Beyond Behavior Support: Exciting Career Paths for the Skilled Intervention Specialist
So, you’ve been in the trenches as a Behavior Intervention Specialist (BIS). You’ve built rapport, crafted individualized plans, navigated challenging behaviors, celebrated hard-won victories, and made a real difference in the lives of individuals – often children and adolescents – and their families. It’s demanding, deeply rewarding work. But maybe you’re starting to wonder, “What’s next?” Where can these specialized skills, this unique experience, and this profound understanding of human behavior take you professionally? The good news is, your background as a BIS opens doors to a surprisingly diverse and fulfilling range of career opportunities.
Your core skills – understanding the “why” behind behavior, designing effective interventions, collecting and analyzing data, collaborating with teams (teachers, therapists, parents), and communicating complex concepts clearly – are incredibly valuable assets in numerous fields. Let’s explore some of the most promising paths forward:
1. Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA): This is often the most natural and sought-after progression. BCBA is a graduate-level certification requiring specific coursework, supervised fieldwork (which your BIS experience likely contributes significantly towards!), and passing a rigorous exam. As a BCBA, you move from primarily implementing plans to designing, supervising, and evaluating comprehensive behavior intervention programs. You’ll have greater autonomy, conduct functional behavior assessments (FBAs), train other staff (including BISs!), and often work more directly with families and systems. This role is in high demand across schools, clinics, hospitals, and private practice, typically offering a substantial increase in responsibility and salary. Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA) is the equivalent state license required in many areas alongside the BCBA credential.
2. Special Education Teacher: Your hands-on experience with diverse learners, particularly those with emotional/behavioral disorders (EBD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), or other disabilities, provides an excellent foundation for becoming a special education teacher. You understand the behavioral challenges that often accompany academic struggles. Transitioning to teaching usually requires obtaining a state teaching credential/license, often involving additional coursework and student teaching. Your BIS background gives you a massive head start in classroom management, creating supportive learning environments, and implementing individualized strategies effectively. You’ll directly shape academic and behavioral growth.
3. School Counselor (Requires Master’s Degree & Licensure): If you find yourself drawn more to the social-emotional well-being and broader life challenges of students, school counseling could be a fulfilling path. This requires a master’s degree in school counseling and state licensure. Your BIS experience gives you unparalleled insight into how behavior connects to emotional states, trauma, social skills deficits, and environmental factors. You’ll shift focus towards academic planning, social skills development, career guidance, and providing individual/group counseling, using your behavioral lens to understand and support students holistically.
4. District-Level Behavior Specialist/Coordinator: Leverage your expertise on a broader scale! Many school districts employ specialists or coordinators who support multiple schools. In this role, you might:
Train and coach teachers and paraprofessionals on behavior management strategies.
Consult on complex cases across different schools.
Help develop district-wide behavior support policies and programs (like PBIS – Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports).
Oversee the fidelity of behavior plan implementation.
Lead professional development workshops. This role allows you to amplify your impact by supporting other educators and shaping systemic approaches to behavior.
5. Clinical Roles in ABA Therapy Centers: Beyond the BCBA path within clinics, your BIS skills are directly applicable to other roles:
Senior Behavior Technician/Lead RBT: Take on supervisory duties for other Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs), providing coaching and ensuring program consistency under the direction of a BCBA.
Clinical Supervisor (often BCBA level): Manage cases, supervise staff, and ensure clinical quality within a center setting.
Intake Coordinator: Use your understanding of behavioral needs to assess new clients and match them with appropriate services and therapists. Clinic settings often offer opportunities to specialize in specific age groups or diagnoses.
6. Case Management/Care Coordination: Your skills in assessment, planning, resource coordination, and interdisciplinary collaboration are perfect for case management. This could be within:
Mental Health Agencies: Supporting individuals with severe emotional/behavioral disorders navigate services like therapy, medication management, housing, and vocational support.
Developmental Disability Services: Helping individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities access and coordinate needed supports (waiver programs, residential, vocational).
Foster Care/Child Welfare Agencies: Supporting children in foster care and their caregivers, often dealing with complex behavioral needs stemming from trauma. You’ll advocate for clients and connect them to vital resources.
7. Human Services & Non-Profit Leadership: Your deep understanding of behavior, systems, and supporting vulnerable populations opens doors in the broader human services sector. Roles could include:
Program Manager/Director: Overseeing programs providing behavioral support, residential services, vocational training, or community integration.
Developmental Specialist: Working directly with adults with disabilities in day programs or supported living, focusing on skill-building and community participation.
Advocacy & Policy: Working for non-profits focused on disability rights, mental health, or education reform, using your frontline experience to inform policy and advocacy efforts.
8. Corporate/Organizational Behavior Management (OBM): This is a fascinating, less traditional path. OBM applies the principles of behavior analysis (the foundation of your BIS work) to improve performance and safety within businesses and organizations. You might:
Design training programs.
Improve workplace safety protocols.
Boost employee productivity and engagement.
Analyze and improve organizational processes. This path often requires additional targeted training or experience in business settings but leverages your core analysis and intervention skills in a completely different context.
Making Your Move: Key Considerations
Further Education & Credentials: Honestly assess what your desired path requires. Moving into BCBA, School Counseling, or Special Education Teaching will necessitate specific graduate degrees and certifications/licensure. Factor in time and cost. Explore tuition reimbursement programs if available through your current employer.
Transferable Skills Audit: Articulate how your BIS skills translate. Don’t just say “experienced with behavior plans.” Say: “Expertise in designing and implementing data-driven interventions,” “Proven ability to analyze complex behavior and develop effective solutions,” “Skilled in collaborative team leadership and communication,” “Experience training and coaching diverse staff.”
Network & Informational Interviews: Talk to people currently in roles that interest you! Ask about their day-to-day, required skills, and how they got there. Your professional network is invaluable.
Tailor Your Resume & Cover Letter: Don’t use a generic application. For each position, highlight the specific skills and experiences from your BIS background that directly align with the requirements of the new role. Use their language.
Patience & Persistence: Career transitions take time. Be strategic and persistent.
The Bottom Line
Your journey as a Behavior Intervention Specialist wasn’t just a job; it was a powerful training ground. You developed a rare and valuable skillset centered on understanding behavior, driving positive change, and navigating complex systems. Whether you aspire to climb the clinical ladder to BCBA, shape educational systems as a coordinator, guide students as a counselor, support adults in the community, manage impactful programs, or even venture into the corporate world applying behavioral science, your foundation equips you uniquely. The path beyond behavior intervention is wide open – take the time to explore which direction aligns best with your evolving passions and goals, and confidently step onto it. Your expertise is needed in many places.
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