Beyond the Protocol: Behavioral Artistry in PFA/SBT

24 CEUs (16.5 General, 4 Ethics, 3.5 Supervision)

Course Abstract: This workshop provides a comprehensive introduction to Practical Functional Assessment (PFA) and Skill-Based Treatment (SBT) within a framework of assent-based, trauma-informed care. Grounded in the ethical commitment to prioritize client safety and honor client assent, the workshop moves participants from foundational values and assessment through the full arc of treatment design, implementation, and long-term maintenance.

Within this workshop, the presenters first establish the ethical and conceptual foundations of assent-based care, introduce the PFA process, and orient participants to the overall structure of SBT, including its earliest treatment components. They then turned to the mechanics of implementing and advancing SBT, including working through its core teaching sequences, individualizing treatment branches to fit each learner, and making the clinical decisions that guide progression and generalization. The final segments address the practical realities of delivering this work across varied settings: schools, clinics, homes, and telehealth. It also examines the human systems that sustain quality care over time, including caregiver collaboration, supervision, and the organizational culture change required to embed assent-based practice at scale.

By the end of the workshop, participants will have both the conceptual grounding and the practical strategies needed to implement PFA and SBT with fidelity, adapt them responsibly across contexts, and support the people and systems that make this approach sustainable.

Learning Objectives: By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to…

Foundations & Getting Started

• Describe the ethical values and commitments underlying PFA/SBT, including the practitioner’s responsibility to prioritize clients’ emotional and physical safety within a trauma-informed care framework
• Explain the Assent Loop as a framework for shared governance and the ethical obligation to honor a client’s assent withdrawal by pausing, adjusting, or removing demands
• Identify the core principles of assent-based care and describe how those principles translate into observable behavior
• Describe the five-step PFA process and explain how each step informs the development of an individualized SBT treatment plan
• Describe the overall structure and sequence of SBT, from assessment through generalization

Implementing & Advancing SBT

• Describe the purpose, procedures, implementation, shaping, and troubleshooting of each step of SBT (FCR through CAB6)
• Identify, design, and individualize SBT branches based on learner-specific variables and contexts
• Determine appropriate microshaping steps, dosage, and adjustments based on individual client needs
• Describe systematic strategies for extending treatment gains across people, places, and supports
• Explain strategies for maintaining treatment gains across settings over time

Making it Work for Everyone

• Evaluate the appropriateness of SBT for school settings and identify necessary adaptations, collaborative strategies, and outcome measures
• Describe how implementation and supervision structures are adapted across clinic, home, and telehealth settings
• Describe culturally responsive, values-aligned approaches to caregiver collaboration and identify effective methods for training caregivers based on individual capacity
• Describe supervision models that support fidelity-based progression, learner independence, and reflective practice
• Identify strategies, pitfalls, and supervisory responsibilities involved in shifting organizational culture toward sustained, high-fidelity assent-based care

Presenter Bios:
Hillary Laney, MA, BCBA, LBA spearheaded a company-wide transformation to assent-based care at one of the largest ABA organizations in the country. She built the mentorship infrastructure, data systems, and implementation frameworks that resulted in hundreds of clinicians and clinical leaders being trained and thousands of clients benefiting from PFA/SBT and assent-based care practices. She currently works as a Senior VP of Clinical Services at Centria Autism.

Liisa Podosek, MSW, M.Ed, BCBA, LBA built and delivered mentorship programs that transformed how hundreds of practitioners implement PFA/SBT and assent-based care, guiding clinicians from “I read about this” to “I can do this confidently.” She brings a trauma-informed lens to mentorship, helping practitioners navigate difficult cases and develop authentic caregiver partnerships. She currently leads the development and coordination of educational offerings through PFA & SBT Community.

Dr. Edward Sanabria, Ph.D, BCBA, LBA designed and implemented large-scale PFA/SBT mentorship systems that trained clinicians across the country in assessment and treatment approaches that prioritize client safety, dignity, and assent. His research interests in interdisciplinary collaboration, reflective practice, and the large-scale adoption of behavioral interventions inform his approach to helping practitioners develop humility-driven clinical practices that build strong therapeutic relationships. He currently serves as Senior Director of Functional Analysis and Treatment Implementation at Centria Autism, where he oversees national assent-based care training initiatives and PFA/SBT mentorship.

Beth Nelson, M.Ed leads with joy while bringing Skill-Based Treatment (SBT) to students in Bellingham Public Schools, where she has been coaching and supporting educators with implementation since her introduction to the process in 2019. Through strong relationships and collaborative practices, she initiated and partnered with colleagues to fuel enthusiasm for the safe and ethical outcomes of Skill-Based Treatment, fostering genuine buy-in from families and staff, and strengthening teams to better support students with complex behavioral profiles. Beth also has extensive experience with SBT as a parent, bringing a perspective few providers can offer — one grounded in both professional expertise and the lived reality of family life. Her 14-year-old daughter has been the recipient of SBT services and is now a self-proclaimed “my way expert” who loves to help teach staff how to implement the process.