Saij is a BCBA!

Loretta Hall: 1/12/2024

Saij O’Neil began her practicum experience with Perch on October 1, 2021 and, as of January 11, 2024, is our newest Board Certified Behavior Analyst!
And really, you guys, I could not possibly be more full of joy about the whole dang thing.

This will be my 7th year as a practicum supervisor and I like to think I’ve gotten better at it over the years but if you’ve met Sheena Meng you’ll know that my ability to bring up superstar BCBAs might just be part of my DNA. Or, possibly (read: most likely), the rock-solid foundation of mentorship and support at Perch works. Saij’s outstanding success is a product of a team effort to enrich her learning by creating opportunities for high-level experience, taking time to get to know her, and knowing that for every minute we spend with her she owes us tenfold for the rest of her life.

Special thanks to her family that actually raised her, her superior DNA, her own hard work… and… Gonzaga…

Saij is one of the most independent first-year Behavior Analysts I have had the honor of working with. Her second year of her practicum program can be best described as "an ABA buffet of random crap”. As a result, she can now walk in to pretty much any situation and be immediately effective, helpful, and supportive. With very little notice she made herself available to cover other supervisors (and BTs!), she’d tackle seemingly impossible situations, and rock her school work and studies. Given that Brady is around today, I’d say she was still somehow able to have a bit of a personal life in the meantime.

I’m thankful for Saij today for the time I got to spend as her supervisor and that Perch gets to keep her as long as we can continue being half as cool as she is.

A note on HRE, staff retention, and why we are so extra about training!

Let’s Start with the Training…

We know our onboarding process takes longer and is much more involved than many other agencies in our area. We simply don’t find the 40-hour online modules required by DOH adequate preparation for our BTs to perform their jobs well. So, there is also a 12-hour in-house training led by our BCBA training manager, Nicole Climer, followed by at least 4 2+ hour shadows (during which new hires observe a Lead BT working with their client). 60+ hours of training just to start at Perch… that should be adequate, right? No way.

  • Each quarter, we pull our entire group together for an all-day, all-staff training to learn about a clinical topic together as a team

  • All clinical staff complete annual Safety Care re-certification courses with our Perch SCT trainers Madison, Gabrielle, and Nicole (a full day for renewal, two full days for initial certs)

  • Our Lead BTs complete another, additional (!!) training dedicated to their unique roles within the agency at least once every 6-9 months.

You might be asking why anyone would require so many training hours for their employees knowing that this time is paid at the company’s expense. The answer is simple: it’s worth it.

Here’s why:

We’re in this for the long-run:
While we embrace the fact that our presence in a client’s daily life is temporary and we are always working to fade our services as efficiently as possible, we must also respect that consistency is key. Underprepared and under supported staff (BTs and BCBAs alike) are much more likely to experience the burnout, exhaustion, and frustration that will inevitably lead these otherwise incredible helpers to abandon our field. So, a canceled session today means Perch clients see less staff turnover with the added benefit of increased competency gained through regular, ongoing training.

HRE is not just for clients:
We want to be Happy, Relaxed, and Engaged, too. Taking time to care for our people means that our people are better able to take care of others.

So, better training = greater competency and overall decreased turnover. What else can be done to keep good people in ABA?

Meet our BT Ambassador, Michael Park!

 

As BT Ambassador, Michael serves as an invaluable resource to his peers. His regular outreach provides a safe, understanding outlet for fellow BTs to share their uniquely complex challenges, celebrate small moments, and seek guidance. Even better, Michael plans regular BT social gatherings for our frontline staff to get to know one another.

Perch Does CalABA 2023!

For the second year in a row, our entire Perch BCBA team attended the California Association for Behavior Analysis conference! This year, the conference was held in Long Beach, California in early March.

Hot topics this year: compassionate care, consent, and, of course, school-based ABA. My personal favorite was Dr. Denise Ross’ Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion presentation: Brilliant Children, Broken Systems - Reframing the Narrative of African American Children’s Literacy. Dr. Ross’ address was one of the most impactful statements on literacy and learning I have ever heard and one that I will forever carry in my daily practice as an educator, service provider, and advocate.

Another highlight: our newest BCBA Gabrielle Gersten joined the fun! It was incredible to have her a part of the experience as we all soaked up CEUs by day and decompressed by night. Some of our more adventurous BCBAs stayed after the conference for a trip to Disneyland (a first in her adult-life for Sheena!)

Dr. Rajarman with some crazy fangirls…

Gabrielle’s first time at CalABA!!

Onward!


Update by Loretta Hall 08/05/2022

I am very proud to announce that Perch Junior Supervisors, Gabrielle Gersten and Adrienne Ashley, are now officially Board Certified Behavior Analysts! Gabrielle and Adrienne were both Behavior Technicians at Perch prior to entering UW’s M.Ed. program and Perch’s fieldwork supervision in Fall 2020. They began their apprenticeship as Junior Supervisors in Fall of 2021.

Our agency has truly embraced growing from within and I am so fortunate to be going into my fifth year as our fieldwork practicum supervisor. Providing guidance to these budding BCBAs is my favorite part of this work I love with my entire heart. I’m humbled and honored to be a part of their incredible story…

Adrienne Ashley M.Ed., BCBA

I met Adrienne in 2019 after she’d been with Perch for several months, but I had heard about her beforehand. Her reputation as “the BT that takes a ferry and rides an electric scooter to her sessions” preceded her. Adrienne became somewhat of a legend. How did this woman manage to take a ferry to Seattle each day, jump on an electric scooter (with Seattle’s notoriously hilly terrain!!), often in the rain, and never show up late to her sessions? To a client on Queen Anne?! And she’s a Veteran? I had to meet her. Little did I know then that we’d be embarking on a great adventure together in the Fall of 2020.

At the onset of our supervisor-supervisee relationship, Adrienne made it abundantly clear that she showed up to work hard and would put forward everything she had inside of her. Right away, she introduced a new perspective to our monthly supervisor meetings. When COVID forced us to host our quarterly all-staff meetings online, Adrienne took on the challenge to make our time together more engaging than ever. She revolutionized our BT Ambassador program (and gave it a name).

As much as she loves Perch, though, Adrienne loves her family even more. After graduation, she was called away to care for her family in Wyoming and is now one of 35 Board Certified Behavior Analysts in Wyoming where she will work as a BCBA for Uinta School District!

Gabrielle Gersten M.Ed., BCBA

Gabrielle is one of those clinicians you see and you think “wow, she makes it look so easy”. She’s sharp and steady and presents herself as a seasoned professional well beyond her years. I knew right away she’d be a very special addition to our team and that we’d all be better with her by our side.

Very few of our supervisors had the opportunity to work with Gabrielle when she was a Perch BT. This was because the first supervisor she was assigned to recognized how invaluable she was and then immediately monopolized her time. Later, during her fieldwork supervision, I found that assigning her to shadow the other Perch BCBAs within our agency was as much a learning experience for her as it was a joy for them. Her pointed questions help us to evaluate our own practice, as we constantly should; her empathy is a reminder that we should always come forward with solutions first.

Though Gabrielle passed her BCBA exam three days ago I already cannot imagining our leadership team at Perch without her!




Perch Does CalABA

 

In March, our Perch BCBAs traveled to San Jose, CA to the California Association for Behavior Analysis 40th Annual Conference!

Conference highlights included: keynote addresses from Dr. Anthony Biglan, Ms. Denisha Gingles, and Dr. Patrick Friman; a discussion on ethics by Dr. Nancy Rosenberg, and sessions on supervision, feedback, and medical necessity. We saw emphasis on diversity and inclusion, compassion, school-based services, and ACT. The final day of the conference allowed our BCBAs to dig deeper during 3-hour workshops focused on trauma-informed ABA, evidence-based supports in schools, and self-management tools for learners.

After spending the last two years largely socially distanced from one another, CalABA also allowed our team to reconnect and rejuvenate together. We enjoyed delicious meals, delightful beverages, and hours of belly laughs during our three day retreat. I was honored to have had this time with Alex, Nicole, Madison, Sheena, and Christina and am already looking forward to CalABA 2023!

 

The Big BT Brag!

It’s no secret that Perch is home to some of the most passionate, brilliant, BTs! Here is some news highlighting just some of the recent BT accomplishments we’ve had the honor of celebrating…

Elia Garcia is a star Behavior Technician, working across multiple settings with her client in our South Sound region. We are thrilled to share that Elia has been accepted to the University of Puget Sound’s Occupational Therapy Doctorate program for Fall of 2022. Congratulations to the future Dr. Garcia!

Julia Warner has been an incredible addition to her clinical team in our South Sound region, we feel so lucky to have her on board! We are elated to celebrate Julia’s recent acceptance to Seattle University’s Psychology Graduate program where she will begin in Fall 2022! Congratulations, Julia!

Ilinca Ionescu is a Lead BT and BT Ambassador! As if that wasn’t cool enough, Ilinca is also celebrating her acceptance to University of Washington’s Master’s in Education program to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst! We are delighted to see Ilinca through her practicum experience and look forward to welcoming her as a Perch BCBA in 2024!

Cassandra Anderson made an immediate impression on our supervisors as soon as she joined the Perch team. It was clear from the start that she’d be a rockstar BT! Now, we get to see her rock it out as a BCBA, too! Cassandra will begin her Master’s in Education pursuing her Board Certification in Behavior Analysis at University of Washington in Fall 2022 and will make her debut as a Perch BCBA in 2024!

Hollingsworth Fam Honored by #3!

Update by Loretta Hall, shared with permission from the Hollingsworth family.

I received a text message from Charity on December 8th, 2021 that she’d been contacted by THE SEATTLE SEAHAWKS to schedule a video call with no other than Mr. Dangeruss himself. As a Seahawks fanatic, I immediately lost all self control and ability to behave professionally. “WHAT!?” I responded (I may have sent this 3 - 7 times in the span of 4 seconds). Charity then shared the most incredible news I’d heard all year: Russell Wilson would be scheduling a video chat with Charity’s two amazing children, Kelsey and Jackie (on Jackie’s birthday!) and they would be invited to attend the 12/26 game against the Chicago Bears (which we sadly lost, but that’s a post for another day).

I cannot put into words how meaningful it has been to know and serve the Hollingsworth family for over 7 years. I am in constant awe of Charity’s unbelievable ability to advocate for K & J. She acts with a deftness that can only come from a parent accustomed moving mountains for the education and services her children deserve.

Check out their video from #3’s Instagram

New BT Ambassadors!

Update by Loretta Hall

Upon reopening for services after a 7-week closure in May of 2020, the call for increased contact with all our clinical staff was clear. In an effort to protect our hard-working, dedicated, resilient front-line, the BT Outreach Program was created. In an already somewhat isolating position (one in which they do not often have contact with their peers), our clinicians were especially vulnerable to the mental health burden that quarantine created.

Our first “BT Ambassador” was Lisa Cassasa who piloted the program by making phone calls to each and every one of our BTs to check in, offer an ear, and make sure they knew how much they are valued. Adrienne Ashley took over in early 2021 and, after agency-wide vaccinations were issued, she added in-person social gatherings for all BTs (with cautious optimism).

When Adrienne grew into the role of a Junior Supervisor she was tasked with passing the torch (no supervisors allowed in BT Outreach!) She nominated Logan Sepesi and Ilinca Ionescu. With so much love to give, both nominees were elected as BT Ambassadors!

Logan and Ilinca continue to reach out to all of our BTs by phone, ensure that they are available for a post-session venting, and are patiently awaiting more opportunities to bring everyone together in person again soon.

Thank you Lisa, Adrienne, Logan, and Ilinca for all you do and have done!

Congratulations to our new BCBAs and newest BCBA supervisee!

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Christina Boykin received her Board Certification (BCBA) on August 13, 2021! We are so proud of Christina. She was one of Perch’s first Behavior Technicians and has always been an integral part of our team. Christina is based out of Seattle and has a special interest in working with augmented and alternative communications (AAC). Congratulations, Christina!

 
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Sheena Meng received her Board Certification (BCBA) on March 12, 2021 - which, coincidentally is exactly four years after she was hired on to Perch as a Behavior Technician! Sheena is based out of Seattle and serves clients of all ages. She has a wide range of experience working with many different ability levels and across a multitude of settings including home, school, work sites, and in the community. Congratulations, Sheena!

 
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Saij O’Neil was recently accepted into University of Washington’s Masters program where she will complete coursework required to pursue her BCBA. She’ll begin her supervised fieldwork experience with Perch’s Clinical Director on October 1, 2021 and is set to gradate in June of 2023. Congratulations, Saij!

Clinical Director Loretta Hall

Update by William Waldo:

We are pleased to announce that BCBA Loretta Hall has been named Perch Behavioral Health’s new Clinicial Director. Loretta has been serving in an “Interim” role for the past three months and has done an exemplary job transitioning our Clinical team forward. Loretta was one of Perch’s first BCBA hires and someone we have continued to lean on for implementing and leading best practice for the organization. Our team is beyond excited to welcome Loretta into this role, congratulations.

Growing from within!

Update by Loretta Hall:

We are so proud that so many of our dedicated Behavior Technicians have opted to pursue careers in Behavior Analysis by tackling the post-graduate education and training to become BCBAs! Though our agency is relatively young (opened in 2016), we already have a total of 5 behavior technicians that have made the decision to start BCBA programs and are already starting to join the ranks of our BCBA leadership team!

I took on supervising practicum students at Perch that our directors saw as likely candidates for BCBA positions with us after graduation. I happened to have a lighter-than-usual caseload and so was happy to spend the additional time developing a Perch supervision model for BCBA candidates and have been truly amazed by the result. It completely changed my clinical practice and my role at our agency. Serving families in need will always be my passion; I have found that bringing intelligent, compassionate, hard-working clinicians into our field so that we can serve even more individuals incredibly rewarding. I am continually humbled by the excellence our BCBA candidates demonstrate.

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Nicole joined Perch just months after the agency’s opening. She has always been a leader among our BTs and an invaluable part of each client team on which she has worked. Nicole graduated with her MA in ABA in Spring of 2020 and received her BCBA on June 28th, 2020! We have always considered ourselves fortunate to have Nicole at Perch, and now to see her grow into the role of supervisor feels a lot like winning the BCBA lottery. Congratulations Nicole!!

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Sheena started at Perch in 2017 with the idea of gaining experience in a related field as she worked toward a career as an Occupational Therapist. After only several months, it was quite obvious to her supervisors that she had a real knack for behavior analysis. When Sheena approached me in 2018 to discuss an application to UW’s ABA program, I was beyond excited! She truly embodies everything that our field needs and I had no doubt that she would experience great success as a BCBA. Sheena graduated in June 2020 with her M.Ed. and will sit for her Board Certification exam in July!!

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Christina was Perch’s FIRST behavior technician hire! She worked with our agency through nearly all of her undergraduate studies. While we were all very excited to have Christina apply to UW’s ABA program in 2019, none of us were surprised! Christina is a natural and I am honored that she chose me to provide her supervision for practicum hours. She will graduate in the Spring of 2021 and will likely sit for her Board Certification in late June or July 2021!

Gabby and Adrienne will begin their Master’s programs at UW in the Fall of 2020, expected to receive their Board Certifications in Summer of 2022!!

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Summer BBQ

Thank-You to all of our staff that was able to make it out to Vashon Island for our summer bbq. Appreciate our wonderful team and all the hard work and dedication that they have made to our families and kiddo’s, we couldn’t do it without you!!

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Summer Workshops for Parents (UW Autism Center) →

Our good friends through the University of Washington are putting together the following workshops for parents and professionals this summer. Take a look and get connected! 

For more information and registration for any of the following events please visit http://depts.washington.edu/uwautism/training/uwac-workshops/special-topics/

Autism & Anxiety: Wednesday, May 31st, 2017 / Time 9am-12pm / Cost $80

No More Diapers! Toilet Training for Individuals with ASD: Friday, June 30th, 2017 / Time 9am-12pm / Cost $80

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Basics for Parents: Wednesday, July 12th, 2017 / Time 9am-4pm / Cost $155

Academic and Organizational Success for Middle and High School Students: Friday, August 4th, 2017 / Time 9am-4pm / Cost $155