Supporting Adults to Thrive in Everyday Life
Medicaid Waiver Behavior Support Services for Adults
Applied Behavioral Approaches provides Level 2 Behavior Support Services for adult service providers in accordance with DBHDD expectations and are planned, scheduled, and consultative, with an emphasis on proactive behavior support, staff consistency, and regulatory alignment. Our services begin with thorough assessments — such as Functional Behavior Assessments, Social Skills or Employment Skills Assessments, Executive Functioning Assessments, and Sexuality Knowledge Assessments — that help identify an individual’s strengths, areas of need, and meaningful goals. These assessments inform planning and are not used for diagnostic purposes.
We use the insights from these assessments to develop a behavior support plan focused on building functional life skills, self-management and regulation, enhancing independence, and promoting meaningful community and vocational engagement through tailored, real-world goals, while also reducing behaviors that interfere with success. Our supports are provided in home, community, day habilitation, group home, workplace, and other natural environments where adults live, work, and interact, ensuring skill development occurs in the settings that matter most.
Services include (click here for a full description of services):
- FBAs
- Behavior Support Plan (BSP) development
- BSP monitoring and revisions
- Staff training tied to BSPs
- Telehealth consultation
- Periodic in-person visits for observation
- Compliance documentation support
Eligible Provider Settings
- Adult Day Services / Community Access programs
- Supported Employment and Pre-Vocational programs
- Community-based adult IDD services
- Providers operating under COMP and NOW Waivers
Services are appropriate for both single-site programs and multi-site provider organizations.
Relationship & Social-Sexual Learning
For adults, we also support development of healthy relationships and social-sexual understanding as part of individualized behavior support. This includes teaching skills such as understanding social cues and boundaries, forming and maintaining friendships, romantic relationship skills, consent, personal safety, and body awareness (e.g., good touch/bad touch and privacy concepts).
Our Approach
Engaging, and Effective
Our adult behavior support program combines a variety of evidence-based ABA techniques, including:
Reinforcement
We use positive reinforcement to motivate and encourage meaningful outcomes. This might involve praise, privileges, or access to preferred activities.
Task Analysis & Chaining
We break down complex life or work tasks into manageable and teachable steps to build independence.
Prompting Procedures
We support learners by providing cues to support correct performance and gradually reducing support to promote autonomy.
A Day Working with an Adult Client
A day in adult behavior support focuses on building practical skills and independence in meaningful contexts. For example:
Morning Routine & Daily Living Practice
Supports may begin with structured practice of everyday routines such as personal hygiene, breakfast preparation, and planning the day — helping adults build independence and self-management in familiar contexts.
Community & Skill-Building Activities
Adults may work on individualized goals in real-world settings — such as navigating public transportation, shopping, attending appointments, or participating in community programs.
Workplace or Vocational Engagement
During the day, goals may include workplace readiness and vocational supports such as task completion, following schedules, communication skills, or job-related tasks.
Social & Relationship Skills Practice
Structured opportunities to practice social interactions, communication, reading social cues, and building healthy relationships — including role-plays and guided practice focused on boundaries, friendship, and consent.
Our Supportive, Community-Centered Approach
At Applied Behavioral Approaches, we understand that adults learn and thrive when they feel safe, respected, and engaged in activities that matter in their daily lives. Our community-based supports are delivered in environments tailored to individual needs — whether at home, in day habilitation, group homes, or other community settings.
Getting Started with the
Adult Waiver Services
Group homes, day habilitation programs, and support agencies — can contract with Applied Behavioral Approaches for behavior support services through a formal consulting or subcontracting agreement. Here's how it works:
STEP 1
Initial Contact & Needs Discussion
Reach out to describe the support your organization needs and the setting where the services need to be provided.
STEP 2
Define Scope & Terms
We work together to outline the scope of services, deliverables, rates, and scheduling that will be included in the contract.
STEP 3
Draft & Review Agreement
A written contract or consulting agreement is prepared that clearly specifies roles, responsibilities, payment terms, and expectations.
STEP 4
Agreement Execution
Once the contract is signed, we begin coordinating service delivery with your team, including assessments, planning, and implementation.
We're Here to Support You
We believe in a collaborative approach to therapy. Our team will work closely with you, your staff, and other service providers throughout the entire process, providing ongoing support and guidance. We are committed to helping your clients reach their full potential and achieve a happy and fulfilling life.
