Newsletter
Volume 29 | 2006 | Number 2
New Jersey ABA
By Dr. Marlene Cohen
This has been an active time for New Jersey ABA (NJABA). We have formed a Government Affairs Committee, chaired by Suzanne Buchanan, Ph.D., BCBA, to work towards legal recognition of certification by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board in New Jersey. NJABA wants to establish board certification in New Jersey in order to set a minimum standard for professionals practicing applied behavior analysis who are not licensed psychologists with training in behavior analysis. This is a complex process and the committee’s efforts so far have been focused on collecting feedback from colleagues so that we can address these concerns before seeking legal recognition in the State of New Jersey.
You may have noticed two additions to our newsletter: an interview with a well-known behavior analyst and a Parent’s Corner that addresses the needs of NJABA consumer members. We are pleased to add these two new components and wish to thank Barbara Wells for managing the Parent’s Corner.
Just recently, Caldwell College hosted NJABA’s first Current Dimensions in ABA winter workshop. The entire day was dedicated to Dr. William Heward’s presentation on the topic of behavior analysis and education. The workshop was nothing less than spectacular and those of us who attended left re-energized by his enthusiasm. The feedback has been extremely positive. Next year’s workshop will be presented by Dr. Jon Bailey on ethics in behavior analysis. It will be hard to match the caliber of these presenters for future workshops.
NJABA has worked with Kaplow & Company to create an insurance package designed to fit the responsibilities of a behavior analyst in private practice or organizations that employ behavior analysts. This is exciting as many private practitioners have reported frustration in trying to determine which insurance most closely fits their needs. The insurance package was developed based on a sampling of Vitas from several behavior analysts with varied experience. Anyone interested can send an e-mail request for an application to mcohen@rci.rutgers.edu, along with their address. Premiums will be quoted based on the experience and credentials of each applicant.
The Conference Planning Committee is actively working on our annual conference in August. This year, we will offer two days of continuing education. Dr. Carl Binder will present the keynote for the conference, which is followed by three workshops. The conference will be scheduled so that an attendee can choose to attend three separate workshops or a one-part workshop followed by a two-part workshop. The following day will include a full-day presentation by Dr. Carl Binder on developing performance standards. Dr. Binder is well recognized for his work in the area of organizational behavior management. We are fortunate to have him present at this year’s conference. The first day of the conference will include many notable presenters, so watch for the brochure on our Web site!