Students' Practica Options and Eligibility Criteria

As a graduate student, in the MS in Applied Behavior Analysis (MS-ABA) program, the following practica options, a professional requirement of the program, are offered by the CSUN MS-ABA graduate program at this time. Students enroll in practica for each semester of the two year program. The practica provide opportunities to work in research laboratories with faculty, at approved paid/unpaid internships, and/or as paid student assistants.

MS-ABA Academic Director – Dr. Gary Katz

MS-ABA Internship Coordinator – Ashley Rice

CSUN Practicum Instructors – Dr. Marlesha Bell, Dr. Chunying Jin, Dr. Ellie Kazemi, Dr. Debra Berry Malmberg, Dr. Petros Adzhyan, and Brian Rice

CSUN Faculty-Based Practica

1. Research and Clinical Based Supervision with CSUN Tenure-Track Faculty

This practica option provides direct supervision by MS-ABA tenure-track faculty with research labs. These positions are competitive, and students must apply and be selected by the faculty members. Below, is a list of our four tenure-track faculty members conducting clinical work and behavior analytic research:

  1. Faculty member: Dr. Marlesha Bell
    • Setting: To Be Determined
  2. Faculty member: Dr. Chunying Jin
    • Setting: Behavioral Health Lab at CSUN and Off-site community partnerships (e.g., Pacoima Charter Preschool)
  3. Faculty member: Dr. Ellie Kazemi
    • Setting: Training & Supervision Laboratory at CSUN and off-site with Community Research Partners
  4. Faculty member: Dr. Debra Berry-Malmberg
    • Setting: Autism Clinic at CSUN

2. Clinical Based Supervision with CSUN Faculty

Additional information on CSUN Faculty-Based Practica

  1. Research and Clinical Based Supervision with CSUN Tenure-Track Faculty

    This practica option provides direct supervision by MS-ABA tenure-track faculty with research labs. These positions are competitive, and students must apply and be selected by the faculty members. Meeting times and supervised experience vary based on the research laboratory (specific information provided by each MS-ABA faculty in their syllabi and supervision contract). Each intern’s performance is evaluated by tenure-track faculty. Below, is a list of our four tenure-track faculty members conducting clinical work and behavior analytic research:

    1. Faculty member: Dr. Marlesha Bell
      • Research & Clinical Interests: Dr. Bell’s research focuses on using the science of behavior to reduce harm and create professionals who will provide inclusive and equitable services. Potential research assistant applicants must value learning to engage in self-reflection to interrogate their own biases and engage in meaningful work with vulnerable populations (e.g., various racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic statuses). Dr. Bell’s research lines include (1) teaching self-advocacy skills to young children through consent education, (2) evaluating culturally responsive service provision, supervision, and mentorship, and (3) assessing and treating severe problem behavior.
      • Setting: To be determined
      • Clients: Neurotypical and Neurodiverse populations and individuals from historically marginalized backgrounds.
    2. Faculty member: Dr. Chunying Jin
      • Website: https://www.behavioralhealthcsun.com
      • Research & Clinical Interests: Behavioral Health Lab is dedicated to community-based research and service that aims to improve the behavioral health of individuals by designing and delivering evidence-based, durable, and consumer-friendly interventions. My research interests include (1) assessment, treatment, and prevention of sleep problems in children and adults, (2) functional analysis and treatment of severe problem behavior in young children and adolescents diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, (3) prevention of challenging behavior and teaching of early life skills in school-aged children, (4) trauma-informed applications of behavior analysis and (5) Alzheimer caregiver training. Currently, the majority of our research projects are undertaken on campus or at our community partnership site, Pacoima Charter School, but we hope to expand our research-based service to families residing in the local community.
      • Setting: Off-site community partnerships (e.g., Pacoima Charter Preschool) and on campus
      • Clients: School-aged children (ages 3-12) with and without disabilities; adults including parents, caregivers, teachers, and college students
    3. Faculty member: Dr. Ellie Kazemi
      • Website: https://klab-csun.weebly.com
      • Research & Clinical Interests: Effective, efficient training and supervision are extremely important, particularly for professionals who provide clinical care. My lab is invested in research and community work that lead to improvements in training and supervision of staff. Most of our research is centered on examining effective training and supervision strategies (e.g., performance feedback, conflict resolution, and computer-based personalized instruction) that lead to significant behavior change. Most recently, we are interested in leveraging technology (e.g., A.I., robotics, virtual reality) for simulation-based training and to disseminate behavior analysis. Graduate and undergraduate students, as members of my lab family, are involved in all aspects of research and community collaborations. They may become involved in developing and conducting community trainings, designing simulations, and creating behavior measures. Master’s level graduates of my lab either go on for PhDs at nationally competitive programs or obtain leadership positions in behavior analytic organizations.
      • Setting: Training & Supervision Laboratory at CSUN and off-site with Community Research Partners.
      • Clients: In this lab, students provide trainings in a pyramidal model and sometimes conduct translational research. To accrue supervised experience hours, students are required to select the off-site practica option in addition to their work in lab. Therefore, this lab is only appropriate for MS-ABA students interested in pursuing doctoral training in ABA.
    4. Faculty member: Dr. Debra Berry-Malmberg
      • Website: https://autismclinic.wixsite.com/csun
      • Research & Clinical Interests: The Autism Research Lab focuses on developing and evaluating behavioral interventions and parent education programs to promote socio-communicative skill development of children with autism.
      • Setting: Autism Clinic at CSUN
      • Clients: Young children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and their caregivers.
  2. Clinical Based Supervision with CSUN Faculty

    1. Faculty member: Dr. Petros Adzhyan
      • Setting: Pacoima Charter Elementary School
      • Clients: Children ages 3 to 11 with and without disabilities. Most are from very low income SES families. Some are in foster care.
    2. Faculty member: Brian Rice
      • Setting: Non-profit organization
      • Clients: Children with developmental disabilities

Agency Based Supervision (Supervised Fieldwork)

  1. Students must work at one of our CSUN‐approved internship sites under the direct supervision of a site supervisor who is a BACB approved supervisor.
    1. For this practica option, it is the intern's responsibility to seek and secure a qualified site‐supervisor (see www.bacb.com).
    2. BACB defined Supervisor Qualifications:
      1. BCBA/BCBA-D in good standing who has been certified for at least one year and meets an ongoing supervision CEU requirement
      2. Supervisor Training: Supervisors must complete an 8-hours supervision training before providing any supervision to those accruing fieldwork hours
      3. Supervisor/Trainee Relationship: The supervisor may not be related to, subordinate to, or employed by the trainee during the fieldwork period.
    3. CSUN‐approved internship sites are local ABA service providers who obtain formal CSUN Internship Site approval. The approval process is initiated by the local agency or a current MS-ABA student. Applications are reviewed and approved/denied by the MS-ABA review committee.

Differences among the three options CSUN MS ABA Practica

Table displaying the differences among the options above

  RESEARCH & CLINICAL PRACTICA WITH CSUN FACULTY CLINICAL PRACTICA WITH CSUN FACULTY Agency-Based PRACTICA
Direct Supervisor Dr. Bell, Dr. Jin, Dr. Kazemi, or Dr. Malmberg Dr. Adzhyan or Brian Rice BCBA in good standing
Practica Group Supervision Dr. Bell, Dr. Jin, Dr. Kazemi, Dr. Malmberg, Dr. Adzhyan, or Brian Rice Dr. Adzhyan or Brian Rice Dr. Adzhyan or Brian Rice
Students must enroll in 4-CE units of XBEH 904 practicum course each semester Yes Yes Yes
Students must attend supervision meeting Weekly - Specific to each faculty Weekly – Specific to each faculty Bi-weekly Practica Meetings
Students must adhere to the course syllabus & "MS-ABA Internship Student Agreement" Yes Yes Yes
Total required supervised fieldwork by BCBA for BACB® standards 1500 hours (About 20 hours per week for 2 years)
Or
2000 hours (About 25 hours per week for 2 years)
1500 hours (About 20 hours per week for 2 years)
Or
2000 hours (About 25 hours per week for 2 years)
2000 hours (About 25 hours per week for 2 years)
Commitment to Internship 2 years to Faculty 2 years to Internship Site 1 Academic year to Internship Site

Download the table above displaying the differences among the options here

 

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