registered behavior technician

behavior technician

board certified behavior analyst

behavioral therapist

outreach specialist

Step Ahead ABA

I have written this review at least 5 times partly because I felt there was a lot to say but I realized I needed to be objective. I was the first RBT for this company in the Lincoln area and maybe even the first hired overall. So I've been here for a while. I've also been an RBT for 2 years plus now. My overall at this company was pleasant, to begin with, and then took a very different turn. I’m not going to be the type of reviewer that sits here and complains and talks as if this company didn’t help me because it did. However, there are some things that I feel I need to talk about. First, this company showed no sign of loyalty as I stated. I've been here from the beginning. I've helped in numerous ways with the company at the beginning stage and when push came to shove they showed no loyalty. So if you value loyalty this company may not be for you. The other negative aspect of this company is they lack everything that the other companies in the area offer. These things are PTO and cancellation, possibly even health. I know for a fact the other companies around offer PTO and a better cancellation policy. I will say there is some upper management that is good and great to work with and have truly been a pleasure. Overall my experience hasn't been the best but hasn’t been the worst. My biggest advice for new people looking for a company is to check with all the companies because they are about the same but some offer better benefits. Oh and some of the BCBA act very pretentiously toward RBT. Again this is my opinion and I could be wrong 




With 20 + yrs. of experience in this field as an Behavior Therapist, Ive seen the transformation in this industry and now the common denominator for most co. is PROFIT! This co is very unorganized with growing pains. Many of the admin and BCBAs seemed to have no to little experience in their title. Before accepting a job with this co. their policy on maternity leave and or major surgeries is that if you are out more than 2 weeks, you are not guaranteed your previous clients, nor a job. I was hired for 6 months and in that time I only had 2 temporary clients and one client I had follow me. That particular BCBA was passive aggressive and controlling, new to the field. They told me they have an “open door policy”. You can talk to admin personnel any time and they would respond, not true. They also said you will get frequent bonuses and performance  bonuses. This means if you accept a client that lives 2+hrs. away you will receive mileage, and $200 bonus if you work at least 1 month. Rarely are RBT’s full time, which means no PTO, no benefits, client cancelations, no pay, even if you’ve driven to the clients house then informed the session is canceled. 

I came from a clinical setting that was absolutely not for me. Toxic workplace, work bullying, poor support from management, low pay, etc. Working at Step Ahead has been the best experience for me! The branch in Nebraska was relatively new when I started working there and there were definitely some hiccups to start, but I have found the most amazing support system and truly feel as if I am heard and listened to as an employee here. It can be difficult to find clients as an hourly employee sometimes, but they are amazing at keeping in communication and working to increase the client load. They also offer salaried positions for those who want that financial security with the option to switch later down the road should the employee want to change it up! The regional directors are understanding and supportive and offer amazing feedback and guidance that allows me to grow as a clinician and further support my technicians. They've helped me through tough transition periods, and I've found amazing friends in my coworkers/peers. I will continue to work here for as long as I can!  

I enjoy working at Step Ahead but be prepared for different. In clinic vs in home is a major difference. In clinic you have your BCBA available to you at all times, at Step Ahead I often feel alone. You are in a clients home and often working around the clients whole family and their lifestyle which can be a culture shock. 

A typical day at work, well that often changes. I literally never know what I'm going get when I walk in the door. What I've learned, you must go with the flow the best you can. Managment is okay, but they are in different parts of the country and hard to get ahold of at times. There isn't much support sadly. 

Hardest part of the job is feeling that you are alone, that you can't always reach out to your BCBA. That you are in the middle of the family dynamic and you have to fit in with everything else going and program as well, it's very difficult. It isn't easy money. 

The most enjoyable part of the job is the clients. The work you do. But this is no easy job, yes the money is great, but you are making $25.00 a hour for a good reason. 

The company boasts about work/life balance and tries to tell their employees how they are "different" from other ABA companies but it's all a lie.  They are just like the rest. All they care about is making money, not quality of service.  Leadership is a joke.  They are corrupt, inexperienced and cliquey.  The person overseeing clinical for all states doesn't have good ethics and creates a culture where you either need to join in the toxicity of gossiping about others (very unprofessional and immature!) or you get attacked.  Expectations are completely unreasonable and if you try to speak up about your concerns, there will be retaliation.  Save your sanity and go work somewhere else.  Go find an ABA company that actually cares about people, not just making money.

I have been an RBT for  +3 years for four companies (Damar, Essential ABA, Access Abilities, Step Ahead ABA)  and have experience providing therapy in school, community, home, and clinical settings.  Step Ahead ABA is hands down my favorite company! Though I am at the end of my road with ABA in general, I can confidently say that Step Ahead strives to be its best in almost every considerable domain. Is the company consistently evolving and growing not only in staff but clients? Yes! With any company that is growing, its going to be a transition for everyone but this company excels at making sure ALL RBTS AND BCBA's are kept up to speed and feel supported! They also pay really well for an RBT! Best pay I have ever received comparatively to other ABA companies I have been to! Overall, If I were not as burnt out, I would stay without a doubt!

In my first communication with Step Ahead ABA, the business owner was very clear about the hourly rate being offered.  There was no guessing about salary, which was wonderful, and the salary was top notch. My interview with the Clinical Director was via telephone (which worked best for me).  She had a very relaxed tone and was completely transparent in answering all of my questions.  I received the job offer the same day as the interview (pending all necessary background checks), which allowed me to quickly plan for changes in my professional life.  I had full autonomy to select the clients for my caseload and to schedule my assessment and program sessions with clients and their RBT's.  Having this level of autonomy and control over my work is not common in this industry and region, and it was incredibly refreshing!

This job is great with the flexibility in schedule and choosing your caseload. It's great working with client's in home and community settings. However, administration is very difficult to work with. The clinical manager does not live in Indiana and is very difficult to communicate with. The only form of communication is through email and it will take them days to respond, even when it's an urgent matter. You have to follow up multiple times before getting a response. Administration will not own up to their mistakes and will find a way to blame others instead of taking responsibility for their own actions. There is no collaboration with other BCBAs and you are essentially on your own. All they care about is billing as many hours as possible, whether it's clinically appropriate or not.

Step Ahead is is completely disorganized and has the worst communication I’ve ever seen at a company. They change policies without warning and then expect you to just know what they are. There were never any clients close to me. Towards the end of my employment, I was told I needed to pick up a client or resign. I told them I would resign. I then got an email telling me I had been terminated…aka fired. HR is the absolute worst with communication. There was an incident involving a client and BCBA that I was blamed for, which was completely twisted and untrue. I tried explaining it annd they ignored me and continued talking ans if I had never spoken.  It wasn’t discovered until later after I had been “talked to” that they realized I was telling the truth. The only positive is that my BCBAs were amazing. But the company as a whole was a disaster.

Step Ahead ABA has been a leader in promoting work/life balance for BCBAs. There are a lot of companies that will list that they promote work/life balance; however, Step Ahead shows it within their company structure and the autonomy that they give their BCBAs. We get to work with clients that we choose, as many or as few as we would like, and schedule our consultations to fit our schedule and needs. Compensation is not salary based, so we get paid for the actual hours that we work as opposed to increasing and unattainable required billable hours for the same salary. I would highly recommend this company to any BCBAs that have struggled with work/life balance, lack of proper compensation, and no say in who or how you treat regardless of your experiences with different populations with ASD. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Registered behavior technician 339 salaries reported	$24.61 per hour
Behavior technician 86 salaries reported	$23.11 per hour
Board certified behavior analyst 64 salaries reported	$92.29 per hour
Behavioral therapist 132 salaries reported	$24.27 per hour
Outreach specialist 2 salaries reported	$25.00 per hour

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