Join Devereux’s Institute of Clinical and Professional Training and Research for its 26^th annual Jean and Anson Beard Symposium on May 21 with featured speakers Dr. Paul Gavoni and Anika Costa. Below is a description of the event content from the speakers: “One of the focuses of Behavior Analysts and providers supporting the needs of learners in residential facilities and related programs should be to design strategies that accelerate and sustain good practice. As such, they must look beyond the behavior of the learners by broadening their focus to include systems and the behavior of the providers and leaders at the individual, group and organizational level. This presentation will focus on the improvement of services through the lens of Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) as a means of creating meaningful behavior change by improving and developing processes and systems, closing gaps in staff performance, improving retention, and ultimately increasing learner achievement.”

About the Jean and Anson Beard Symposium

Established in 1997 through the generosity of longtime Devereux supporters Jean and Anson Beard, the symposium offers a forum for sharing and discussing the most recent advances in the field of behavioral health.

At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

1. Describe a systems approach to behavior change.
2. State key strategies to problem solving using OBM principles.
3. List key components of performance diagnostics in assessing performance issues.
4. Identify key communication strategies within the OBM framework to enhance organizational efficiency.
5. Describe how to align staff performance with organizational goals to effectively drive desired outcomes using OBM principles.

Paul Gavoni, Ed.D., BCBA
Specializing in coaching and organizational leadership, Dr. Paul “Paulie” Gavoni is a behavior scientist who has worked in education, human services and sports for more than two decades. In this capacity, he has served the needs of children and adults in a variety of positions, including chief operating officer, vice president, director of school improvement, leadership director, professor, assistant principal, school turnaround manager, clinical coordinator, therapist, trainer, coach and behavior analyst. Dr. Gavoni is passionate about applying Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) strategies to help establish positive and engaging environments across industries to bring out the best in people. He is a board member of the Opioid Awareness Foundation and The World Behavior Analysis Day Alliance.

Beyond his work in education and human services, Dr. Gavoni also is a former fighter and highly respected striking coach in combat sports. Coach “Paulie Gloves,” as he is known in the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) community, has trained world champions and UFC vets using technologies rooted in the behavioral sciences.

Anika Costa, M.S.Ed., BCBA
Introduced to Applied Behavior Analysis in 2000 while working as a speech therapist, Anika quickly discovered her passion. For nearly two decades, she has directly provided effective behavior and performance support to individuals, groups and organizations across educational, private and community-based agencies. Anika became board certified in 2010 after earning a post-graduate certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis at Stony Brook University. She earned a Master of Science in education from C.W. Post University in 2002 and a Bachelor of Science in communicative sciences from the University of Central Florida in 1997. A presenter at local and national conferences, Anika has used her extensive field experience as a platform for providing meaningful training, supervision and mentoring to behavior analysts across the country. As a former New York City public school teacher, Anika has a specialized skill set that has allowed her to effectively work with teachers and school leaders nationwide in classroom and school improvement efforts. A seasoned instructor, she is passionate about applying principles of Organizational Behavior Management during assessment, training and coaching initiatives to support measurable performance improvement within the natural environment.

Breaks: The course time listed includes two, 15-minute breaks.

Registration cancellation: Registrations canceled by May 14 will be fully refunded, less a $7 service fee. Registrations canceled by May 20 will be partially refunded at $46.

Devereux internal registration: Current Devereux employees, independent contractors and parents may register for free with their Devereux email, but must use the registration link provided on this site. If a Devereux internal registrant accidentally submits payment for the event, a refund will be issued, less a $7 service fee.

Recording: A recording of the event may be available to Devereux employees. Please contact our CE team for more information.

Accessibility information: We strive to provide an inclusive, accessible experience that enables all individuals to engage and participate fully in our programming. Auto-captioning will be enabled. If you require any other accommodations to fully participate in the training, please contact our team at the email address listed below. We can support requests up until one week prior to the event start time.

Questions? Please email us at continuingeducation@devereux.org.