About APBS

Description

The Association for Positive Behavior Support is a multidisciplinary organization made up of professionals (teachers, researchers, university professors, and administrators), family members, and consumers who are committed to the application of positive behavior support within the context of the school, family, and community including across systems (e.g., entire schools, organizations), for small groups, and for individuals with complex needs for support.

Mission, Vision, and Equity

Mission Statement

The mission of APBS is to enhance the quality of life of people, across the life-span, by promoting evidence-based and effective positive behavior support to realize socially valid and equitable outcomes for people, families, schools, agencies, and communities.

Vision Statement

Members of APBS across the world will interact with the Association as their primary reliable resource on positive behavior support and view their engagement as personally and professionally beneficial.

Equity Statement

APBS is committed to equity, human rights, and social justice for historically marginalized and oppressed communities, families, practitioners, and students. Our work informs individuals, institutions, and organizations through systems development and strategies to disrupt interpersonal and structural forms of inequity, discrimination, and racism in order to promote equitable and meaningful outcomes for all.

More About APBS

APBS is a membership organization that engages in varied activities and endeavors related to Positive Behavior Support. APBS places greatest emphasis on activities associated with expanding the emerging science of Positive Behavior Support. Beyond expanding the science of Positive Behavior Support through research and outreach endeavors APBS further invests its resources in supporting networking related to the design and implementation on Positive Behavior Support across various contexts. As such, APBS is primarily a scientifically oriented organization that is also heavily invested in networking. APBS also supports (on a more limited basis) policy-related endeavors associated with Positive Behavior Support. APBS members have access to all association materials through various sources including the organization’s website (www.apbs.org). Further, members of the organization elect members to its governing board on an annual basis and may access those elected board members through a variety of methods including the website.

Positive Behavior Support is a set of processes that combine information from social, behavioral, and biomedical science and applies this information at the individual and/or systems level to reduce behavioral challenges and improve quality of life. Both systems-wide and individualized interventions used in positive behavior support are empirically documented and can be used by a wide range of support providers.

The Association for Positive Behavior Support is currently supported by the activities of several working committees and a 12 member board. Nominations for board membership are solicited from our members. If you are interested in participating in a committee or exploring leadership opportunities, please e-mail Executive Director Cheretta Clerkley.

The Association for Positive Behavior Support is an active body, focusing its attention on dissemination, education, and public policy efforts. It:

  • Serves as an international forum for individuals interested in positive behavior support
  • Hosts a conference every year
  • Supports and promotes the Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions
  • Publishes a quarterly newsletter
  • Manages and links websites on positive behavior support practices, systems and examples
  • Engages in policy development around the provision of behavior support
  • Establishes a directory of members to facilitate interaction among individuals interested in positive behavior support practices
  • Works to establish national standards that define competency in the application of positive behavior support
  • Encourages the training of professionals skilled in positive behavior support practices through the development of training materials, and the embedding of positive behavior support content in relevant professional certificate and degree programs
  • Promotes access to state-of-the-art books and literature pertaining to positive behavior support

Organization Policies

Scroll to Top