Public Policy Agenda — Licensure and Workforce Development
Autism New Jersey believes that the autism community should be served by qualified, competent, and fairly compensated Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) and behavior analysts. We are strongly advocating for a living wage for DSPs and advancing state recognition for Board Certified Behavior Analysts.
Licensure of Behavior Analysts
Governor Phil Murphy signed the “Applied Behavior Analyst Licensing Act” into law in January 2020. The law marks a legislative triumph for Autism New Jersey and will provide important protections for consumers to ensure access to quality ABA services provided by trained and ethical professionals.
After an understandable delay due to the pandemic, the six members of the State Board of Applied Behavior Analysis Examiners were appointed in June 2021.
We are proud to announce that among those esteemed community members appointed was our Executive Director, Dr. Suzanne Buchanan, who was elected its inaugural Chair when the Board began meeting in July 2021.
The Board is now tasked with drafting regulations that will govern the profession, a process that could take some time to complete.
If you are a behavior analyst in New Jersey, there are no actions that you need to take at this moment. As we wait for the next steps, you can educate yourself on the details of the law by reviewing our licensure law summary.
Updated FAQs and information will be posted as they become available.
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For questions or more information about licensure, email publicpolicy@autismnj.org.
The Coalition for a DSP Living Wage
Autism New Jersey is proud to participate on the steering committee of The Coalition for a DSP Living Wage, a group created to address the workforce shortage crisis and obtain increased wages for Direct Support Professionals working with individuals with I/DD in New Jersey.