FAQ's about the Endorsement Process

By pursuing Endorsement as a Positive Behavior Support (PBS)
Professional, you will be contributing to assuring the fidelity of PBS practices and the quality of PBS services. An Endorsement Certificate recognizes those professionals with qualifying experience and a commitment to PBS principles and practices. The PBS Endorsement achievement will demonstrate to consumers and others that you are well-qualified to provide PBS services. You will receive an elegant Endorsement Certificate and will be listed on the PBS Endorsement Registry which may provide new opportunities for providing services.

How did the Endorsement process come about?
The West Virginia Association for Positive Behavior Support (WVAPBS) Network is a nonprofit organization committed to collaborating statewide to promote the philosophy, core values and evidence-based practices of positive behavior support. Members represent a wide variety of systems and interests, promoting PBS within their area of expertise. The WVAPBS Network evolved from the PBS state training team created in 1991 and, in 2003, WVABPS became the first state network recognized by the international Association of Positive Behavior Support. The full membership meets semi-annually and the leadership team meets monthly. A key goal of the WVAPBS Network is fidelity of PBS services.

Over the past years, the WVAPBS Network has been highly regarded as a leader in this area and has worked with both provider and state agencies to promote quality Positive Behavior Support services in the state based on the standards of practice developed by the international APBS. In collaboration with Virginia's state PBS network and PBS endorsement process, WVABPS has established a similar PBS Endorsement process in West Virginia to promote effective standards of practice.
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The WVAPBS Endorsement Board is a subcommittee of the WVAPBS Network and consists
of Endorsed PBS Professionals who are recognized by WVAPBS Network colleagues for their commitment and experience and who volunteer their service to the endorsement process.

Who is eligible to apply? 



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Anyone with a Bachelor’s degree in a human service field from an accredited university and an interest in Positive Behavior Support may begin to pursue Endorsement by obtaining the training, mentoring, and experience needed.​
  • For Expedited Endorsement, a minimum of 5 years of experience and approved training is needed. 
  • For Standard Endorsement, a minimum of 3 years of experience, one year of mentored experience, and approved training is needed.  
When applying, the applicant will need to submit the specific documentation required which is outlined in the application itself.  This includes a complete Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) and PBS plan, a commitment to Ethics and a liability statement.  Once the Board approves the application, an Interview will be scheduled.  If additional information or documentation is needed, it will be requested at the discretion of the Endorsement Board.  If the standards for Endorsement are not met, the candidate may reapply after six months.

PBS Endorsement Benefits

New FAQs (5/4/16)
 
What constitutes a human service degree?  DHHR defines a human service degree as:
Four year degree from accredited college or university in one of the following fields: Psychology; Criminal Justice; Board of Regents; Recreational Therapy; Political Science; Nursing; Sociology; Social Work; Counseling; Teacher Education; Behavioral Health; Liberal Arts or other degree approved by the West Virginia Board of Social Work Examiners.  A Liberal Arts degree has been further clarified to be acceptable as a human service degree if the degree includes a minimum of 15 hours in a human service field.   For those applicants with liberal arts degrees, a transcript will need to be submitted with their application for PBS Endorsement.
 
If an applicant is submitting a FBA and PBS plan for an individual that has been served by their agency for some time, what do they use for baseline data?   Baseline data is the initial collection of data which illustrates the need for intervention. Baseline is necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of the FBA and PBS plan as it serves as a basis for comparison with subsequently acquired data for evaluation purposes.  While baseline data may be conceptualized to occur prior to intervention, in the human service field it is recognized that the individuals you support will likely have had prior or ongoing interventions.  In such instances, baseline data will be the data collected when the applicant began working with the individual and developing the functional behavior assessment (FBA) or when the need for a plan revision was identified. Usually, it is possible to collect baseline data during the FBA process and often, FBA data can also be used to determine the frequency, rate and/or duration of the targeted behavior. 
   
What additional data should be submitted with the FBA and PBS plan?  In addition to baseline data, data and analysis of the setting events (slow triggers), antecedents (fast triggers), behaviors and consequences are also necessary to support the hypothesis.  Intervention data, collected after the FBA and strategies (PBS plan) are in place, should also be included to evaluate the effectiveness of the plan.  Data submitted should be clearly identified, thoughtfully analyzed and easily understood by anyone reading the plan.
 
What are some resources for learning more about data?
    Graphing baseline and intervention data:
Online graphing programs:
Books
  • Brown, F., Anderson, J., & DePry, R.  (2015). Individual positive behavior supports:  A standards-based guide to practices in school and community settings.  Maryland:  Paul H. Brookes.  
  • Cooper, J., Heron, T., & Heward, W. (2007).  Applied Behavior Analysis.  New Jersey:  Pearson.  
  • O'Neil, R., Albin, R., Storey, K., Horner, R., & Sprague, J.  ​(2015). Functional assessment and program development for problem behavior (3rd Ed).  Connecticut:  Cengage Learning.
  • Alberto, P. & Troutman, A. (2009).  Applied behavior analysis for teachers (8th Ed).  New Jersey: Pearson.  
 
What feedback can I expect to receive once my application is submitted?
  • An acknowledgement of the receipt of your application should be received within two weeks.  If you submit an application and have not received an acknowledgement within that time frame, please email the Review Board at wvapbs@gmail.com to follow-up.    Please note the contact with the Board needs to be made by the applicant.  Also, it is advisable for applicants to request tracking when mailing applications.  It is the responsibility of the applicant to assure that their application is received and that the contact information submitted in their application is correct.
  • Applicants with incomplete applications may receive a courtesy request for further information with a deadline for submission.  Please note that incomplete applications may be denied instead at some point in the future. 
  • Applicants will receive further feedback once the Review Board meets to review applications, which could take up to 8 weeks depending on the number of applications received.  Review Board dates are posted on the WVAPBS website and applications will be reviewed in the order received.   Following the review of a successful FBA and PBS plan by the Review Board, an applicant will receive a request to schedule an Interview with the Board.   If the applicant successfully passes the Interview, they will be notified and will receive a Certificate of Endorsement.  
 
What feedback will applicants receive if their application failed to meet criteria for PBS Endorsement? 
  • If basic criteria for PBS Endorsement were not met, the applicant will receive a letter stating the criteria needed to qualify.
  • If basic criteria are met but the FBA, PBS plan or Interview do not meet criteria, the applicant will receive a letter identifying the basis of the denial and/or a summary of areas of strengths and weaknesses.  Applicants are encouraged to utilize the feedback to obtain further skill development and to reapply after six months.  Please note that detailed critique will not be provided by the Review Board as it is the responsibility of the applicant to seek mentoring and/or additional skill training in the areas of need.