an approach to foster sustainable change and improvement in communities. She has examined the effects of community-based processes and behavioral-community interventions to promote mobilization and change in communities.  Dr. Thompson has received numerous funding awards and co-authored articles on community capacity-building, youth and neighborhood development, and adolescent substance abuse, and youth and community violence prevention. She serves on the Executive Council for the Association of Behavior Analysis International and has served as an Associate Editor with Behavior and Social Issues. Dr. Thompson serves as an advisor to the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies. She is a principal consultant with Ad Astra Community Innovations Group. She attained a Ph.D. in Behavioral Psychology, a Masters of Urban Planning from the University of Kansas, and a B.A. in Urban Studies from Jackson State University.

Videsha Marya, PhD, BCBA-D
Director of Practicum and Immersion Experiences
Institute for Applied Behavioral Science
Endicott College

Presentation: Teaching an Ethical Skill-set: Practical Guidelines for Instructors and Supervisors

Abstract:

In higher education, a primary goal of graduate instruction is to produce content area experts in their chosen fields. Within behavior analysis, this is especially important, as the master’s rank of the profession is eligible for independent, unsupervised professional practice, often serving vulnerable populations. For the instructor, the task of teaching ethics is an enormously important one. While all instruction presents an opportunity to model ideal professional behavior, the ethics class presents the most impactful of these opportunities. While resources are few and evidence is scant, effective instructional methods for developing this complex skill set exist and can be applied to the development of ethical conduct. In this presentation, component skills that can equip aspiring behavior analysts with the skills to arrive at the most ethical decisions and to engage in consistent ethical conduct are delineated. Effective instructional strategies and formats are also identified. The goal of this presentation is to provide supervisors and instructors with a roadmap to guide the development of this critically important skill set, in ways that prepare students and supervisees for the situations they are likely to encounter as professional behavior analysts. Furthermore, a multitude of resources and specific instructional guidelines to ensure broad and deep coverage of the ethical decision-making skill set will be discussed.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Identify essential component skills required for ethical decision-making.
• Identify core skills/competencies/outcomes that are relevant for aspiring behavior analysts.
• Identify instructional methods that are likely to lead to acquisition of core competencies and outcomes.

Presenter Bio:

Videsha Marya is the Director of Practicum and Immersion Experiences and an Adjunct Professor at Endicott College. She received her doctoral degree in ABA from Endicott College under the advisement of Dr. Alice Shillingsburg. Videsha has provided behavior analytic services to children with autism since 2011. Over the course of her professional experience, Videsha has gained national and international experience in the field of behavior analysis. Within the US, she has worked in autism clinics in Oklahoma, Colorado, Houston, and Georgia. She has presented poster and oral presentations at regional and national conferences as well as co-authored several peer-reviewed papers and book chapters. She has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Endicott Academic Excellence Award and research awards through two Special Interest Groups from ABAI. Her research interests include verbal behavior, ethics in behavior analysis, international dissemination, and evaluating effective and efficient teaching practices. 

Paul “Paulie” Gavoni, EdD, BCBA
Director, Professional Crisis Management Association
Adjunct Professor, Institute for Applied Behavioral Science, Endicott College

Presentation: Positional Authority Ain’t Leadership

Abstract:

Supporting the needs of consumers across contexts requires good leadership. However, leadership isn’t about position or title (e.g., CEO, Director, Supervisor, Lead BCBA, etc.); it’s about positively influencing behavior toward a common goal. And in the field of Behavior Analysis, too many leaders seem to be suffering from “Behavioral Myopia” as they appear to forget about the basic principles of behavior when attempting to improve employee performance. Thankfully, decades of research on Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) across organizations and leadership practices have given us a number of approaches proven to improve meaningful results. The purpose of this, at times humorous talk, is to dissect ethical leadership through a behavioral lens as means of producing socially valid outcomes in any organization.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Describe a systems approach to behavior change.
• State at least two examples and non-examples of leading.
• List five key strategies for positively improving performance..

Presenter Bio:

Dr. Paul Gavoni is a behavior analyst who is passionate about applying and sharing Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) strategies with an international audience.  He loves to inspire and help leaders establish positive and engaging environments across industries to bring out the best in those they serve using the science of human behavior.

A Wall Street Journal and USA TODAY best-selling author, he is co-host of the Crisis in Education Podcast, Thoughts & Rants of a Behavior Scientist, and is also an active Board Member of the Opioid Awareness Foundation and The World Behavior Analysis Day Alliance.

Beyond his work in education and human services, Dr. Gavoni is a former Golden Gloves Heavyweight Champion and highly respected striking coach in combat sports. Coach “Paulie Gloves,” as he is known to the Mixed Martial Arts community, has trained world champions and UFC veterans using technologies rooted in Applied Behavior Analysis.  Coach Paulie has been featured in the books Beast: Blood, Struggle, and Dreams at the Heart of Mixed Martial Arts and A Fighter’s Way. He was also a featured fighter in FX’s highest rated reality show at the time, The Toughman, and most recently in the Lifetime reality series, Leave it to Geege.

Jessica Cauchi, PhD, BCBA-D, CPBA-AP
Clinical Director
Atlas Behaviour Consultation

Presentation:  The Ethics of Sex Education

Abstract:

Sexuality education is one of the areas of education most filled with challenge and controversary. This is exacerbated when considering providing sex education to people with autism spectrum disorder or other developmental disabilities. This talk will explore the reasons why sex education is important specifically for this population. It will cover some of the ethical challenges encountered by clinicians when teaching in this area, as well as some proposed solutions. Ethics of research in sex education will also be discussed.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Describe common ethical challenges faced when teaching sexuality education to people with disabilities.
• Engage in decision making strategies to make the best ethical decision under a variety of conditions.
• Describe common challenges with research within sex education in terms of ethical integrity.

Presenter Bio:

Jessica is a behaviour analyst that has worked with people on the autism spectrum for over 20 years. She resides in Ontario Canada and is the Clinical Director of Atlas Behaviour Consultation. Jessica received her Ph.D. in Applied Behavior Analysis from Endicott College and is a doctoral level Board Certified Behaviour Analyst, as well as a Certified Progressive Behaviour Analyst – Autism Professional. Dr. Cauchi is interested in research and clinical practise in curriculum development and effective teaching practises in sexuality skills for persons on the autism spectrum, meaningful programming, rapport and assent, and progressive ABA. She has published work in these areas, as well as presented on these topics across Canada and North America.

David J. Cox, PhD, MSB, BCBA-D
Principal Investigator
Behavioral Data Science Research Lab
Institute for Applied Behavioral Science

Presentation: Ethical Artificial Intelligence: Topics Important to Behavior Analytic Research, Education, and Practice

Abstract:

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly a part of our everyday lives. Though much AI work in healthcare has been outside of applied behavior analysis (ABA), researchers within ABA have begun to demonstrate many ways that AI might improve the delivery of ABA services. However, absent from the literature thus far is conversation around ethical considerations when developing, building, and deploying AI technologies for ABA service delivery settings. Further, though AI is already used in ABA, it is unknown the extent to which behavior analytic practitioners are familiar (and comfortable) with the use of AI in ABA. The purpose of this presentation is threefold. First, to provide a primer on what AI is and how it is developed into technologies that scale to the size needed to influence everyday clinical decision-making. Second, to raise questions about using AI in ABA from clinical ethical frameworks that already dominate ethics in ABA. Lastly, to raise questions about using AI in ABA from alternative ethical frameworks uncommon to ethics in ABA (e.g., AI ethics, technology ethics, data ethics). In total, we hope this presentation sparks proactive dialog around the ethical use of AI in ABA service delivery before we are required to have a reactionary conversation.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Develop a working understanding of what artificial intelligence is and how it is developed. 
• Identify how clinical ethics approaches common the applied behavior analysis are relevant for AI in ABA. 
• Identify how ethical approaches common to data ethics, AI ethics, and technology ethics are relevant for AI in ABA. 

Presenter Bio:

Dr. David J. Cox, Ph.D., M.S.B., BCBA-D has worked within the behavioral health industry for 17 years. He began working in behavioral health by providing and then supervising Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) programs for individuals with autism spectrum disorders. After 8 years of clinical work, Dr. Cox went back to school to earn his PhD in Behavior Analysis from the University of Florida, Post-Doctoral Training in Behavioral Pharmacology and Behavioral Economics from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and Post-Doctoral Training in Data Science from the Insight! Data Science program. Since 2014, Dr. Cox’s research and applied work has focused on how to effectively leverage technology, quantitative modeling, and artificial intelligence to ethically optimize behavioral health outcomes and clinical decision-making. Based on his individual and collaborative work, he has published over 45 peer-reviewed articles, three books, and over 150 presentations at scientific conferences.

Yulema Cruz, PhD, BCBA-D
Assistant Teaching Professor
Department of Applied Psychology
Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP)
Rutgers University

Presentation: Ethical Visions: Navigating the Supervisory Compass

Abstract

In the field of applied behavior analysis, effective mentoring and supervision play a pivotal role in shaping the ethical conduct and professional growth of behavior analysts. However, the complexities and nuances of ethical decision-making in the supervisory context can pose significant challenges. This talk aims to explore ethical mentoring and supervision and provide behavior analysts with practical guidance for navigating the supervisory compass. During the session, we will discuss the essential components of an ethical supervisory relationship. Furthermore, we will explore potential ethical dilemmas that supervisors may encounter and provide strategies for effectively addressing these challenges. Participants will gain insights into promoting ethical decision-making skills among supervisees and encouraging critical thinking within the boundaries of ethical conduct.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Analyze potential ethical dilemmas in the supervisory context.
• Develop strategies for the effective resolution of ethical dilemmas.
• Gain insight into strategies for fostering ethical decision-making skills among supervisees.

Presenter Bio:

Dr. Yulema Cruz received a PhD in Education with a concentration in applied behavior analysis from Nova Southeastern University. She is also a Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral with over 20 years of experience in the field. Dr. Cruz is an Assistant Teaching Professor at Rutgers University. Her academic interests include ethics and supervision in ABA. She also teaches ABA courses in Spanish. Dr. Cruz is an ABA consultant, supervisor, speaker, and author. She works in the development of supervision systems and the dissemination of ABA to other countries and languages. Dr. Cruz was elected to serve on the Florida Association for Behavior Analysis’ (FABA) board for over 6 years, holding the positions of Member-At-Large, President, and co-chair of the Legislative and Public Policy Committee. She co-authored The Supervision Handbook: A Guide to Quality Fieldwork Experience and The Consulting Supervisor Handbook: Helping Newly Certified BCBAs Navigate Supervision, among other publications. Dr. Cruz has also presented over 40 talks at regional and national conferences. As an ethics hotline consultant, Dr. Cruz provides advice in the area of ethics in supervision.

Continuing Education opportunities:

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

This is a hybrid in-person and virtual conference. Recordings will be available for 14 days. (For those seeking Psychology CE Credits, there is an additional testing process to be completed for asynchronous/home-study completion.)

BACB®  ETHICS Learning CEUs (6.0): The Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies is an approved Type 2 CE Provider by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board® (BACB®) and is authorized to offer 6.0 CE units for this conference. Continuing Education Provider No.: OP-04-0058

Attendees must complete all six presentations in-person, virtually or through recordings available for 14 days post-conference for asynchronous home-study to earn CEs. (Partial credit will not be issued.) An evaluation and code quiz with a 100% score needs to be completed for issuance of continuing education.

APA Approved Sponsor

Psychology CE Credits (6.0)*: Amego Prepare is a co-sponsor of this conference for Continuing Education Credits for Psychologists. Amego Prepare is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Amego Prepare maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

In case of a complaint, about Psychology CE Credits, contact Amergo Prepare directly through Dr. Michael Weinberg at MWeinberg@amegoinc.org.

Attendees must complete all six presentations in-person, virtually or through home-study* to earn Psychology CE Credits. (Partial credit will not be issued.) An evaluation and code quiz with a 100% score needs to be completed for issuance of continuing education. *If you are completing the conference through recordings for home-study, there is a DIFFERENT process through Amego Prepare for those seeking a certificate for Psychology CE Credits. Contact Michael Weinberg at MWeinberg@amegoinc.org.

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

This is a hybrid event with a smaller in-person gathering or a virtual attendance offering. Our in-person event will be held on the beautiful campus of Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts.

For In-Person:

Event Venue: Cleary Lecture Hall, Endicott College’s main lecture hall located in the Hempstead Commons Building at the center of campus. Interactive Campus Map

The Parking Garage is open this year! It is located near the Hempstead Commons Building & Wax Academic Center. For parking anywhere on campus, you need to download and print out the parking permit for your vehicle.

Enter the Endicott College main entrance and follow the road up the Hill. There will be a detail officer and signs to direct you.

For virtual attendance:

The Zoom meeting link and access information will be sent from behavior.org@gmail.com the week of the conference.  IF you do not receive, email pavlik@behavior.org.