This page provides information on topics related to the delivery of behavioral services through the Developmental Disability waivers in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Information on how to locate a provider for this service, along with professional resources and training videos that behaviorists may find useful in their own practice are also offered. Additionally, content and resources related to quality reviews of behavioral programming delivered through the FIS and CL waivers is provided.
Therapeutic consultation is a service available through the FIS and CL waivers encompassing an array of therapy modalities (i.e. speech/language, occupational therapy, behavioral consultation) that may assist in helping implement a person’s individual support plan. In addition to the waiver regulations, the provider manual may be a useful resource for readers (select Developmental Disabilities Waivers).
The DBHDS/DMAS Practice Guidelines for Behavior Support Plans offers basic guidelines on the minimum elements that constitute an adequately designed behavior support plan for individuals receiving therapeutic consultation behavioral services under the Family and Individual Supports (FIS) and Community Living (CL) Developmental Disability Medicaid waivers in Virginia. Additional information is also provided in the Practice Guidelines on the use of a least restrictive treatment philosophy, positive behavior supports, utilizing person-centered thinking and planning, and incorporating a trauma-informed approach in behavioral services. See the button below on “Quality Reviews” for more information.
There are two primary provider types that deliver therapeutic consultation behavioral services in Virginia: Positive Behavior Support Facilitators (PBSF) and Board Certified Behavior Analysts®/Licensed Behavior Analysts (BCBA®/LBA).
Starting in March 2023, DBHDS is providing the following SEARCH ENGINE to locate behaviorists that deliver this service.
May 2023 Update: If you are behaviorist and would like to have your organization’s contact information listed on the search engine linked above, or if your organization’s information requires updates, please complete this form.
Additional resources to find behaviorists are available below.
Find a Licensed Behavior Analyst/Licensed Assistant Behavior Analyst
Archives for Behavior Analysis in Practice
Archives for Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
Association for Behavior Analysis International
Association for Contextual Behavioral Science
Association for Positive Behavior Support
Association for Professional Behavior Analysts
Association for Science in Autism Treatment
Behavior Analyst Certification Board ®
Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies
Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports
Council of Autism Service Providers
- Overview and Summary of Scientific Support for Applied Behavior Analysis
- Reinforcer Assessment for Individuals with Severe Disability
- Paired Stimulus Preference Assessment
- Multiple Stimulus Without Replacement Preference Assessment
- Single Stimulus Preference Assessment
International Society for Performance Improvement
National Autism Center’s National Standards Project
PartnerShip Behavior Analytic Research Citations
Society for the Quantitative Analyses of Behavior
Western Michigan University Autism Center of Excellence Training Videos
DBHDS behavior analysts are providing features on various aspects of behavior analysis that may be of interest via the ABA Snippets section of the Office of Integrated Health’s monthly newsletter. Snippets are typically pertinent to behavioral consultation, but at times may branch out into the larger corpus of human behavior. Recent topics are listed below. Please explore the entirety of the newsletter and OIH website for safety alerts, educational resources, health support network information, and much more.
- October 2023: Accessing Evidence Based Research for Best Practice
- September 2023: Your Reinforcer is Ready to Pair: Five Steps for Stimulus-Stimulus Pairing
- August 2023: Risk-Benefit
- July 2023: Negative Reinforcement = Relief
- June 2023: Dignity
- May 2023: Search feature to find behaviorists
- April 2023: ABC Data Collection
- March 2023: Reinforcement or Not Reinforcement
- February 2023: Writing Behavioral Definitions for Practical Applications
- January 2023: Constructing Line Graphs with Condition or Phase Change Lines
- December 2022: Introductory Resources on Behavior Analysis
- November 2022: Continuing education
- October 2022: Quality assurance in behavior planning
- September 2022: Writing behavioral objectives
- August 2022: BSPARI Trends
- July 2022: Organizational behavior management
- June 2022: Resource directories for behaviorists
- May 2022: Applications of ABA beyond Autism Spectrum Disorders
- April 2022: Telehealth in behavioral services
- March 2022: Resources on the prioritization of behaviors in behavior support planning
- February 2022: A plan for training in behavior plans
- January 2022: Quality reviews of behavioral programming
In 2021, DBHDS partnered with both West Virginia University and the University of Cincinnati to present trainings on functional behavior assessment, behavior support planning, behavioral skills training, and graphical displays and visual analysis. Training videos are available on the DBHDS YouTube page via the links below:
Introduction to Functional Behavior Assessment
Advanced Functional Behavior Assessment
Advanced Behavior Support Planning
Graphical Displays and Analysis: Plotting without Deception Part 1
Graphical Displays and Analysis: Plotting without Deception Part 2
In August 2022, DBHDS provided a brief informational training on general trend results of FBAs and BSPs reviewed via the Behavior Support Plan Adherence Review Instrument (BSPARI). This training provides information on the purpose and nature of the BSPARI and related feedback sessions, trend results of reviews completed between January and August 2022, and on-target examples and resources.
In October 2022, a virtual training on “Navigating Therapeutic Behavioral Consultation” was provided. The training video offers information on provider enrollment, basics and FAQ on billing, quality assurance initiatives, required documentation and authorization types, and more.
The DBHDS/DMAS Practice Guidelines for Behavior Support Plans outline the required content areas and associated minimum elements for behavioral programming through the therapeutic consultation waiver service. Additional information is included on positive behavior supports, person centered behavior planning, and trauma informed care in behavior planning.
DBHDS has created the Behavior Support Plan Adherence Review Instrument (BSPARI) to determine adherence to the Practice Guidelines. The BSPARI Scoring Instructions and Feedback Guide outlines the scoring logic and provides information on the quality review process. An optional behavior support plan template is also available here.
You can contact leadership for behavioral services at DBHDS here.