A Day in the Life of a BCBA® Clinical Director at Action Behavior Centers

What does a day look like for a Board Certified Behavior Analyst® (BCBA®) Clinical Director at Action Behavior Centers? Ruby Mannankara-Cabrera, Ed.D., BCBA, Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA), is a Clinical Director based in Austin, Texas. She's spent eight and a half years working as a behavior analyst, with experience in home-based, center-based, nonprofit, and telehealth settings before joining ABC. Here, she shares what clinical leadership at ABC looks like day-to-day.

How BCBA Clinical Directors train and onboard at ABC

Ruby's path to ABC started with hands-on training in Austin, Texas. That training was followed by onboarding covering both BCBA training and training specific to the Clinical Director (CD) role. Onboarding was also where she was introduced to ABC's core values and mission: helping children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) reach milestone moments through compassionate, evidence-based ABA treatment.

As Ruby describes it: "During that time, we had an opportunity to be introduced to ABC's core values and what the organization stands for, its philosophy, and its mission for autistic children, as well as a culture that's rooted in those same values."

What a BCBA Clinical Director's caseload and clinical oversight look like

As a Clinical Director, Ruby oversees a team structure built around focused, manageable caseloads. Each BCBA on her team supports no more than eight children. That keeps care individualized and gives BCBAs the bandwidth to know each child well. Part of what she values most is watching the BCBAs she supervises grow into senior roles and clinical leadership positions of their own.

"Watching others grow and learn more about their capabilities, and how they're able to strive for excellence, has been amazing," Ruby reflects. "I've had the opportunity to work hand in hand with many BCBAs who've gone on to become senior BCBAs and clinical leaders. Seeing them grow and contribute to the field, and what they add to our teams, inspires the next generation of behavior analysts and the next generation of those interested in supporting the field, whether that's on the clinical side or the operations side."

Continuing education and mentorship for BCBA Clinical Directors

ABC's Clinical Directors have access to continuing education units (CEUs) provided by Dr. Gregory Hanley, Executive Director of Compassionate Care, and Dr. Linda LeBlanc, Executive Director of the Action Institute for Outcomes Research (AIoR). They also lead internal sessions for fellow Clinical Directors on topics relevant to their teams. 

Ruby also points to the support she gets from Dr. Charna Mintz, ABC's Chief Clinical Officer. "Dr. Mintz is incredibly helpful in listening to what our needs are and finding the resources and opportunities to help us grow," she says.

Monthly virtual continuing education gives Clinical Directors a chance to keep expanding their skills. It also helps them stay current on what's most supportive for the children they serve. Leadership development is another piece of that growth. It's available across the organization, helping Clinical Directors build their leadership skills and support innovative, creative teams.

For Ruby, that growth has been about more than skill-building: "It's given us the opportunity to learn who we are as leaders, and how we're adaptable, flexible, and resilient in what we do each day."

Meet ABC’s clinical leaders

What it's like to watch a child graduate from ABA therapy

For Ruby, some of the most meaningful moments come from watching children graduate and transition into general education classrooms, carrying the skills they built with them. She recalls one conversation in particular: "I remember talking with one of the children on my caseload and sharing that he'd officially graduated and was moving on. He told me he was going to miss everybody and named every one of his teammates. He said, 'Miss Ruby, you did so much for me, and I'm going to keep going.'"

What makes ABC's center culture unique

One of the things Ruby points to as unique about ABC is that every center has its own identity and its own way of living out ABC's values.

"Each center has an identity, and what they hold as their values all align within ABC's values," Ruby explains. "Having the opportunity to learn from others, seek understanding, and be willing to help whenever possible matters, because the day-to-day can go by quickly. Listening, learning, and understanding others is the first step in building strong relationships that help support the culture of each center."

Ready to lead in ABA clinical care? How to apply for a Clinical Director position at ABC

If you're a BCBA looking for a role with manageable caseloads, ongoing mentorship, and opportunities for leadership growth, a Clinical Director role at ABC may be the right next step. ABC is hiring BCBAs across our network of 450+ centers in Arizona, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Minnesota, Colorado, and Indiana.