Public Policy Agenda — Workforce Development

Autism New Jersey believes that the autism community should be served by qualified, competent, and fairly-compensated professionals. To achieve these goals, initiatives are needed to ensure a robust pipeline and stable workforce of professionals across disciplines (e.g., behavior analysis, medicine).

Current Focus

  • State agency alignment with the implementation of the Applied Behavior Analyst Licensing Act (e.g., NJEIS, CSOC, DDD)
  • Consumer and provider understanding of the Applied Behavior Analyst Licensing Act
  • Information gathering and relationship building on workforce development incentives within and outside the industries that serve the autism community (e.g., Behavioral Healthcare Provider Loan Redemption Program, “grow your own” models)
  • Professionalization of ABA services in schools
Autism New Jersey led advocacy efforts to secure or enact:
The Applied Behavior Analyst Licensing Act.
Governor appointment for Autism New Jersey’s Executive Director, Dr. Suzanne Buchanan, as the Chair of the State Board of Applied Behavior Analyst Examiners.
Strengthening of DDD’s Behavioral Support Services provider qualifications to align more closely with those of professional behavior analysts.
Establishment of a DOE-approved job code for Board Certified Behavior Analysts.