Behavioral Services
This page provides information on the delivery of behavioral services through the Developmental Disability waivers in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The THERAPEUTIC BEHAVIORAL CONSULTATION SEARCH ENGINE may help you locate providers of this service. Professional resources and training videos are included for behaviorists and those that want to learn more about behavioral science. Additionally, content and resources related to quality reviews of behavioral programming are provided.
Therapeutic consultation is a service available through the FIS and CL waivers. It includes an array of therapies, such as speech/language, occupational therapy, and behavioral consultation. Such services 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).
A brief Therapeutic Behavioral Consultation overview video may be helpful to individuals and families in understanding what this service is, who it may benefit, and how individuals and supporters can successfully participate in this service. This video is not an overview of regulations or the provider manual; see the links above for that information.
The DBHDS/DMAS Practice Guidelines for Behavior Support Plans offers basic guidelines on the minimum elements that constitute an adequately designed behavior support plan through the Developmental Disability Medicaid waivers in Virginia.
Use the THERAPEUTIC BEHAVIORAL CONSULTATION SEARCH ENGINE to locate behaviorists that deliver this service.
Please complete this form to have your organization listed. Providers must be enrolled with DMAS for the therapeutic consultation waiver service to be listed on the search engine.
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).
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 on positive behavior supports, person centered behavior planning, and trauma informed care is included. Related resources are below:
- Behavior Support Plan Adherence Review Instrument (BSPARI) is used to determine adherence to the Practice Guidelines. Additionally, the BSPARI Scoring Instructions and Feedback Guide outlines the scoring logic and the quality review process.
- An optional behavior support plan template is available here.
- In 2024, the creators of the BSPARI, in collaboration with Dr. Neil Deochand at Mississippi State University, published work on quality assurance. Specifically, the publication includes an overview of existing quality assurance instruments and offers considerations for readers interested in policy to practice alignment. See a read-only version here: “The Development of a Behavior Plan Quality Assurance Instrument in a Publicly Funded System of Care“.
- See a brief video overview of these efforts here.
To review reporting data on quality assurance and other metrics, visit this page and navigate to the reports labeled “Behavioral Supports Report”.
BSPARI Element Training: ABC Data and Conditional Probabilities, Part 1
BSPARI Element Training: ABC Data and Conditional Probabilities, Part 2
BSPARI Element Training: Behaviors for Increase
BSPARI Element Training: Graphical Displays and Visual Analysis
BSPARI Element Training: Informed Consent and Legal Status
BSPARI Element Training: Initial Plan Date and Revisions
BSPARI Element Training: Non-Operant Conditions that Influence Behavior
BSPARI Element Training: Preference Assessments
BSPARI Element Training: Setting Events and Motivating Operations
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 provide features on various aspects of behavior analysis via the ABA Snippets section of the Office of Integrated Health’s monthly newsletter and archives. Please explore the newsletter and OIH website for safety alerts, educational resources, and health support network information.
- January 2026: Start ACTing Now to Create Resolutions That Last
- December 2025: Behavioral Gerontology
- November 2025: Working with Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Disorders
- October 2025: Turning the Terror of Corrective Feedback Into a Treat
- September 2025: Back to School: Behavioral Terms 102
- August 2025: Back to School: Behavioral Terms 101
- July 2025: Empowering Individuals through Behavioral Science
- June 2025: Above and Beyond
- May 2025: National Smile Day
- April 2025: What’s in your toolbox?
- March 2025: Luck, Superstitions, and the Behavior Science Behind St. Patrick’s Day Traditions
- February 2025: Instilling a Positive Working Relationship
- January 2025: New Year’s Resolution Tips
- December 2024: You Have the Right To…
- November 2024: The Bountiful Benefits of Reinforcement
- October 2024: The Spooky Side Effects of Punishment
- September 2024: Shaping Up Your Health, Part 2
- August 2024: Shaping Up Your Health, Part 1
- July 2024: I Scream, You Scream
- June 2024: Cultural Responsiveness
- May 2024: Mental Health and Behavior Science
- April 2024: Differential Reinforcement
- March 2024: The Development of a Behavior Plan Quality Assurance Instrument in a Publicly Funded System of Care
- February 2024: Let them see you wash those hands!
- January 2024: Improving caregiver hand hygiene
We are pleased to announce a training series on Navigating Therapeutic Behavioral Consultation for New Providers. These trainings review provider enrollment, using WaMS, getting started with the service, and understanding quality assurance and human rights expectations.
Treatment of Challenging Behavior for Adults with DD: A Review of Literature
Beyond “Good Job”: Leveraging Principles of Behavior for Effective Feedback
Skill-Based Treatment Slide deck available here.
Introduction to the Practical Functional Assessment Slide deck for the training is available here.
BSPARI Review Updates, September 2024 . The Q&A from this webinar is available here.
Quality Reviews in Therapeutic Behavioral Consultation, November 2023
Introduction to Functional Behavior Assessment Training from West Virginia University on basics of functional behavior assessment (FBA).
Advanced Functional Behavior Assessment Training from West Virginia University on advanced FBA.
Behavioral Skills Training West Virginia University presents an overview on behavioral skills training.
Advanced Behavior Support Planning Training from West Virginia University on advanced behavior support planning.
Graphical Displays and Analysis: Plotting without Deception Part 1 From University of Cincinnati on graphing and analysis.
Graphical Displays and Analysis: Plotting without Deception Part 2 From University of Cincinnati on graphing and analysis.
Our team has experience in behavioral science across adult and child populations in a wide range of settings and applications. We welcome your questions, suggestions, and feedback.
Nathan Habel, Director of Behavioral Services and Projects: nathan.habel@dbhds.virginia.gov
Courtney Pernick, Behavior Analyst: courtney.pernick@dbhds.virginia.gov
Brian Phelps, Behavior Analyst: brian.phelps@dbhds.virginia.gov
John Tolson, Behavior Analyst: john.tolson@dbhds.virginia.gov
Nick Vanderburg, Behavior Analyst: nick.vanderburg@dbhds.virginia.gov
If you have feedback for us on any of our training videos, please complete this form.
