Joe grew up in Lehighton about a mile from Mahoning Valley Academy. After graduating from Marian Catholic High School in 1999, Joe pursued his bachelor’s of science with a dual certification in elementary education (K-6) and special education (N-12) from St Francis University. He received a master’s degree of science in Education and Developmental Strategies at Wilkes University. In addition, Joe completed the Applied Behavior Analysis certification program at Penn State University followed by the School Leadership certification program through Delaware Valley University. His long-term goal is to pursue a Ph.D. in Applied Behavior Analysis at Endicott University. Joe maintains his status as a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst® and a licensed behavior specialist in Pennsylvania.
“The best part of working for BHA is being part of a supportive, close-knit team. There is a genuine care and concern for your overall well being, not just your work performance. In some agencies, the general attitude is that people are easily replaced. It’s no surprise that companies with this culture fail to retain most of their employees. At MVA we will continue to strive for an atmosphere of support, cooperation, and collaboration for our staff, our students, and the families we serve.”
Joe started at MVA in November 2019. While working at the Pennsylvania Autism Action Center, he had an opportunity to train some of the therapists and one to one staff from Mahoning Valley Academy. Joe was immediately impressed by their level of skill and their eagerness to learn new ways to help their students succeed. It was plain to see their dedication, compassion, and willingness to go above and beyond for their students. It was those qualities that led him to look for opportunities to work with MVA in the future. As fate would have it, the position of Assistant Director at Mahoning Valley Academy was posted, and he was fortunate enough to get the position.
Joe has experience assessing and delivering behavior analytic programs in the school, community, and clinical settings. In his 16-year tenure in the field of special education, Joe has worked in a wide range of capacities including, learning support teacher, alternative education teacher, therapeutic aggression control techniques (TACT 2) trainer, program specialist within the partial hospitalization program, and the coordinator of the Autistic Support program at CIU 20. Joe started his clinical experience in 2009 working as a Behavior Specialist consultant for CIU 20 and Team Counseling Concepts. In 2012, Joe was hired as a BCBA for the Pennsylvania Autism Action Center. Within that same year, he was promoted to the role of clinical director which he held for the next 4 years. In January 2017, Joe accepted a position with the Pennsylvania Department of Education as part of the statewide Autism Initiative program. As an educational consultant for the state, Joe provided technical assistance to teachers across the commonwealth in creating programs for language acquisition, social skills, and direct instruction. Joe returned to the Pennsylvania Autism Action Center where he served as the director of professional development and clinical research until accepting the assistant director position at Mahoning Valley Academy. Joe is currently a member of the Association of Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA) and the Pennsylvania Association for Behavior Analysis (Penn ABA).
Joe started at MVA in November 2019. While working at the Pennsylvania Autism Action Center, he had an opportunity to train some of the therapists and one to one staff from Mahoning Valley Academy. Joe was immediately impressed by their level of skill and their eagerness to learn new ways to help their students succeed. It was plain to see their dedication, compassion, and willingness to go above and beyond for their students. It was those qualities that led him to look for opportunities to work with MVA in the future. As fate would have it, the position of Assistant Director at Mahoning Valley Academy was posted, and he was fortunate enough to get the position.
Joe has experience assessing and delivering behavior analytic programs in the school, community, and clinical settings. In his 16-year tenure in the field of special education, Joe has worked in a wide range of capacities including, learning support teacher, alternative education teacher, therapeutic aggression control techniques (TACT 2) trainer, program specialist within the partial hospitalization program, and the coordinator of the Autistic Support program at CIU 20. Joe started his clinical experience in 2009 working as a Behavior Specialist consultant for CIU 20 and Team Counseling Concepts. In 2012, Joe was hired as a BCBA for the Pennsylvania Autism Action Center. Within that same year, he was promoted to the role of clinical director which he held for the next 4 years. In January 2017, Joe accepted a position with the Pennsylvania Department of Education as part of the statewide Autism Initiative program. As an educational consultant for the state, Joe provided technical assistance to teachers across the commonwealth in creating programs for language acquisition, social skills, and direct instruction. Joe returned to the Pennsylvania Autism Action Center where he served as the director of professional development and clinical research until accepting the assistant director position at Mahoning Valley Academy. Joe is currently a member of the Association of Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA) and the Pennsylvania Association for Behavior Analysis (Penn ABA).
Joe grew up in Lehighton about a mile from Mahoning Valley Academy. After graduating from Marian Catholic High School in 1999, Joe pursued his bachelor’s of science with a dual certification in elementary education (K-6) and special education (N-12) from St Francis University. He received a master’s degree of science in Education and Developmental Strategies at Wilkes University. In addition, Joe completed the Applied Behavior Analysis certification program at Penn State University followed by the School Leadership certification program through Delaware Valley University. His long-term goal is to pursue a Ph.D. in Applied Behavior Analysis at Endicott University. Joe maintains his status as a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst® and a licensed behavior specialist in Pennsylvania.
“The best part of working for BHA is being part of a supportive, close-knit team. There is a genuine care and concern for your overall well being, not just your work performance. In some agencies, the general attitude is that people are easily replaced. It’s no surprise that companies with this culture fail to retain most of their employees. At MVA we will continue to strive for an atmosphere of support, cooperation, and collaboration for our staff, our students, and the families we serve.”
Joe started at MVA in November 2019. While working at the Pennsylvania Autism Action Center, he had an opportunity to train some of the therapists and one to one staff from Mahoning Valley Academy. Joe was immediately impressed by their level of skill and their eagerness to learn new ways to help their students succeed. It was plain to see their dedication, compassion, and willingness to go above and beyond for their students. It was those qualities that led him to look for opportunities to work with MVA in the future. As fate would have it, the position of Assistant Director at Mahoning Valley Academy was posted, and he was fortunate enough to get the position.
Joe has experience assessing and delivering behavior analytic programs in the school, community, and clinical settings. In his 16-year tenure in the field of special education, Joe has worked in a wide range of capacities including, learning support teacher, alternative education teacher, therapeutic aggression control techniques (TACT 2) trainer, program specialist within the partial hospitalization program, and the coordinator of the Autistic Support program at CIU 20. Joe started his clinical experience in 2009 working as a Behavior Specialist consultant for CIU 20 and Team Counseling Concepts. In 2012, Joe was hired as a BCBA for the Pennsylvania Autism Action Center. Within that same year, he was promoted to the role of clinical director which he held for the next 4 years. In January 2017, Joe accepted a position with the Pennsylvania Department of Education as part of the statewide Autism Initiative program. As an educational consultant for the state, Joe provided technical assistance to teachers across the commonwealth in creating programs for language acquisition, social skills, and direct instruction. Joe returned to the Pennsylvania Autism Action Center where he served as the director of professional development and clinical research until accepting the assistant director position at Mahoning Valley Academy. Joe is currently a member of the Association of Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA) and the Pennsylvania Association for Behavior Analysis (Penn ABA).
Joe grew up in Lehighton about a mile from Mahoning Valley Academy. After graduating from Marian Catholic High School in 1999, Joe pursued his bachelor’s of science with a dual certification in elementary education (K-6) and special education (N-12) from St Francis University. He received a master’s degree of science in Education and Developmental Strategies at Wilkes University. In addition, Joe completed the Applied Behavior Analysis certification program at Penn State University followed by the School Leadership certification program through Delaware Valley University. His long-term goal is to pursue a Ph.D. in Applied Behavior Analysis at Endicott University. Joe maintains his status as a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst® and a licensed behavior specialist in Pennsylvania.
“The best part of working for BHA is being part of a supportive, close-knit team. There is a genuine care and concern for your overall well being, not just your work performance. In some agencies, the general attitude is that people are easily replaced. It’s no surprise that companies with this culture fail to retain most of their employees. At MVA we will continue to strive for an atmosphere of support, cooperation, and collaboration for our staff, our students, and the families we serve.”
