Interdisciplinary Behavioral Consultation

Hello, my name is Macy Collins and I am a second-year graduate student in the Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) program here at UNO where I also received my BS in Psychology with a minor in Philosophy back in 2020. I first began my ABA journey back in 2018 when I had no idea what it was and was just looking to gain more experience in my degree field. This then led to me getting a job as a Registered Behavioral Technician (RBT) at UNMC's Munroe-Meyer Institute (MMI) where I fell in love with it and three years later am pursuing my master's degree in it. Here, I found my passion for working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder as well as the methodology and innerworkings of the of the job. With over 2 1/2 years of experience in a clinical setting, I am now ready to experience and practice ABA in a school setting as well as work with other professionals, school psychologists, and special educators in the field. The IBC Program has given me the opportunity to do just that and with their guidance and training over the next 2 years, I am sure to be ahead of the game when I pursue my BCBA credentialing in the future and am excited for all the knowledge I am sure to learn along the way.

Hello! My name is Krystal Febus. I am currently a first-year School Psychology graduate student. I received by Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a concentration in School Psychology from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. I knew that I wanted to work with children and in a field related to Psychology since high school, but I wasn't sure what specific path to take until a couple years into college. My second year of undergrad, I took a Psychology in the Schools class and that is when I learned about what School Psychologists do. After that class, I was sure that I wanted to be a School Psychologist since the field perfectly combined working with children and Psychology. During the last year of undergrad, I worked as a paraprofessional in a Special Education classroom. That was the most rewarding job I have ever had, and it sparked my interest in analyzing behavior due to some challenging behaviors in our classroom that were misinterpreted and not properly dealt with. The IBC program was of interest to me because, in addition to receiving my Ed.S. in School Psychology, the program guides the path to receiving your BCBA credential. We're only a few weeks into the program and I have learned a lot of information surrounding behavior that will be a big help to me as I start working in the schools and helping address behavioral issues.

My name is Sarah Hermann, and I am a second-year student in the School Psychology Graduate Program at the University of Nebraska Omaha. In May of 2020, I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Child, Youth and Family Studies from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Through my high school volunteer work with the Munroe-Meyer Institute, Omaha Circle Theatre and Westside Community Schools, I developed an interest in working with children and a passion for helping students to succeed academically, behaviorally, and socially. After having discussions with a school psychologist in my family and learning more about the profession through my undergraduate courses, I knew that school psychology was the right career path for me. After graduating from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, I worked as a paraprofessional for Millard Public Schools in the Structured Behavior Skills program, where I taught the school curriculum and behavior skills to students with emotional and behavioral disorders. This position gave me invaluable experience in providing services for students with special needs and taught me how to work as a team member in an educational setting. My experiences working with the school psychologist in helping to de-escalate situations and provide mental health support to students further solidified my interest in pursuing graduate study in school psychology. I chose to complete my graduate studies at UNO because of the collaborative student atmosphere and the vast applied experiences and research opportunities the university has to offer. I am looking forward to continuing to collaborate and learn alongside others who share my passion for providing services to students with behavioral and emotional needs.

My name is Tommi Scornavacca and I am currently pursuing my Masters in Special Education with a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis through UNO and UNMC. I am ecstatic to begin this journey as a new scholar in the IBC program. I have always known I wanted to work with students with special needs and their families. I grew up knowing a family member who worked with children with special needs. In high school, I decided to shadow her and learn more about her career. At this point I had never heard of ABA therapy and was surrounded by ABAs challenging and encouraging their students. I was truly inspired by their growth with students. This is when I decided that I wanted to earn my BCBA credentials. After receiving my bachelor’s degree in Special Education at UNO I wanted to pursue ABA training and work towards earning my BCBA credentials, which I am able to do thanks to the IBC program. Through this program will be immersed in many different learning opportunities to better myself, which will in turn better the learning experience of my students.

My name is Christina Stasi and I am a graduate student in the School Psychology program. I received my B.S. in Psychology and Sociology from Wayne State College in 2019. In undergrad, I discovered the importance of support for students in schools through several volunteer positions. I knew my future career would take place within a school and I am incredibly grateful to follow a career path including both School Psychology and ABA. After graduation, I worked in the Autism Care for Toddlers Clinic as a Registered Behavior Technician through UNMC's Munroe-Meyer Institute. It was there that I discovered my passion to instill positive changes within children's lives. While at the ACT Clinic, I learned techniques used in Applied Behavior Analysis which furthered my interest in pursuing my education within ABA. The IBC Program is an amazing way to provide consultative and functional guidance for students and school staff. I am so excited to pursue this opportunity to obtain my BCBA while also working towards my Ed.S in School Psychology and I am looking forward to my time as an IBC Scholar.

My main goals in this life are to help the families in the communities on the Omaha Indian Reservation, and low-income populations through the implementation of applied behavior analysis (ABA). I come from the Omaha Indian Reservation; I am Native American and a first generation student. This is my first year in the ABA Graduate Program at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO). I received my bachelor’s degree from UNO with a concentration in mental health during the Spring of 2019. Throughout the course of my undergraduate studies, I worked various customer service jobs. During the Fall of 2017, I was given the opportunity to intern with Munroe Meyer Institute (MMI) and their Autism Care for Toddlers Clinic. During the internship, I was able to learn more in depth on what and how ABA can have a positive impact on a client’s life. Through learning all the different methodology, techniques, approaches, and seeing how it positively affects lives, I instantly fell in love with ABA. After the conclusion of the internship, I found an employment opportunity with the Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD). While I was with CARD, I was able to get experience in the ABA field as a Behavioral Technician II and worked my way up to a Behavioral Technician IV. During this experience, I conducted functional behavior assessments, obtained baseline data, and behavior intervention planned with our Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). I also did outpatient 1-on-1 ABA therapy and supervised behavioral technicians during their 1-on-1 therapy sessions. Additionally, I underwent intensive training to become an Assaultive Behavior Management (ABM) expert. As an ABM expert, I provided trainings with staff on how to effectively care for severely aggressive clients and how to de-escalate aggressive situations that could occur during therapy sessions. When it came to picking a school to attend for my graduate studies, the choice came easy because UNO is home for me. UNO has a partnership with the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and MMI which provides a unique learning opportunity that creates an experience you cannot get anywhere else. This program fits me perfectly, I am very thankful to be in this position, and am eager to see what is to come!

Hello, my name is Alexis Westercamp, and I am a first-year graduate student in the Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) program here at UNO/UNMC. I found my love for ABA out of chance. At the start of my collegiate career, I went to a junior college to play softball to be an occupational therapist. Once I learned more about it, I realized it wasn’t for me. I knew I wanted to work with children with intellectual disabilities. After graduating from junior college, I planned to become a special education teacher. Working in the school setting was perfect because it would allow me to pursue my passion for coaching. After looking at the special education curriculum, I decided teaching wasn’t for me. I knew I wanted to go to Briar Cliff University, and while looking into their programs, I saw ABA and thought that was interesting. Once talking to my advisor, I realized ABA was perfect for me. While at Briar Cliff, I worked at our on-campus pro bono clinic, serving six families in the Siouxland area. Here at UNO/UNMC, I will work in schools in the Omaha area and learn what BCBAs do in a school district.