behavior technician

behavioral specialist

aba therapist

board certified behavior analyst

registered behavior technician

Verbal Behavior Associates

Since its inception, VBA has grown A LOT. The director is very focused on research. He used to be involved with a lot of the staff training and "molding" but now employees do not get any facetime with him. The managers are mostly now all BCBA's, which was not always the case. They had BAs supervising MAs, and some of the supervisors werent as qualified (in my opinion) as others. 
Trials per session is one of their major indicators for how successful an interventionist you are, sensory regulation being totally disregarded. All behavior is verbal but not all kiddos are. This particular agency frowns upon the use of any other types of communicative devices or practices. There also isnt alot of play instruction. Their interventions are VERY STRUCTURED and quantitative. Data is lovely and very important, especially here, but theory doesnt always equate to flawless practical intervention. I think this is where they sometimes fail certain types of kiddos.
If you are lucky enough to have an attentive supervisor, it is hard to make any mistakes and follow their protocols. If you find yourself on a case where the management isnt as attentive you may end up taking the brunt of any lacking in programming when it may in fact have been a lack of supervision and guidance. 
The staff can be cliquey but this agency has made many improvements in the way in which they handle things. The office staff is amazing and super nice but you will not have much control over your schedule. You will go where you are needed but if you want to work and are willing to drive, there will be plenty of hours. If you have a cancellation, they are quick to set up a make-up or fill in session with another kiddo who may or may not be on your caseload. The scheduling department works really hard on making sure youre busy if you want to be. 

The main goal of ABA is to encourage an independent lifestyle for all clients but this company has a more corrupt agenda. Unfortunately, the management does not care for the safety of clients and employees. As well, managers tend to have a blind eye to those in crisis. Furthermore, they will enforce a contract if you are a student applying for ABA studies.  The contract describes the payment for clinical supervision hours for leaving the company. However, the unethical dilemma allows the company to receive two payments from the client’s insurance and college students for supervision. Unfortunately, most managers are certified behavior analysis so they are aware of the mandates by the BCBA ethical codes. Sadly, this company will ignore regulations,  ethical guidelines, and safety to maintain the  emoluments. 

This company by far has some of the hardest working professionals who are eager to provide quality supervision to clients and support to staff.   Our CEO is unlike others.  He will happily come out into the field to support any of the managers/ supervisors with their clients.  He will assist with assessments if a client has high intensity behaviors.  Whether, you are just coming into the field or if you are on route to becoming a BCBA, you will receive high quality training to prepare you for your position.   

I have a school and home case. The time of them work really well for me as I also have school I attend. I am on the more experienced and reliable side of those who get hired on, so my supervisors openly share that I am consistent enough for them to trust to implement systems. The school case was initially very emotionally draining, but now that I'm settled, it is much more manageable and now a puzzle everyday, which I try to take as a challenge everyday. But I like the challenge. The most enjoyable part of the job is seeing the clients improve in their goals and the verbal praise from my supervisors. I am also trying to become a BCBA, so the closer I get to it, the better.

If you like working a hard job, driving to clients that live over an hour away and paying for your own gas, not getting reimbursed for long distances of drive time to/from clients, not getting reimbursed for  the documents they request of you (live scan, driving record background check, CPR certification, TB test/physical), dealing with sporadic scheduling and disorganization while only getting paid minimum wage then this is the job for you!

Following training and shadowing which were extremely educational and adequately prepared employees to attain their Registered Behavior Technician Certification. However, once I received my own cases I never saw another employee again. My supervisor barely came to observe me, which is necessary for a raise, even when requested. It is a solo position, lacking networking opportunities. The company did not know who I was as an employee or an individual. I worked a second job and Supervisors were unsupportive of obstacles or working with me to comprimise. I did not get paid enough to have one job and pay my bills.

Let me start by saying the training materials and process is very good, much better than some other similar companies. However, they promise you a certain wage after completion of a 40 hour training without telling you that you need RBT certification to get that wage. I was there about 2 months and no closer to that wage then when I began. So if you want to work for months at minimum wage, this is the company for you. Also, when they say they have work in your area that means a 30 minute drive.

VBA had a lot of hours to give which I loved about them but at what cost? If you feel unsafe with a client and tell your manager they do not care. It is a battle to want to come and work because you are worried for your safety. They also do not pay you for the drive to the client. Many employees complain about this so be prepared for not getting paid for 30 minutes to an hour drive everyday. The good thing is they will pay you between clients. 
Side note- I should’ve known something was wrong when all the employees kept saying people always quit after a month.

Great place to start if you have your bachelors degree and want to get your foot in the door. Working with clients could be stressful and the pay feels less than what the job requires but very rewarding. Coworkers and managers are generally supportive. Could take a while to get the schedule you want, sometimes gaps between sessions. Schedule gets better as you work longer at the company.

I have only been with VBA for 5/6 months now and I absolutely love it as an RBT. You work with kids in school and constantly have support from supervisors & staff no matter what. The HR department and Scheduling are very understanding and make everything simple when you have emergencies as well. The only thing I will say is when breaks come it does put a dent in hours however, they offer you to pick up shifts when available. I have nothing but good things to say. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Behavior technician 194 salaries reported	$23.67 per hour
Behavioral specialist 2 salaries reported	$24.75 per hour
Aba therapist 5 salaries reported	$26.00 per hour
Board certified behavior analyst 42 salaries reported	$55.83 per hour
Registered behavior technician 6 salaries reported	$23.08 per hour

Working at Verbal Behavior Associates: Company Overview and Reviews

Verbal Behavior Associates

Verbal Behavior Associates Ratings

Popular jobs at Verbal Behavior Associates

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected