Q. What’s your title and how long have you been at First Children Services?
A. My role is Assistant Director. I’ve been working with First Children Services (FCS) for 2.5 years – I joined in January of 2020 when Exceptional Learning was acquired.
Q. What are your duties or responsibilities as Assistant Director?
A. I maintain direct billable hours with a small caseload of clients in home, at our Pottstown STRIVE Autism Center and at school.
I also assist with clinical oversight of programming across PA and provide supervision to BCBAs and BSCs to ensure we are providing the best and most clinically sound services and programs to the children we serve and staff.
Q. What career growth have you seen during your time working here?
A. I was promoted from a BCBA to the Assistant Director position a few months after officially starting with FCS. The training and support I have received to be able to complete my job responsibilities and expectations effectively is unmatched.
I have been able to participate in conferences to allow growth for both me and the team. I have become a better clinician, supervisor, problem solver, and collaborator throughout my time here.
Q. Can you talk about teamwork and the collaborative approach taken at First Children Services?
A. The collaboration and teamwork facilitated at FCS is one of my favorite parts of working here. The clinical support is amazing, and each member of a team’s input is valued and applied.
Our model promotes collaboration with admin, BCBAs, RBTs/BTs, parents, and related service providers and allows the whole team to work together in the best interest of the children we serve.
Q. What makes First Children Services special?
A. Our clinicians are held to high standards and while we value the progress of the children we serve, there is also an emphasis placed upon the interactions and involvement parents/caregivers and families have within programming as well as their overall experiences with us.
Programming is truly individualized based on each child and parents’/caregivers’ needs and preferences and we work to ensure everyone on the team is happy and thriving.
Q. What do you love about your job?
A. I love the flexibility I have in creating my schedule and supervisees’ availability and needs. I love the people that I work with, learning from staff and the children alike, and working with parents and caregivers to transfer skills from ABA sessions to everyday life.
