Overcoming Stigma Through Education and Capacity Building in Communities

• By: Helena Maguire, MS, LABA, BCBA, CDE® Maggie Haag, MEd, BCBA, LSW, CDE® Ashley Benedetto, MS Ed, BCBA Melmark
• April 18th, 2023
• community supports, competitive employment, disability advocates, disability community, ormalization, overcoming stigma, person-centered services, social stigma, Spring 2023 Issue
• 854    0

Social Stigma, according to Wikipedia, is the disapproval of, or is discrimination against, an individual or identifiable group of people based on perceived characteristics that serve to distinguish them from other members of a society. Stigma can negatively affect the emotional, mental, and...

45 Years Within Human Services – Reflections and Where We Go From Here

• By: Frank L. Bird MEd, BCBA, LABA Melmark
• October 7th, 2022
• advocacy, compassionate care, deinstitutionalization, evidence-based practices, Fall 2022 Issue, fidelity, human services, leadership, mentoring, perseverance, service delivery, standards of excellence, support staff
• 1196    0

I have had the privilege of working within the field of autism over the past 45 years. For 24 of those years, I have been honored to work at Melmark, a multi-state human service provider with premier private special education schools, professional development, training, and research centers,...

Integrating Trauma-Informed Care Into Organizations Serving Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities

• By: Mary Jane Weiss, PhD, BCBA-D, LABA Jennifer Mucellin, MA, BCBA Jennifer Ruane, MS, BCBA, LPC Melmark
• July 2nd, 2021
• abuse, adverse childhood experiences, autism, mental health, neglect, substance abuse, Summer 2021 Issue, trauma, trauma-informed care
• 1435    0

In recent years, there has been a large focus on understanding how trauma interacts with other factors to create unique vulnerabilities in people. Individuals who have experienced intense or frequent adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) exhibit more health and behavioral difficulties throughout...

Analyzing Behavioral and Health Data Together Holds the Potential for Improved Behavioral Treatment

• By: Andrew Shlesinger, MSW, LICSW Melmark
• March 31st, 2021
• data analysis, database, improved outcomes, Spring 2021 Issue
• 1281    1

The recording and analysis of behavioral data is a cornerstone of evidence-based behavioral health treatment. Over the past several years, data across a spectrum of health metrics collectively known as Health Informatics, has taken hold in the provider community. Health Informatics data can include...

Lee’s Traumatic Journey: A Therapeutic Story to Address Life-Threatening Behaviors with Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

• By: Frank Bird Melmark
• January 1st, 2021
• adult, aggression, autism, catatonia, challenging behaviors, ECT, Electroconvulsive Therapy, hospitalization, physical trauma, residential school, self-injurious behavior, winter 2021 issue
• 1807    0

ECT remains a controversial topic within medicine and psychiatry, raising concerns about ethics and the right to effective treatment, the historical record of its clinical efficacy, the research with children, adolescents, and young adults with autism spectrum disorder and catatonia, and evidence...

Ensuring Best Outcomes for Children with Behavioral Needs and Adults with Medical Fragility in a Congregate Care Setting Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

• By: Rita M. Gardner, MPH, LABA, BCBA Helena Maguire, MS, LABA, BCBA Shawn P. Quigley, PhD, BCBA-D Mary Jane Weiss, PhD, BCBA-D, LABA Melmark
• May 19th, 2020
• adults, children, client health, COVID-19, PPE, residential setting, staff, summer 2020 issue, training
• 1027    0

COVID-19 abruptly thrust new challenges onto organizations providing intensive behavioral services in a congregate care setting to individuals diagnosed with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The novel virus and its many unknowns required organizations to respond to a rapidly evolving...

Integrated Psychiatry for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities

• By: Shawn P. Quigley, PhD, BCBA-D Danielle Block MBA, BSN, RN Frank L. Bird MEd, BCBA, LABA Melmark
• October 1st, 2019
• 716    0

Use of psychotropic drugs for individuals with developmental disabilities is common practice. For example, Jobski, Hofer, Hoffman, and Bachmann (2016) documented an overall median use of psychotropic drugs in 45.7% of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Wink et al., (2018) documented...