Director of ABA Services

Director of ABA Services

Life Unlimited, Inc.

North Kansas City, Missouri

The Moran Company is pleased to partner with Life Unlimited, Inc. to recruit the organization's next Director of ABA Services.

Organizational Overview 

Life Unlimited (LU) is the largest service provider for adults with disabilities in the Kansas City metro area, with the mission to support people with disabilities as they experience life with unlimited possibilities. LU’s vision is to become the premier provider of supports and services for people with disabilities, signifying quality, innovation, and person-centered principles.

Life Unlimited serves over 1,000 adults with disabilities throughout Kansas City and Northwest Missouri with the support of 470 employees and an operating budget of $50 million. 

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Services is one of six main programs and currently supports 45 individuals. Board-certified specialists are available onsite to provide assessments and recommended interventions for those living with intellectual and developmental disabilities who qualify based on behavior excesses or deficits. There are currently 5 BCBA positions in the program. Most of the people served are currently receiving other services from LU (primarily community living) and qualify for funding support through the Missouri HCBS Waiver. LU maintains a waiting list, now at 30. This department supports and enhances services in all other LU divisions, and effective implementation of ABA Services allows LU to serve more people who need greater support in other divisions. It is the vision of LU to provide these services shoulder-to-shoulder with all frontline staff, offering personalized and flexible supports to people in living their own lives. 

The other LU program divisions are:

Community Living (Currently 165 individuals) - LU provides housing and supports to adults in a variety of residential settings (now 72 locations) throughout the Kansas City area. Services focus on community integration.

Community Support Options (CSO) (Currently 55 individuals) – The CSO program provides support to attain and maintain independent living. CSO is comprised of 3 types of services: individualized skill development, community integration, and personal assistant services.

Community Therapeutic Recreation Program - Community Therapeutic Recreation program serves more than 500 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities every year through hundreds of activity opportunities that promote physical well-being, social skills development, and community integration.

Employment Services (Currently 65 individuals) - LU provides individualized employment services to adults with disabilities, including job skills training, placement, and coaching.

My Day (Currently 150 individuals) – In LU’s day program, called “My Day,” dedicated support staff work with adults as they make their goals and dreams a reality.

Position Summary

The Director of ABA Services is responsible for the development, leadership, and direction of the new Applied Behavior Analysis Services Department for Life Unlimited. Applied Behavior Analysis uses the scientific principles of behavior to promote positive and socially significant behavior change in humans, specifically those served by Life Unlimited. The ABA Services Department will collaborate with staff and other professionals in the agency to ensure best practices and consistency for individuals being served. The person in this position reports to the Vice President of Community Programs and serves on the Management and Programs Teams of the organization.

Essential Job Functions 

• Develop ABA Services for Life Unlimited that will enhance the quality of supports and services to individuals with IDD currently served by LU.
• Collaborate with other departments to ensure that staff are trained consistently in general and client-specific, behavior supports.
• Work with the training department to ensure the development of an effective general positive behavior support curriculum, and collaborate on other trainings as needed.
• Develop appropriate staff training curriculum to be used by the ABA Services department for staff training in Applied Behavior Analysis and specific behavior support plans.
• Build the ABA Services department within budget guidelines and ensure fiscal solvency.
• Establish and maintain a community presence specific to behavior analytics and related associations.
• Hire, supervise, train, and mentor subordinate personnel including BCBAs or individuals working towards obtaining certification.
• Oversee and design the method, format, and administration of various assessment tools, functional behavior assessments, and behavior support plans.
• Keep abreast of current trends in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis and utilize that research to improve service delivery to consumers being served by Life Unlimited.
• Conduct functional behavior assessments in accordance with best practice in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis, which may include (but is not limited to) conducting functional analyses, conducting reinforcer assessments, conducting preference assessments, conducting skills assessments, collecting descriptive data, and interviewing caregivers.
• Develop, implement, and train caregivers to implement behavior support plans based on behavioral function and taking into consideration contextual fit.
• Create data collection instruments, graph collected data, and critically analyze graphed data to make treatment decisions.
• Maintains a caseload of 138 units per month during the training period. Following the training period, the caseload requirement is negotiable based on the depth of experience with adults and job performance.
• Support the department by providing direct BCBA services as needed to meet departmental shortages and/or services.

The Ideal Candidate 

LU is seeking candidates with a compelling combination of experience and skills that will meet the challenges and opportunities inherent in this position. The ideal candidate is:

• Experienced with adults who benefit from ABA services.
• Visionary around how to support individuals, an inspiration to others for positive behavior supports, and a leader who creates a department that is a partner with other service departments.
• An effective mentor and coach to staff, and a leader who nurtures a culture that attracts and retains professional staff.
• An enthusiastic, driven, analytical creator who can expand the ABA department.

Required and Preferred Qualifications 

• Master’s Degree from an accredited institution, preferably in Applied Behavior Analysis, Psychology, Education, or related field (required)
• Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) in the state of Missouri and keep certification current at all times (required)
• Five years experience working as a BCBA with adults with IDD preferred, in a residential or community-based service delivery model preferred 
• Experience implementing functional behavior assessment, creating behavior support plans, and training caregivers (required)
• Ability to interpret data and develop reports and correspondence
• Strong working knowledge of behavior analytic assessment, data analysis, program design, and treatment implementation
• Demonstrated leadership skills including, but not limited to, effective communication, creation and maintenance of a positive and engaging company culture, and solution-oriented problem solving
• Experience providing supervision to other BCBAs, or individuals pursuing certification
• Understanding of regulatory guidelines and all accreditation standards for: DMH, CARF, TCMs, and others as needed (preferred)

Compensation

The annual salary range for this position is $80,000 - $105,000. Benefits include company paid basic life insurance, short-term disability, and long-term disability. Employees may also enroll in affordable medical, dental, vision, and voluntary life benefits with generous employer contributions. All employees may participate in a 401(k) plan or the employee assistance program. LU matches team member 401(k) contributions up to 5% with full vesting after three years of service. 

Statement of Non-Discrimination 

Life Unlimited is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applicants and all positions equally without regard to their race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by law.

Application Process

To apply for this position, submit resume and cover letter to Bruce Scott, The Moran Company, through the link below. Within your cover letter or resume, please be sure to provide a description of your qualifications related to the Position Summary and “ideal candidate” traits.