The Behavioral Support Team (BST) at Ulster BOCES was created to reduce the likelihood of more restrictive academic placements for our students. BST aims to provide proactive, short-term, individual, and school-wide positive behavioral supports.

The educational needs of many of our students require individualized supports. In addressing this need, the Ulster County Pupil Personnel Services directors and the staff at Ulster BOCES recognize the benefit of shared behavioral expertise as a service for our component districts.

The overarching goal of the BST is to collaborate with stakeholders to identify and address the needs of students. This will be accomplished by utilizing a person-centered, strengths-based approach. Some of the services offered include systems development, the development of classroom and individualized behavior intervention plans, 1:1 supplemental aide reduction planning, assessment of implementation fidelity, professional development, and overall behavioral guidance to professional staff and parents.

The main components of these services include record reviews, behavioral observations, written intervention plans, implementation training and support, and data collection and review.

Services Offered

Behavioral Consultation

Our clinicians meet with school personnel to identify students in need of behavioral support. In-depth observations of student(s) are conducted to provide concrete, realistic solutions that best fit the setting and needs of the student(s). The process is collaborative, ongoing, and is meant to support staff by discussing interventions, validating positive support strategies, and assessing progress.

Functional Behavior Assessment/Behavior Intervention Plan

There are a variety of reasons why a student may benefit from a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) and/or a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP). However, most often the students who are referred for this service exhibit identified problem behavior(s) that may be impacting academics, social emotional development, and/or peer relationships.

The Ulster BOCES BST is available to assist in the completion of FBAs, creation of BIPs, and to provide training to staff who write/develop these plans.

Parent Counseling & Training

Professionals at Ulster BOCES will assist parents in understanding their children’s behavioral needs in an educational environment, provide information about child development, and connect parents to community resources. Services are determined by the needs of the child and can be offered as a group or to individuals.

Professional Development

The BST is prepared to offer a variety of trainings that are customized to meet the needs of a school, district, parent group, or classroom. Trainings are matched to accommodate time availability and setting. Topics generally include:

Registered Behavior Technicians

Our board-certified Behavior Analyst can train your professional staff to become Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs). This training is specialized in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Once trained, RBTs can serve as supplemental aides for students who exhibit problem behavior, as identified in the Behavioral Intervention Plan. Eligible staff must have a minimum of a high school education, or its equivalent. For more information, visit BACB.com