Several Ship alumni proudly represent the psychology department at Behavior by Design, LLC in York.
Behavior by Design is a business that began in 2010 with a mission to improve the lives of the developmentally disabled through quality Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services, or applied techniques for assessing and modifying behavior. Today, the organization serves in multiple locations – all equipped with a competent team of Board-Certified Behavioral Analysts (BCBA), four of which graduated with double degrees from Ship’s Psychology department.
Megan Robertson ’13-’15M completed her bachelors and masters degree in psychology at Shippensburg, as well as her Board Certification in Behavioral Analysis, and now works as director of Behavior by Design. She attributes much of her success to Ship by providing her with “in-depth knowledge of psychology and ABA.”
Robertson continued, “Shippensburg’s program prepared me for a role in leadership because I had to develop time-management skills and teamwork skills. I also believe the small class sizes were really helpful because this allowed the teachers to work really close with me, provide feedback, and made sure I was successful.”
Cidney Heller ’15-’17M, clinical director, praised Ship for helping her find Behavior by Design as an internship site where she learned “countless professional and clinical skills.” Now, she applies those skills as a full-time BCBA.
Kelsey Kinney ’15-17, senior clinical consultant, said her favorite part about working for Behavior by Design involves collaborating with other BCBAs, “and getting to pursue parts of the field of ABA that are not established yet.”
Tyler Williams ’16-’18M agreed with Kinney, emphasizing that his fellow BCBAs are the best part about working for Behavior by Design as a clinical consultant. “The staff is very supportive and nurtures a healthy understanding of ABA. They provided amazing opportunities to advance my knowledge of ABA as well as apply that knowledge to my own caseload.”
Dr. Kathryn Potoczak, professor of psychology, shared her delight at so many of her past graduate students finding success at Behavior by Design.
“They are creating a brighter future for individuals with challenging behaviors and the people who love them, using the evidence-based techniques of Applied Behavior Analysis, which they learned about as graduate students at Ship.”
Dr. Potoczak added, “the Ship alumni at Behavior by Design are the best of our best. They are directly applying the knowledge and skills learned within our graduate program in psychology to make a real difference in the world.”
Behavior by Design has a bright future in providing ABA services to the developmentally disabled, especially with former Raiders at the helm.
