ABOUT US
At Community Behavior Consulting, we have worked with children from two years through adulthood. We have worked with people with a wide variety of diagnoses: emotional and behavioral disorders, genetic disorders, autism, Down's Syndrome, cerebral palsy, chromosomal disorders, learning disabilities, blindness, hearing disorder, and more. We have experience working in schools as aides, teachers, and consultants. And we routinely lead professional development opportunities across the state of Ohio.
We are well versed in assessment of behavior. We routinely conduct Functional Behavior Assessments (FBA), skills assessments, develop treatment plans, and engage in parent training.
OUR VALUES
Values guide our organization to remind us to always remember what is important. These are the values that are important to us.
Community: Every person deserves to have a meaningful connection to their community. We work to tear down the barriers preventing true inclusion.
Justice: We believe that every person deserves effective treatment centered on respect and dignity. We work to promote this by passionately advocating for each of our clients to obtain the services and opportunities they deserve.
Compassion: Regardless of a person's action, they should be treated with kindness and care. Those that engage in challenging behavior, and their families, need the greatest amount of compassion and patience.
Joy: By focusing on creating joy, we believe behavior intervention can reveal a person's abilities. Our goal is not to suppress behavior, but to support our client's journey to happiness.
Our
Staff
Directors
Our directors work tirelessly to continually evolve our practice to improve the lives of our clients, the families we work with, and our amazing staff. Our directors are heavily involved in state and national advocacy efforts and professional development to bring the best practices in the field of behavior health to the children and schools we serve. Additionally, our directors pay special focus to the development of the field by focusing on staff training and development.
Behavior Analysts
Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) engage in assessment, treatment planning, and training to increase our clients skills and decrease any interfering behavior. With a focus on trauma-informed care, our BCBAs pay attention to the whole child, developing programming and activities that mirror what the child were to be doing if they were not receiving therapy. BCBAs collaborate with other professionals and train various caregivers.
Mental Health Counselors
Our mental health counselors provide essential services to ensure that all of our interventions are trauma-informed, televisable, and socially valid. Our mental health team communicates our behavior intervention plans to parents, school team, and other stakeholders to ensure that everyone is on the same page for the child. Working with parents and siblings, our mental health counselors provide needed support for the whole family.
Behavior Intervention Coordinators
Behavior Intervention Coordinators work as a conduit between the BCBA, behavior technicians, families, and school staff to ensure that the behavior and skill building plans are implemented as designed. Coordinators are able to spend more time modeling behavior intervention than a BCBA and more behavior analytic skills and experience than a behavior technician. They are well versed in the field of ABA and are completing or have completed graduate education in ABA or a related field. Most of the Coordinators are completing their fieldwork to become a BCBA and work closely with the BCBA supervisors as they coordinate treatment for children.
Registered Behavior Technicians
Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) are the backbone of ABA programming, implementing the appropriate interventions for each child. They are dependently certified to provide ABA. RBTs undergo training and must pass a performance and written competency. RBT must maintain appropriate supervision and complete a competency assessment yearly. In addition, RBTs at Community Behavior Consulting participate in up to 40 hours of additional training each year, including certification in crisis intervention.
Behavior Technicians
Behavior technicians (BTs) implement ABA programming under the close supervision of our certified staff. Behavior technicians have experience and training working with children and adults with developmental disabilities and behavior disorders. Behavior technicians at Community Behavior Consulting undergo training to become an RBT within their first four months of employment.
FOUNDER
Jen Gonda
Hello! I am Jen and I am delighted that you are interested in applied behavior analysis. I have worked in the field of ABA since 2010; I started as a behavior technician and then became a certified supervisor (Board Certified Behavior Analyst, BCBA) in 2013. I am also a licensed special education teacher and certified crisis intervention trainer. I have worked with over 20 different schools and collaborated with various agencies that service individuals with disabilities. I present at, and attend, nationwide conferences and am finishing my PhD in special education at the University of Pittsburgh, where I am an Urban Special Education Scholar receiving funding from the national Office of Special Education Programs. I was the previous board president at the Autism Society of the Mahoning Valley and created and spearheaded their flagship event: a summer camp for children with autism. Currently, I sit on the board of the Ohio Association of Behavior Analysis as the public policy chairperson. In this position, I collaborate with the state legislature and various state and national agencies regarding the practice of ABA in Ohio. This work allows me to stay up to date on laws and services for people that struggle with challenging behavior.
CLINICAL DIRECTOR
Ashley Krznar
Ashley has worked in the field of ABA and special education for over a decade. She previously practiced as a behavior analyst supervising ABA interventions delivered to children with autism in the home setting. Ashley also has experience collaborating with school districts and working with adolescents that engage in severe challenging behavior. In addition to her ABA certification as a BCBA, Ashley also retains her Ohio early childhood and special education license, providing her with versatility when she works with school districts. Ashley created and co-ran a social skills program for adults with disabilities, called Breaking Boundaries, where she planned events for adults with developmental disabilities to engage in community activities. Ashley has presented at statewide conferences and has experience working with health insurance companies to advocate for ABA services. Ashley comes to Community Behavior Consulting as the clinical director, managing the day-to-day services of children receiving ABA at the Canfield, Ohio location.
BEHAVIOR ANALYST
Kayla Armstrong, BCBA, COBA
Kayla has floated between the worlds of education and ABA since 2015. She is a BCBA and has her COBA certification. She has her Masters in Special Education and completed the BCBA course sequence at Kent State University. Kayla has worked as a behavior technician, a special education teacher, an English teacher, and as a behavior consultant. Kayla has experience working with children with autism, intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, and emotional and behavioral disorders. She has worked with children from age 2 to adult. She has experience in a wide variety of environments including schools, centers, and in client homes. Kayla has specialized experience transitioning children from a therapeutic setting into public school. Kayla loves working with kids and helping them learn new skills that can help them navigate this world even just a little bit better.
Behavior Analyst
Jessica Crooks, BCBA, COBA
Jessica Crooks has been a Board Certified Behavior Analyst since 2017. She grew up in De Pere, Wisconsin and received her bachelor's degree in Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Jessica obtained her Master's degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania, where she worked as a Behavior Tech and then a BCBA, providing consultative services for children ages three to twenty. She has always been passionate about working with children and helping them reach their goals. Her services over the years have included working with children, their families, teachers, and support staff to address skill deficits in communication and academics and to decrease maladaptive behaviors. In her free time, Jessica enjoys hiking, camping, and gardening. She is very excited to be part of the CBC team and looks forward to getting to know the families and children in this community.
Counselor
Anthony DelSignore, LPCC-S
Anthony is a graduate of Kent State University with a Master’s of Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. He has many years of experience working with children, adolescents, adults, and families as both a counselor and a case manager. He has worked both in private practice settings and community agency settings as well. He is trained in EMDR, DBT, LGBTQIA+ inclusion, Adventure Therapy and Structured Sensory Interventions for Traumatized Children, Adolescents and Parents. He is able to assist with a variety of concerns including: trauma, anxiety, depression, parenting, adoption and fostering, grief and loss, and gender identity.
