Colorado ABA

By Rebecca Urbano Powell

As we reflect on the past year’s achievements and look ahead to the future, it is with great pleasure that we share with you the remarkable progress and initiatives undertaken by our local ABAI chapter, COABA. Our collective efforts have not only strengthened our community but have also significantly contributed to the advancement of behavior analysis.

Chapter Accomplishments in 2023
Throughout the past year, our chapters have been relentless in their pursuit of promoting excellence in behavior analysis. Here are some highlights of our collective accomplishments:

COABA Recognized for Exceptional Advocacy:
We are thrilled to announce that COABA was awarded the “Advocacy Group of the Year” award by the Autism Law Summit for our exceptional advocacy on behalf of individuals with autism. This recognition underscores our commitment to advocating for the rights and needs of individuals within our community.
Successful Advocacy Efforts with Colorado Medicaid: COABA successfully advocated with Colorado Medicaid to remove the Electronic Visit Verification requirement for telehealth services. This achievement demonstrates our chapter’s dedication to removing barriers and improving access to essential services for individuals in need.
Fundraising Success: COABA raised almost $42,000 in donations towards funding a lobbyist, Emma Hudson, and our attorney, Dan Unumb, to assist in much-needed Medicaid provision enhancement and the removal of barriers. These funds will enable us to continue our advocacy efforts and drive positive change in our community.
Education and Training Initiatives: COABA successfully presented monthly continuing education webinars and two workshops, as well as hosting the most successful and well-attended COABA conference to date. These educational initiatives have provided valuable opportunities for professional development and knowledge sharing within our community.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Committee: In 2023, we established a DEIA committee to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility within our chapter and the broader behavior analysis community. This committee has been instrumental in guiding our efforts to create a more welcoming and inclusive environment for all members.

Plans for the Upcoming Year (2024)
Looking forward, we are excited to build upon the momentum gained in the past year and further elevate the impact of behavior analysis in our communities. Here are some of our key initiatives for the upcoming year:

Ongoing Public Policy Action: We will continue our public policy action targeting Medicaid provision enhancement and the removal of barriers. Our recent success includes getting an emergency supplement approved in February 2024, increasing rates by 25%.
Participation in Medicaid Workgroups: We will actively participate in Medicaid workgroups focusing on removing issues related to benefits criteria, provider types, treatment plan requirements, and coding limitations.

Continued Education and Training: We will continue to offer monthly continuing education webinars and biannual workshops, as well as our annual conference, to provide valuable learning opportunities for our members. We will be adding events for behavior technicians.
Introduction of New Membership Type: We will propose the addition of a new membership type, “sustaining members,” aimed at increasing donations towards public policy efforts. This initiative will be put to vote to further support our advocacy endeavors.
Student and Technician Committee: We have added a “student representative” to our board as a non-voting member who will be instrumental in forming a student and technician committee, providing support and resources tailored to their needs.

Development of Standard Operating Policies: We will create standard operating policies and procedures into a handbook for future officers of the board to improve transitions and ensure continuity in our chapter’s operations.

Formation of a Political Action Committee (PAC): We will establish a Political Action Committee to advocate for policies and legislation that support behavior analysis and the needs of our community.

In conclusion, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all our members, volunteers, and supporters for their dedication and contributions to our chapters. Together, we will continue to push the boundaries of behavior analysis and create a brighter future for all.