CEU Bundle: Mental Health and Soft Skills / Effective Communication (5 parts)

Jennifer is a dually credentialed professional, licensed and certified as a Speech-Language Pathologist and Behavior Analyst (BCBA). She possesses expertise and advanced skills in teaching language to children on the autism spectrum. She has helped clients across the life span from Early Intervention, Preschool through School in both home and center-based settings. Over the past 10 years, she has successfully integrated strategies and techniques from both disciplines to help individuals with autism and their educational teams generate better student outcomes.

Dr. Jenna Sage has worked in multiple capacities in the field of education for nearly 25 years.  She earned her Ph.D. in Special Education focusing on systems change processes and supporting students with emotional behavioral disorders.  Her primary work in the school system was Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, Functional Behavior Assessment and Behavior Intervention Planning, Manifestation Determination, and Restorative Practices.  She held positions from paraprofessional, to classroom teacher, behavior specialist and resolution specialist.

In her current professional role, she is Dean of Career Readiness and Workforce Solutions for a national nonprofit healthcare educational institution.  In that position she supports the cross-departmental development of workforce and career engagement content, cultural and mental health initiatives, and authoring thought leadership communications. 

As a practicing Behavior Analyst, Her professional focus is helping practitioners apply the science of behavior pragmatically, meaningfully and with sustainability. Her two current publications, Happy Class: The Practical Guide to Classroom Management and Happy Student: The Practical Guide to Functional Behavior Assessment and Behavior Intervention Planning emphasize her ability to make ABA more accessible for educators.  Her most recent book, Manifesting Happy: How to Maintain Self-Care Amidst Challenging Behaviors and Challenging Times highlights how educators can use ABA to develop effective
self-care strategies. 

Dr. Gilbert has been working with children, adolescents, and adults for almost ten years and has worked with infants and toddlers as an Infant Toddler Developmental Specialist (ITDS). She graduated from Florida International University with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and a minor in Behavior Analysis and Masters of Science degree from FIU in Education with a Mental Health Counseling minor. Dr. Gilbert obtained a second Masters of Science in Psychology from CAU. Dr. Gilbert obtained her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (PSY.D). She is fluent in English and Spanish and understands French.

Dr. Gilbert is deeply passionate about what she does as a professional and looks forward to using her expertise as well as gaining further experience in this field. She has extensive experience conducting behavior assessments and supervising clinicians as well as training parents, teachers and staff. Dr. Gilbert has presented on behavior analysis techniques at workshops, Parent-to-Parent trainings, internationally, UMCARD, various autism awareness events, private/public schools, charity events, and foster homes and shelters in both Spanish and English. Dr. Gilbert has co-authored articles in Parent with Special Needs magazine and has conducted RBT (Registered Behavior Technician) trainings as well as the 40-hour required Behavior Assistant training.

Additionally, Dr. Gilbert is an adjunct professor and teaches Applied Behavior Analysis courses at CAU and is an active member of the southern region Agency for Persons with Disabilities, Local Review Committee where along with the other members provides ongoing technical assistance and consultation as well as approvals for behavior plans presented by other analysts in her region.

Dr. Ronald Brown, a noted expert on the topic of ADHD has served as the Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic (Health Affairs) at the University of North Texas System.

Dr. Brown completed his Ph.D. from Georgia State University and has been the past President of the Society of Pediatric Psychology and the Association of Psychologists of Academic Health Centers.

He is a board-certified clinical health psychologist and has been an active clinician, teacher, advocate and investigator. He served as a member of the Behavioral Medicine study section of the NIH and chaired several special panels at NIH. He currently serves as the Editor of Professional Psychology: Research and Practice.

Dr. Ronald Brown’s area of specialization includes behavioral sciences, pediatric psychology, attention deficit disorders, neuropsychology, psychopharmacology, learning disabilities and psychosocial oncology. 

Dr. Debbie Coehlo is a certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and Pediatric Mental Health Specialist with a Doctoral Degree in Family Sciences and Human Development. She is the Founder and Director of Juniper Pediatrics, a clinic modeled after John F Kennedy’s multidisciplinary system of care. Using a holistic, integrated care model, Juniper provides counseling, medication management and family therapy for children with ASD, ADHD and other childhood mental health disorders.

Dr. Coehlo completed her Master’s in Nursing with a specialty in parent- child nursing. She spent 10 years working at the Child Development Center at the University of Washington in the Genetics Clinic and Multidisciplinary Clinic. In 1999, she complete her Doctorate degree in Human Development and Family Studies. 

She continues to teach at the undergraduate and graduate level and had pursued research in the area of social networking, transitioning to out of home care for families, and child development. 

Dr. Coehlo is a co- editor for the 4th and 5th edition of Family Health Nursing (F.A. Dais, 2010/2013) and has published several journal articles in the areas of families choosing residential care, families in transition, family health nursing, and care of children with special health care needs.

Ms. Manya Ralkowski has been practicing in the field of applied behavior analysis for over 25 years. Her training began under direct education and training from consultants from the Lovaas Clinic in Los Angeles while completing her bachelor of arts in Communication Disorders with endorsements in special education and psychology at Western Washington University. Ms. Ralkowski continued her education and training with a master’s degree in Education from Lesley University and a graduate certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis from the University of Washington while working as an assistant teacher on the Project DATA grant at the Haring Center-Professional Training Unit. She also possesses a doctorate degree in Instructional Leadership.

Ronnie Detrich, Ph.D., has been providing behavior analytic services for over 50 years. His work can be characterized as thorough-going behavior analysis drawing from the conceptual, experimental, and applied branches of our discipline.

In recent years, Ronnie’s work has focused on the challenges of achieving adequate levels of treatment integrity in large systems, the role of the evidence-based practice movement in behavior analysis, and the large-scale implementation of effective practices in public schools. He is a trustee of the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies and is on the editorial boards of Perspectives in Behavior Science and Exceptional Children. He serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Positive Behavior Intervention. Ronnie has also served on the editorial board of Behavior Analysis in Practice and was the Coordinator of ABAI’s Practice Board.