Our Internship Faculty

Jen Francisco is a Senior Training and Consulting Specialist with the Devereux Center for Effective Schools. She earned an M.Ed. in Educational and Counseling Psychology from West Chester University, is a certified school counselor in Pennsylvania, and is also a board-certified behavior analyst. Mrs. Francisco is currently involved in several projects that aim to develop, implement and maintain school-wide behavioral support systems in a variety of settings. Her research interests include sustainability of multi-tiered systems of support, supporting and enhancing data-based decision-making processes across settings and interventions, and providing supports to teachers and educational staff in implementing and maintaining behavioral interventions.

• Certified K-12 School Counselor in Pennsylvania
• Board Certified Behavior Analyst
• Independent SWPBIS Facilitator: Tier I Universal Prevention for the Pennsylvania Positive Behavior Support Network
• Independent SWPBIS Facilitator: Advanced Tiers for the Pennsylvania Positive Behavior Support Network
• Independent PWPBIS Facilitator: Tier I Universal Prevention for the Pennsylvania Positive Behavior Support Network
• School-Wide Information System Facilitator (SWIS, CICO-SWIS, I-SWIS)

• Emotional and behavioral disorders
• Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports schools, alternative settings, and preschools
• Classroom management
• Parent management training
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy training

• 2014 – present: Devereux Center for Effective Schools – Senior Training and Consulting Specialist
• 2012 – 2014: Child and Family Focus – Behavior Specialist/Mobile Therapist
• 2011 – 2012: North Penn School District and Spring-ford Area School District – School Counselor Intern
• 2009 – 2011: Devereux Community Services – Blended Case Manager
• 2007 – 2009: Central Behavioral Health – Service/Intensive Case Manager

• West Chester University – Master of Education in Educational and Counseling Psychology
• University of Delaware – Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

• Zakszeski, B., Rutherford, L., Francisco, J., Sanders, J., Ritvalsky, K., Luther, S., Murphy, A., Karyczak, S., & Lukachko, A., (2023, March). Targeted Mental Health Support in High Schools: Barriers and Opportunities. Paper presented at the annual conference of the Association for Positive Behavioral Support, Jacksonville, FL.
• Rutherford, L. & Francisco, J. (2019, November). Building up the forgotten tier: Integrating group-based, tier 2 interventions in SWPBIS. Paper presented at the annual conference on Advancing School Mental Health, Austin, TX
• Hughes, E. L., Rutherford, L., & Francisco, J. (2019, March). Make it work: Implementing and sustaining SWPBIS in Philadelphia. Paper presented at the annual conference of the Association for Positive Behavioral Support, Washington, DC.
• von der Embse, N., Francisco, J, and Rutherford, L. (2018, October). Integrating a tiered mental health framework with universal screening in an urban school district. Paper presented at the annual conference of the National Center for School Mental Health, Las Vegas, Nevada.
• Thomas, L., Rutherford, L., Eisenberg, R., Francisco, J., and McCurdy, B. (2018, March). PBIS in the classroom: Variations of a performance feedback coaching model. Paper presented at the annual conference of the Association for Positive Behavioral Support, San Diego, California.
• Fluke, S., Ridgard, T., Francisco, J., and Rutherford, L. (2017, May). Using performance feedback to improve classroom management in an urban middle school. Poster presented at the annual implementer’s forum of the Pennsylvania Positive Behavior Support Network, Hershey, PA.
• Eisenberg, R., and Francisco, J. (2017, May). Check-in/Check-out: A Tier 2 intervention. Paper presented at the annual implementer’s forum of the Pennsylvania Positive Behavior Support Network, Hershey, PA.
• Rutherford, L., Francisco, J., and Heavner, E. (2017, March). Making it sunnier in Philadelphia: Implementing multi-tiered systems of supports and school-based behavioral health in an urban school district. Paper presented at the annual School Psychology Conference of Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.