Behavior Specialist

LEAPS Services LLC•Palm Desert, CA

1d•$75,000 - $82,000•Hybrid

About The Position

This is a professional-level position responsible for direct behavioral services, assigned caseload management, behavioral consultation, staff coaching, team training, program observation, documentation, and collaboration with Neuroaffirming Program Specialists. Candidates are expected to enter the position with demonstrated experience supporting neurodivergent individuals and/or individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including individuals with more complex behavioral support needs. Compensation within the established range will be determined by relevant education, years of experience, specialized behavioral training, leadership and staff-development experience, and applicable professional credentials. The Behavior Specialist is responsible for providing direct behavioral support, consultation, staff development, and program guidance to strengthen the quality of services provided by LEAPS Services. This is a hands-on position. The Behavior Specialist will maintain an assigned caseload and is expected to work directly with self-advocates across the LEAPS Hub, community settings, vocational programming, social programming, camps, and other service environments as appropriate. The Behavior Specialist works collaboratively with Neuroaffirming Program Specialists, Inclusion Assistants, Program Leadership, families, caregivers, and other members of the support team. The position is designed to strengthen the newly restructured Specialist model by providing additional expertise in understanding behavior, identifying support needs, developing practical strategies, and helping team members implement those strategies consistently. The Behavior Specialist is also responsible for developing and facilitating team training. Training should be based on the actual needs observed within LEAPS programs and should provide staff with practical strategies they can apply during everyday interactions with self-advocates. LEAPS uses a neuroaffirming, person-centered approach. Behavioral support should focus on understanding the function and context of behavior, strengthening communication and self-advocacy, teaching meaningful replacement skills, increasing independence, and creating supportive environments rather than relying solely on compliance-based approaches.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis, Psychology, Special Education, Behavioral Science, Education, or a closely related field.
Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) credential OR actively pursuing Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) certification.
Demonstrated professional experience working directly with neurodivergent individuals and/or individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Experience supporting individuals with behavioral, communication, social-emotional, adaptive, or functional support needs.
Knowledge of behavioral assessment, data collection, skill acquisition, reinforcement, antecedent strategies, replacement behaviors, and behavior-support planning.
Ability to translate behavioral principles into practical, individualized strategies that can be implemented across natural environments.
Experience providing staff training, Behavioral Skills Training (BST), modeling, performance feedback, or professional development.
Ability to independently manage an assigned caseload while balancing direct services, observations, consultation, documentation, staff development, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate behavioral concepts clearly to team members, families, caregivers, and other professionals.
Demonstrated commitment to person-centered, neuroaffirming, ethical, and dignity-centered behavioral practices.
Ability to work directly with self-advocates across Hub, community, vocational, social, and other LEAPS programming environments.
Ability to maintain professional boundaries, confidentiality, and all applicable ethical and organizational standards.

Nice To Haves

Experience developing or overseeing individualized behavioral support plans
Conducting functional behavior assessments
Supervising or mentoring behavioral support staff
Developing organization-wide training
Supporting adolescents and adults with developmental disabilities
Providing behavioral services within community-based, vocational, social-skills, or independent-living programs
Ability to move beyond traditional clinical environments and apply behavioral expertise within real-world settings while supporting autonomy, self-advocacy, meaningful skill development, and quality of life.

Responsibilities

Maintain an assigned caseload of self-advocates requiring behavioral support, consultation, skill development, or additional program oversight.
Work directly with assigned self-advocates on a consistent basis.
Conduct observations within natural environments, including the Hub and community.
Identify behavioral patterns and potential contributing factors.
Assess environmental, communication, sensory, social, and skill-based needs that may influence behavior.
Develop individualized behavioral strategies and support recommendations.
Model strategies directly with the self-advocate before expecting staff to independently implement them.
Monitor whether strategies are effective and make adjustments when necessary.
Maintain appropriate documentation regarding observations, interventions, recommendations, and progress.
Participate in family/caregiver communication when behavioral consultation or collaboration is necessary.
Coordinate with the assigned Neuroaffirming Program Specialist regarding progress, concerns, and changes in support needs.
Provide direct behavioral support, consultation, staff development, and program guidance.
Support the effectiveness of LEAPS' Neuroaffirming Program Specialists by serving as a behavioral resource.
Assist LEAPS in developing proactive, individualized behavioral support strategies.
Develop and facilitate trainings that are practical, interactive, and directly applicable to the LEAPS environment.
Provide coaching while observing actual programming, modeling approaches, allowing staff to practice, and providing constructive feedback.
Participate in collaborative case reviews involving self-advocates who require additional behavioral support.
Participate in meetings or consultations with parents, guardians, caregivers, and other members of the self-advocate's support system.
Assist leadership with reviewing significant behavioral incidents.
Regularly observe LEAPS programming.
Ensure timely and professional documentation related to assigned responsibilities.