About the presentation:
Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) is a subspecialty of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) focused on applying learning principles to enhance employee performance in business, industry, manufacturing, and similar sectors. OBM also has strong evidence-based support within human service organizations, particularly for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. A critical aspect of OBM is implementing evidence-based safety practices that promote a culture of safety, reduce serious incidents, and enhance employee well-being. This presentation/workshop will introduce a behavioral approach within the OBM framework to improve workplace safety in human service organizations. It will address common areas of risk, identify where injuries are most likely to occur, and demonstrate how to design and implement effective systems to enhance safety and ensure system integrity. The discussion will focus on key OBM strategies to address priority safety objectives, specifically (a) behavioral safety practices (b) performance diagnostics (c) staff training and supervision and (d) data collection and analysis relevant to safety in the workplace. Critical components of each area will be presented, supported by case studies and research examples. These case studies will illustrate practical strategies for overcoming barriers, ensuring intervention integrity, and achieving sustainable practices. Emphasis will be placed on navigating real-world challenges and assessing the social validity of interventions within the workforce.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will identify fundamental OBM principles and design strategies aimed at improving workplace safety.
- Participants will describe key features of assessment and intervention design for effective safety management.
- Participants will will identify measurement procedures and performance metrics necessary for evaluating and enhancing systems intervention success.
- Participants will analyze case examples to determine and propose appropriate solutions.
About the presenter:
Helena Maguire, MS, LABA, BCBA, CDE®: Helena Maguire serves as the Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer of Melmark. She oversees the development and implementation of programs and services, as well as the daily operations for Melmark New England. She develops strategic objectives for the Massachusetts division, and provides leadership to direct reports in order to assure the achievement of these objectives. Mrs. Maguire supports the CEO through various committees and activities, and assumes responsibility for policy development, quality assurance, risk management, regulatory compliance, fiscal integrity, and excellence in care and delivery of all services.
Mrs. Maguire has worked extensively in the field of community based human service delivery systems in Massachusetts. She has served as a Program Director at Vinfen Corporation and as the Director of Adult Services at the May Institute. In both of these positions, Mrs. Maguire was responsible for the development and implementation of the staff orientation training curriculum, training for supervisory personnel and in-service training for all staff. Mrs. Maguire has presented numerous papers on staff management and staff training techniques, both at the local level and at the national level.
Mrs. Maguire is an Adjunct Professor at Endicott College and the University of Massachusetts-Boston and is an instructor for a five-course graduate series on Applied Behavior Analysis.
She earned her Master of Science in Human Services Administration degree from the University of Massachusetts-Boston. She earned her Board Certification in Behavior Analysis (BCBA) in May 2002.
Dr. Brad Stevenson oversees the development and implementation of programs and services, as well as the daily operations for Melmark Carolinas.
Brad entered the field of special education, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), and human services as an undergraduate student in 2004 at Melmark New England. He accepted a position with Melmark New England in 2017 with the purpose of working with Melmark’s senior leadership on expanding Melmark’s mission footprint in Charlotte, N.C. During that time, he also served as part-time faculty in the Department of Special Education and Child Development at UNC Charlotte.
Brad completed his master’s degree in 2008 and the Behavior Analysis Certification Board course sequence at the University of Massachusetts Boston in 2009. He earned his Doctorate of Philosophy in Special Education at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte) in 2017.
After relocating to Charlotte in 2009, Dr. Stevenson worked in the local public schools as a teacher of students diagnosed on the autism spectrum. He then transitioned to a career as a consultant, providing ABA services and working with schools, families, and other professionals to assess and design behavior analytic programs for children with autism and other developmental disabilities across North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
Dr. Stevenson is a member of the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI), North Carolina Association for Behavior Analysis, Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), and the North Carolina Council for Exceptional Children.
Meredith Baxter, MS, serves as the Director of Quality Improvement at Melmark Pennsylvania. She obtained her master’s degree in Nonprofit Management from Eastern University and her Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development & Family Studies from the Pennsylvania State University. Melissa joined Melmark Pennsylvania in 2024. She has held a variety of roles within similar organizations including Program Director, Treatment Manager, Quality Manager, and Utilization Review Analyst. In her current role, Melissa provides consultation on compliance, quality management and incident management activities. She supports leadership through the development of standards and systems for promoting programmatic, environmental and individual safety; regulatory compliance and providing education and training as needed in related areas.
Katherine “Katie” Salvatore is a Masters level, Board Certified Behavior Analyst currently pursuing her a Ph.D. in Psychology with a specialization in behavior analysis at Capella University. Katie has over 20 years of experience working in the field of children’s day, adult residential, public special education, and multi-state insurance-based autism services.
In her role as Executive Director of Melmark New England, Katie supports Melmark’s CEO, CCO and COO through committees and activities, and assumes responsibility for policy development, quality assurance, risk management, regulatory compliance, fiscal integrity, and excellence in care and delivery of all programmatic services throughout Melmark New England.
She earned her Master of Education at the University of Massachusetts Boston, has been a Board Certified Behavior Analyst since 2011 and is licensed as both a behavior analyst and special education administrator in Massachusetts.
Frederick Scibelli serves as the Clinical Services Compliance Analyst at Melmark New England. He obtained his Master’s degree in severe Special Education from Simmons College in 2011 and completed the University of Massachusetts Applied Behavior Analysis Series, obtaining his Board Certification as an Associate Behavior Analyst in 2014. Joining Melmark New England in 2007, he has held a variety of roles within the organization including ABA counselor, lead special educational teacher, educational coordinator, afterschool program coordinator, and clinical coordinator. In his current role, Freddie supports the Department of Professional Development, Training and Research, assisting with the design and implementation of new hire training and advanced professional trainings, clinical quality assurances, restraint regulation and monitoring compliance training.