I have been blessed and privileged to live in various places throughout my life. Each town and state has played such a pivotal role in shaping me into the person I am today. The beginning years of my experience working with children came from my time living in Pennsylvania where I was born and raised. From there, I was able to follow my childhood dream and move to sunny California. This is where I was first introduced to children with autism and other neurological/developmental disabilities. My time there provided me with not only a Master’s Degree and my BCBA certification but invaluable and life-changing tools through working with highly accomplished professionals across the industry. After my time there, I migrated back to the East Coast and landed in New Jersey where I have been since 2012.
I have a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Criminal Justice and a Master of Arts in Education with a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis. Upon graduation, I received my BCBA certification in 2009.
My passion has always been to make a difference in the lives of others. I always thought my area of focus was going to be with at-risk youth from underprivileged communities. For years, this is who I served and mentored with no intentions on working with any other population. It wasn’t until my transition to California that I was introduced to a whole new passion, with a completely different population of children. I knew from that day forward, that this was my path and I have not looked back ever since.
I am the Clinical Director at PRISM Learning Center. My duties include:
• Manage Staff
• Manage clinical operations
• Recruiting
• Ensure the implementation of the organizations’ policies and procedures
• Ensure all employees meet our policies and standards
• Talk with prospective parents
• Make connections in the community with potential referral sources Clinical
• Build trusting, positive relationships with kids and parents
• Serve as guide, role model, and inspiration to therapist, supervisors, and interns
• Create and modify behavior plans and skill acquisition protocols
• Collaborate with staff and clinicians from other organizations
• Oversee data collection and review
• Develop Quality Assurance protocols and procedures
• Ensure clinical programming is in compliance with funding source requirements
Since my time in the field, I have served numerous roles from therapist to Director and everything in between. Each role provided me with the opportunity to have an impact on the population whether directly or indirectly.
Since working with PRISM Learning Center, my best experience has been working with the owner and the dedicated team of supervisors and therapists. We have worked tirelessly to build the foundation as solid as possible so that we can continue to grow as an ABA center to serve our children, training facility for future therapists and BCBA’s, and a community resource for families in need.
I have been fortunate enough across my career to accomplish many of my professional goals. Despite those accomplishments, I am still very unsatisfied as I know I have so much more to achieve. My passion has been and will always be about the community and the children. I want to create a space where all children, no matter their background, age, ability, or disability, can come and truly be themselves. Here at PRISM Learning Center we are aiming to provide that place and I am blessed to be a part of making that happen.
For any student seeking to pursue a career in this field, I strongly encourage them to be sure they are doing it for all the right reasons. This field comes with great responsibilities and responsibilities that I personally take very seriously. You must be sure to be all in, to truly make a difference. When starting out, seek out professionals who have been in the field for guidance and mentorship. Do not be afraid to acknowledge you do not know something and always be willing to do whatever it takes to go out and figure out how to find it out. Professional development should be an ongoing part of your journey. Give yourself the opportunity to work with various age groups and demographics to ensure you find the area you can see yourself doing for years to come.
I love to travel anywhere I can be with my family with no distractions and spend quality time and create lasting memories.
When I am not working, I love spending time with my family. I love traveling and visiting new places. When I am not traveling, I love playing and coaching sports. My role as a therapist and coach has always been a perfect blend, and given me the tools to foster growth. Another passion has always been entrepreneurship. I started my first business at an early age and have owned several more ever since. Much like therapy, I love to start something, nurture it, and watch it grow.