Mission Statement
The purpose of the Special Services Academy (SSA) is to create an opportunity for dialogue and an exchange of ideas and experiences for directors of special services, learning disabilities teacher consultants, school psychologists, school social workers, and speech-language specialists. Through collaboration with university administrators and faculty, the academy will provide professional learning communities that offer growth opportunities for members through sessions which focus on promoting reflective practice and positively impacting student and teacher learning. A network of support and resources for members will be established for developing new experiences.
The BCBA Roundtable is a professional development community comprised of Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) who actively provide behavior consultation, training, and assessment in New Jersey public schools. The members of this organization seek to enhance the role of the BCBA in schools through professional collaboration on ethically sound behavior analytic practices, dissemination of peer-reviewed research for applied settings, and integration of scientifically-based interventions in classrooms. Monmouth University is a verified Authorized Continuing Education (ACE) Provider Organization by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board; members of the BCBA Roundtable earn Type 2 continuing education credits for each professional development event.
Additional Information
For more information regarding the Special Services Academy or the BCBA Roundtable workshop series, please email soessa@monmouth.edu.
Special Services Academy Workshops Dates
- Monday, October 23, 2023
- Youth Services and Pre-Employment for Transition to Adulthood. With Toni Scott, M.S.W., L.S.W, C.R.L. Program Planning and Development Specialist (Program Unit: Youth Services Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services), NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development
- Tuesday, December 5, 2023
- Behavior Threat Assessment Model. With Thomas Toohey, Ed.D., Assistant Superintendent, Pupil Special Services, Edison Township Public Schools
- Monday, Feb, 26, 2024
- Monday, May 6, 2024
BCBA Roundtable Discussion Dates
We are excited to announce our new BCBA Roundtable sessions for this school year. The presentations are based on recommendations from our members and have been created to support you and your staff.
This session will offer two Teaching CEUs for BCBAs. The Behavior Analyst Certification Board certifies that we are an Authorized Continuing Education provider organization.
The sessions for this year will be conducted primarily in-person (with a HyFlex option, by special request). In order to provide appropriate space, we will require specific names of those attending in person prior to each session. Lunch will be provided.
If you or your district has not registered yet, kindly complete the BCBA Registration for each individual attending. Registrants will be sent a correlating scholarly article and/or material in relation to the BCBA Roundtable Session prior to attending the event (A Zoom link will be provided, by special request).
Workshop Dates (all session will be from 10 a.m.-12 p.m.):
- Tuesday, December 5, 2023
- Monday, Feb, 26, 2024
- Monday, May 6, 2024
For more information Contact: soessa@monmouth.edu
Thank you to those who have been attending our sessions for the last few years and hope that you will join us this year—and spread the word to your fellow BCBAs around New Jersey!
Previous Workshops
- Autism Programming
- Tele-therapy
- Suicide Prevention
- ADHD and Executive Functioning
- Maximizing Behavior Analytic Services in Schools
- Considerations & Strategies for Teaching Social Skills
- Criminal Justice Advocacy
- Defensible IEP’s
- Transition
- Mental Health Issues, Concerns, & Dialogue
- Tiered Systems of Support
- Evidence-based Practices for Students with Autism
- Legal Issues
- LRE Implementation
- Assessment
- Reading Approaches and Individualized Reading Programs
- Role of the Social Worker on the Child Study Team
- Dyslexia
- Special Education and Its Relation to PARCC
Special Services Professional Development Academy Membership
The Special Services Academy will hold four workshops this year with topics on timely issues directly related to matters of interest to attendees. This membership includes attendance (up to three people) at each of the four sessions. Sessions run from 1–2:30 p.m.
The yearly fee for membership in the academy is $300.
BCBA Professional Development Academy Membership
The BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst®) Professional Development Academy will host three roundtables during the 2023-2024 season. Current membership in the Special Services Academy (SSA) includes free attendance for up to three representatives at each of the three sessions that will be held during the school year.
For non-SSA members, the cost to attend a BCBA roundtable is $50 per session per person.
The Behavior Analyst Certification Board certifies that we are an Authorized Continuing Education provider organization.
Special Services Academy Steering Committee
- Joseph R. Bond, Director of Special Services, Lacey Township
- Danielle M. Frith, Specialist Professor, Special Education, Monmouth University
- Natalie Gricko, Supervisor Child Study Team, Woodbridge Township School District
- Assistant Professor Mary Haspel, Ed.D., BCBA-D, Special Education, Monmouth University
- Assistant Professor Ai Kamei, Ph.D., Special Education, Monmouth University
- Assistant Professor Stacy Lauderdale-Littin, Ph.D., BCBA-D, Special Education, Monmouth University
- Associate Professor Kathryn Lubniewski, Ph.D., Special Education, Monmouth University
- Assistant Chair Carol McArthur-Amedeo, Ed.D., Special Education, Monmouth University
- Bettyann Monteleone, Vice Principal, The Shore Center
- Erick Nunez, Supervisor, Woodbridge Township School District
- Jennifer Steffich, Director of Special Services, Manasquan Public Schools
- Lorissa Voorhees, Director of Special Services, Academy Charter High School
- Kerri Walsifer, Director of Special Services, Tinton Falls School District