Association for Behavior Analysis International

Providing behavior analytic services in an acute inpatient psychiatric setting can be very challenging, especially when working with individuals with serious mental illness, significant trauma history, co-morbid personality disorders, and limited intellectual functioning. A team of behavior analysts at NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County in Brooklyn, NY work with an interdisciplinary team of clinicians to provide evidence-based behavior analytic treatment for people with varying serious mental illnesses. This panel will include an interdisciplinary team (behavior analyst, Doctor of Nursing, and Peer Specialist) which will discuss the trials and tribulations of providing behavior analytic services for individuals in an environment where people do not have experience with behavioral interventions. Some topics discussed among the panel will include: a) understanding serious mental health symptoms and behaviors from a function-based behavior analytic approach; b) the importance of “playing nicely in the sandbox” and receiving support to create effective service delivery models; and c) discussion of other treatment modalities and how behavior analysts can work with others to create effective behavior change. This panel will also provide a few case studies of challenging cases to provide other behavior analysts in attendance some creative ideas and solutions to very complex, challenging cases in mental health settings.

Behavior analysts in public health settings; Behavior analysts who work with individuals diagnosed with mental health diagnoses; Behavior analysts who are interested in systems change and collaboration