Behavioral Education and Consulting Services (BECS)

UNR’s Behavioral Education and Consulting Services (BECS) was founded by Dr. Larry Williams and is currently directed by Dr. Matthew Lewon. BECS has provided applied behavior analysis (ABA) supports and training for students, teachers, and families in Washoe County School District (WCSD) since 2016. BECS has its home office in WCSD’s Marvin Piccolo School but provides ABA services in schools throughout the district. BECS offers evidence-based direct and consultative ABA services to students with behavioral and emotional needs, their families, and the WCSD staff who support them. BECS also serves as a training site for graduate and undergraduate students from UNR’s Behavior Analysis Program, which is a part of the university’s Psychology Department. The relationship between BECS and WCSD is mutually beneficial in that WCSD receives quality ABA services tailored to the needs of individual students at a fraction of the standard cost, while UNR students receive BCBA/BCaBA/RBT training and supervision, funding, and an opportunity to practice ABA in a school environment that is both challenging and rewarding.

Mission

The BECS team is dedicated to ensuring that the needs of all stakeholders are accounted for by providing high-quality behavior analytic services. We aim to provide services that are collaborative, ethical, evidence-based, and result in behavior change that is meaningful to students, parents, and WCSD team members.

Service Model

BECS operates primarily on a behavioral consultation model aimed at building WCSD staff capacity for providing behavioral supports to students in need. In this model, individualized behavioral assessments, objectives, and intervention plans are developed in collaboration with students’ team members. The BECS team provides competency-based direct staff and/or parent training in the implementation of the relevant ABA techniques. BECS helps staff monitor student progress and adjust supports as needed. The objective of our focus on staff skill-building is to maximize the impact of our services for students by providing team members with strategies for creating positive learning environments that benefit all students.

BECS provides a range of ABA services for students and staff at WCSD, including:

•  Functional behavioral assessment (FBA)
• Function-based interventions
• Curriculum and academic skills assessments
•  Classroom management
•  Staff and parent training
•  Distance learning behavioral supports
• BCBA, BCaBA, and RBT supervision

Student Training and Supervision

BECS serves as a training site for graduate and undergraduate UNR students in behavior analysis. Students working with BECS are certified and receive training and ongoing supervision in accordance with Nevada state licensure and Behavior Analyst Certification Board guidelines. Practicum and stipend opportunities are available for graduate students, and undergraduate students may participate in BECS for university credit through enrollment in PSY 440

For more information, contact:

Matthew Lewon, Ph.D.,BCBA-D,LBA (NV)
Clinical Director
(775) 682-8681
mlewon@unr.edu