ACTr Conference with Tom Szabo

Overview:

The metaphor of “capturing a cloud” is used to illustrate the challenge of addressing private events (thoughts, emotions, memories, sensations) in behavior analysis. These internal experiences, while traditionally outside the domain of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), are now being addressed using the ACTr model. This workshop bridges the gap between ABA and Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT), offering a unified approach to treatment.

Who Should Attend:

• Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs)
  
  

• Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs)
  
  

• Clinicians and mental health professionals working with children, families, individuals with behavioral challenges, or autism

Workshop Objectives:

• Teach participants how to identify and work with covert (private) behaviors in clinical and educational settings.

• Support effective collaboration between BCBAs and MFTs by building shared understanding and language.

• Provide practical, scalable tools that can be applied with:

  • Typically developing individuals

  • People with social-emotional or behavioral challenges

  • Autistic individuals 

  • Families, caregivers, and support staff 

About ACTr:

• ACTr stands for Acceptance and Commitment Training, a training-based application of the psychological flexibility model (distinct from ACT used in psychotherapy).

• Aims to support individuals in becoming aware of their internal experiences and increasing flexibility in how they respond—moving away from automatic, habitual behavior patterns.

• Introduced when traditional ABA strategies (e.g., contingency management) do not produce sufficient behavior change and when clients have verbal abilities.

Key Learning Components:

• Introduction & Rationale – Foundational concepts and the "why" behind this work

• Modeling of Core Skills – Live demonstrations of component skills

• Guided Practice – Hands-on participant engagement in skill application

• Feedback & Refinement – Real-time feedback from experienced trainers

• Behavioral Focus – All techniques grounded in observable and measurable outcomes

Workshop Format:

• Three-Day Intensive Training

  • Day 1: Orientation, theory, and rationale

  • Day 2–3: Skills practice, feedback, and integration
    
    

Skills are taught in sequence, with full learning cycles (instruction → modeling → practice → feedback) for each component before advancing.

Logistics & Policies

Date & Location:

Date: October 9th, 10th, and 11th 

Location: Hayes Mansion 

200 Edenvale Ave

San Jose, CA 95136

Cost:

$699 - Early bird registration fee prior to 08/15/2025

$749 - Registration fee between 08/15/2025 and 09/15/2025

$799 - Registration fee after 09/15/2025

Refund & Cancellation Policy: 

• Please email admin@positiveapproaches.us if you need to cancel at any time before the event.

• In the event of cancellation for an event, participants are eligible for: 

  • a full refund less a $150 administration fee for cancellations made 30 days or more before the scheduled event. This refund will be processed within 10 days of the cancellation date. 

  • No refund is available for cancellations made with fewer than 30 days before the event.

Certification of Completion:

A certificate will be awarded to all participants who:

• • Completed appropriate sign in/sign out procedures 

  • Completed evaluation of the course

  • The original certificate will be issued after the course is completed and all evaluations are completed via email within 10 days of completion. 

Certificate will include: 

• • Name of the attendant and certification/license number or other identification number;

  • Course title;

  • Provider name and address;

  • Board-recognized approval agency name (e.g., BACB, CAMFT)

  • Date of the course

  • Course Format (in person, on-line synchronous, on-line asynchronous)

  • Number of hours of continuing education credit; and

  • Signature of the course instructor, provider, or provider designee.

Positive Approaches shall award continuing education credit hours on the basis that one continuing education credit is equal to one hour of instructional time. A continuing education hour is defined as a 60-minute hour. Continuing education credit shall be awarded only for instructional time. Lunch and other breaks shall not be included in total time awarded for continuing education credit. Courses will be a minimum of one continuing education hour, in one block of time.

Grievance Policy:

At Positive Approaches, we aim to provide high-quality continuing education. If you have a complaint or concern about our programs, services, or staff, we want to hear about it so we can resolve it fairly and quickly.

This policy is for anyone involved with our CEU programs, including:

• Program participants

• Instructors

• Staff

• Partners

A grievance is a formal or informal complaint about our CEU programs, services, or operations that you believe is unfair, unjust, or against our policies. This could be received in person, via email or our contact form, or on a post-event evaluation.  This may involve:

• Program content or how it was taught

• Instructor behavior

• Administrative issues (like registration or certificates)

• Ethical concerns

• Issues with discrimination, harassment, or accessibility

Resolution:

If the Positive Approaches team deems it appropriate based on the severity of the grievance, informal resolution may be offered initially.  This may include:

• For program issues: Talk directly to the instructor.

• For administrative issues: Contact the Administrative Manager at the PALLSS office. 

• NOTE: if the grievance involves breaking a law or a serious breach of ethics, this step will likely not be appropriate

• If this doesn't resolve your concern, you may file a formal grievance, detailed below

Positive Approaches also offers a Formal Grievance and Resolution Process:

• Submit the grievance via email your complaint to the Agency Director at:  angela.garrido@positiveapproaches.us, or mail it to the Positive Approaches office at 3162 Newberry Dr, Suite 10, San Jose, CA 95118

• What to include:

  • Your full name and contact information.

  • The date you're submitting the complaint.

  • A clear description of your concern, including dates, times, and people involved.

  • The CEU program/course title and date(s) (if applicable).

  • Any supporting documents.

  • What resolution you are hoping for.

• What you can expect from Positive Approaches

  • Acknowledgment: We'll confirm receipt of your complaint within 3-5 business days.

  • Investigation: Our Grievance Officer, Executive Director or a committee will thoroughly investigate the matter. This may involve gathering more information and speaking with relevant parties. We aim to complete this within 10 business days, but we'll notify you if it takes longer.

  • Decision & Resolution: We'll provide you with a written decision and any proposed solutions within 10 business days after the investigation is complete.

• In addition to the above, all participants reserve the right to complain to the licensure/registration agency (e.g., BACB, CAMFT)

Additional Information: 

• Confidentiality: All complaints are handled with strict confidentiality.

• No Retaliation: We do not tolerate any form of retaliation against anyone who files a complaint in good faith or participates in an investigation.

• Record Keeping: We will maintain records of all formal grievances and their resolutions for a period of five years.

Accommodation:

Hayes Mansion offers a variety of accessibility features to support all guests, including:

• Designated accessible parking and ramp access to all main areas

• ADA-compliant guest rooms with roll-in showers, grab bars, and visual alarms

• Wheelchair-accessible routes to meeting rooms, restrooms, pool, business center, and dining areas

• Assistive features for guests with hearing or vision impairments, such as closed-caption TVs, visual alerts, and braille signage
  
  

If you require additional accommodations to support your participation, please contact us—we’re happy to help ensure a comfortable and accessible experience.

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