FTF Spotlights: Jessica Venaas

FTF is pleased to spotlight Jessica Venaas from Fargo, North Dakota. Jessica is a BCBA and Level 5, Advanced Education and Application credentialed professional. As a clinical supervisor for Full Circle Pediatric Solutions, a multi-therapy organization specializing in ABA, speech-language pathology, and occupational therapy, Jessica shares her wealth of education and application experience concerning the PFA and SBT of severe problem behavior with that of her team and colleagues. Her commitment to disseminating the values and methods of Today’s ABA is not limited to her role as a clinical supervisor but extends to her duty as a moderator of the PFA-SBT Community on Facebook. When asked to describe what resonates with her most with respect to her experiences, Jessica responds:

“Several key lessons resonated with me in disseminating the PFA-SBT process. As Shahla Ala’i-Rosales states, “Everyone should be a beginner at something.” This means we all should have something to learn if we are lifelong learners. Implementing this compassionate process requires one to be transparent with their work, to be receptive to feedback, and to seek out mentorship to learn new skills to bring positive outcomes to our learners. While every success should be celebrated, it is important not to be complacent but rather be ready to problem solve as a team. As we all know, shaping is nonlinear, and our learner’s performance is not static. There will be challenging days, but we can persevere through them by responding to our learner’s performance, collaborating with the team, and embracing the values of safety, televisibility, and rapport.”