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Autism Leadership Team

Megan Robinson Joy, Ph.D., BCBA
Director of Autism Services

Megan Robinson Joy, Ph.D., BCBA, joined Devereux Pennsylvania in June 2017 as the director of autism services. In her role as state director, Dr. Joy provides clinical oversight of Devereux’s autism programs and services in Pennsylvania, including: the Center for Autism Research and Educational Services (CARES), the CARES consultation program, and the Community Adult Autism Partnership Program. She also oversees the implementation of the Devereux Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (D-PBIS) Autism model across our Pennsylvania centers.

Prior to Devereux, Dr. Joy was the regional director of Home and School Consultation at the May Institute in Randolph, Mass. There, she provided clinical and operational oversight to more than 70 clinicians providing Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services to children with autism in homes and in public schools.

Dr. Joy earned a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Stony Brook University under the mentorship of Dr. Edward Carr, one of the founders of Positive Behavior Support. She also holds a Master of Arts in Psychology from Stony Brook University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Hamilton College, Summa Cum Laude. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.

Dr. Joy’s work focuses on using the principles of ABA to develop contextually appropriate interventions to teach skills and reduce problem behaviors in natural settings. She has presented at a number of regional and national ABA conferences on supporting families with children with autism, functional behavior assessment, training therapists and educators on the principles of ABA, and using multi-tiered systems of support to develop effective staff training and supervision models.

Cathleen Albertson, M.A.
BCBA Clinical Coordinator, Devereux CARES

 

Ms. Albertson is the Clinical Coordinator for Devereux CARES in Downingtown, PA where she oversees all clinical aspects of the school and transition program. She received her BA in Psychology from the University of Richmond in Richmond, VA and her Master’s Degree in Psychology from Brandeis University in Waltham, MA, and has been a Board Certified Behavior Analyst since 2006.  Ms. Albertson’s began her career at Melmark and was appointed Director of Children’s Residential Services, where she was charged with the oversight and management of complex special education programming. Ms. Albertson has presented at national and regional conferences.  Areas of interest include staff training, transition services, collaboration with multiple disciplines, and feeding disorders.

Richard G. Allen Psy.D., BCBA-D, NCSP
Director of Clinical Services, Devereux Children’s IDD Services, Community Services Division

Dr. Allen is presently the Director of Clinical Services for Devereux Pennsylvania’s Community Services Division, where he oversees the clinical services for home, school and community based programs serving both children and adults on the autism spectrum and as well as other developmental disabilities and/or mental health concerns.  Dr. Allen has extensive experience providing psychological assessment, consultation and clinical supervision in community programs serving individuals with autism.  He completed his doctoral degree in School Psychology from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and both his BS and MS in psychology at Saint Joseph’s University.  Dr. Allen has presented on research studies involving quality of life, data-based decision making, strength-based assessments and client satisfaction.  Dr. Allen has also conducted professional workshops on functional behavior assessment and positive behavioral interventions.  He currently teaches autism-specific courses at the Saint Joseph’s University Kinney Center for Autism as well as applied behavior analysis at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Christine Ivanick, M.S.
Educational and Behavior Consultant, Devereux CARES

Christine Ivanick has been a professional in the field of autism since 1986 and has been a part of both community-based direct service programs and consultation and training programs throughout that time. Since coming to Devereux CARES in 2007, Ms. Ivanick has provided community-based consultation and training to educational, vocational and residential agencies and families for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) across the life-span. In addition, Christine assists with the coordination of as well as participation in the CARES Autism Summer Institute, a three-day workshop and training series.  Christine received her Masters of Science Degree from the University of North Carolina – Greensboro in Child Development and Family Studies and a BA in Psychology and Human Development from Indiana University in Bloomington.  Christine received her training in Positive Behavior Support through the Research and Training Center, a national network of positive behavior support training in 1990 while working as an educational consultant at the Institute for the Study of Developmental Disabilities at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. Ongoing interests include increasing skills for individuals on the autism spectrum using positive behavior support, community involvement for individuals with ASD across the lifespan, especially into adulthood, and social skills research and interventions for individuals with ASD.