December Journal Club Special Edition: Public Policy

It is critical for practicing behavior analysts to remain in contact with the scholarly literature. In fact, behavior analysts who are certified and/or licensed likely have an ethical obligation and requirement to maintain their skills and knowledge and to accrue continuing education hours. Finding time to connect with research and other important scholarly work can be a challenge for professionals. APBA to the rescue! Our monthly Journal Club highlights peer-reviewed work relevant to your professional activities. Articles are presented by at least one of the article’s authors giving you a chance to ask questions about the article and how to put strategies into practice. Student, trainees, and Behavior Technicians are encouraged to attend to engage with their scientist-practitioner community and develop their skills.

This month we are featuring the 3 articles titled Why We All Need to Shape the Profession of Behavior Analysis Through Advocacy and How to Get Started presented by Christy Evanko and Debbi Napolitano, Why Public Policy Matters: A Call to Action for everday Behavior Analysts presented by Bethany Coop, Emily Ice, Alexandra Tomei, & Rebecca Urbano Powell and For the Love of this Field Advocating and Collaborating with a United Purpose presented by Bobbi Rogers, and Dana Reinecke. The presenters will walk us through the article with a particular focus on practical application of strategies and considerations for implementation. Attendees will be able to submit questions ahead of time and throughout the presentation.

Evanko, C. D., Moss-Lourenco, T., Kramer, R., & Napolitano, D. A. (2024). Why we all need to shape the profession of behavior analysis through advocacy and how to get started. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 1-17.

Coop, B., Ice, E. D., Tomei, A., & Powell, R. U. (2023). Why public policy matters: A call to action for the everyday behavior analyst. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 18(2), 567-576. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-023-00878-x. 

Rogers B, Reinecke D, Moss-Lourenco T. For the Love of this Field: Advocating and Collaborating with a United Purpose. Behav Anal Pract. 2024 Jan 4;18(2):558-566. doi: 10.1007/s40617-023-00894-x. PMID: 40606418; PMCID: PMC12209129.