Money Follows the Person (MFP) offers Behavior Support Services that use applied behavior analysis principles and positive behavior support measures to support people with complex behavior needs to live, learn, work, and play in their communities of choice.

Behavior Support Services are offered to any person who is a current or past MFP participant, their family, and the agency or agencies providing services to the individual. Behavior Support Services can be accessed by contacting the MFP Transition Specialist while the person is in the program, or the MFP Behavior Specialist Team Lead or Project Director if the person is no longer participating in MFP.

Services Provided:

Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA): A comprehensive assessment completed through reviewing past records, in-person interviews with the person and others with knowledge of their behavior(s), and information about those behaviors.

Behavior Support Plans (BSP): Comprehensive plans created to give the person, their family, and staff the knowledge and tools to prevent and respond to challenging behaviors. The goal is to reduce frequency, intensity, and/or rate of occurrence. Also, within the BSP are strategies to teach functionally equivalent replacement behaviors for the person to learn how to meet their wants and needs without the use of challenging behaviors.

Data Collection and Monitoring: Using tools provided by the Behavior Support Specialist, those providing care for individuals with BSPs through MFP are asked to collect and share relevant data. The Behavior Support Specialist will use this information to monitor the effectiveness of the BSP. This information helps to identify when retraining may be appropriate, changes to the plan may be needed, or additional strategies may need to be considered.

Behavior Support Plan Training: Training is for those providing supports and services to the individual on the BSP and how to implement it. This can be initial training for a new BSP, and/or retraining for staff after time has passed. It also can be for newly hired staff. Behavior support training is available to each service provider/agency or family unit providing supports and services to an individual, who is, or was, an MFP participant. This can be general training on universal behavior support strategies, or specific and personalized training for a single individual.

Behavior Support Plan Maintenance and Revision: At least quarterly, the Behavior Support Specialist will conduct review of documentation and observations (either in person or via Zoom) for proper use and implementation of the BSP and to evaluate effectiveness of the BSP. If changes are needed, including but not limited to procedural changes or discontinuation of some or all parts of the BSP, a new FBA may be warranted. Once the revised BSP is completed, new training will be provided to those providing supports and services to the individuals. 

Collaborative Partnerships: Individuals may have support teams in place that meet their current needs, but may benefit from partnering with the MFP Behavior Support Specialist, who can provide additional consultation and collaboration. Individuals served in the State Resource Centers, Glenwood and Woodward, often benefit from this collaboration to adapt plans for transitioning to living in the community, or working with the Provider Prevention and Support Services/I-START program. This includes support from the University of Iowa ID/MI program, and/or access to behavior specialists within established provider relationships.

Offered Training Programs:

Positive Behavioral Supports: A 1-day training on current best practices in providing behavior supports, offering participants interactive, practical opportunities to apply the training to their own case studies and organizations.

Positive Behavioral Supports, Train the Trainer: A 2-day training: Day 1 provides information on current best practices in providing behavior supports, offering participants interactive, practical opportunities to apply the training to their own case studies and organizations. Day 2 provides strategies for teaching this curriculum to other employees and infusing the philosophy and techniques into your organization.

Safety Care: A 2-day evidence-based crisis intervention training to help staff provide humane, person-centered interventions that replace challenging behavior with safer and more collaborative behavior. The training improves safety for staff and the individuals they support while reducing the frequency and severity of dangerous incidents.

For additional training opportunities, please visit Iowa’s Health and Human Services learning platform at the following link:  Home - ltssiowa (ltss-iowa-trualta.com).

For more information, please contact:    
Stacie Lane, MSW, BCBA    
Behavior Support Specialist, Team Lead    
University of Iowa    
Money Follows the Person Program    
Phone: 319-330-0598    
Email: stacie-lane@uiowa.edu