About Us

A small community of Self-Directed homes in close proximity will share resources including a director, supervisors and staff. The pilot will be located in Burlington, NJ.

Individuals will be actively engaged in their communities, forming positive support networks and healthy relationships.

The board will be comprised of family members who have the individuals best interest at heart.

A BCBA- certified consultant will be responsible for training and programming. The entire staff will be well-trained  and well compensated for their important work.

Dr. Bridget Taylor is co-founder and CEO of Alpine Learning Group and Senior Clinical Advisor for Rethink Behavioral Health. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and a Licensed Psychologist. Dr. Taylor is past president of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board and former Associate Editor of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. She currently serves on the board Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior (SEAB). Active in the Autism research community, Dr. Taylor has published numerous peer-reviewed research articles and book chapters on innovative practices to improve the lives of individuals with autism. Her most recent work explores compassionate relationship-building with families in providing clinical services to individuals with autism. Dr. Taylor has been recognized by the Association for Applied Behavior Analysis International for her outstanding contributions and received ABAI’s Fellow designation.

Dr. Dennis Reid has over 45 years of experience as a clinician and supervisor in educational, residential, and community support settings for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities including autism, and has consulted with human service agencies in the majority of states of the United States as well as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. He has published over 140 refereed journal articles and book chapters focusing on applied behavior analysis and authored or co-authored 16 books. In 2007 he was awarded Fellowship status in the Association for Behavior Analysis International and in 2006 received the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities International Research Award. Dennis is the founder and current director of the Carolina Behavior Analysis and Support Center in Morganton, North Carolina. His company has employed people with severe disabilities in a supported work capacity for more than 25 years.environment.

Dr. Kelly Mahler earned a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Misericordia University, Dallas, PA. She has been an occupational therapist for 20 years, serving school-aged children and adults. Kelly is winner of multiple awards, including the 2020 American Occupational Therapy Association Emerging and Innovative Practice Award & a Mom’s Choice Gold Medal. She is an adjunct faculty member at Elizabethtown College, Elizabethtown, PA as well as at Misericordia University, Dallas, PA. Kelly is a co-principal investigator in several research projects pertaining to topics such as interoception, self-regulation, trauma & autism.

Dr. Dorothea C. Lerman is currently a Professor of Behavior Analysis at the University of Houston - Clear Lake, where she chairs the Master’s program in Behavior Analysis and serves as Director of the UHCL Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities (CADD). She received her doctoral degree in Psychology from the University of Florida, specializing in behavior analysis. Her areas of expertise include autism, developmental disabilities, skill acquisition, functional analysis, teacher and parent training, and treatment of severe behavior disorders. She currently oversees several programs at CADD, including a focused intervention program for children with autism, a vocational program for adults with disabilities, a student support program for college students with autism, and a teacher training program for local school districts. Dr. Lerman has published more than 125 research articles and chapters, served as Editor-in-Chief for The Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and Behavior Analysis in Practice and has secured more than $2 million in grants and contracts to support her work. She was the recipient of the 2007 Distinguished Contribution to Applied Behavioral Research Award and the 2001 B.F. Skinner Award for New Researchers, awarded by Division 25 of the American Psychological Association. She also was named a Fellow of the Association for Behavior Analysis-International in 2008. Dr. Lerman is a Licensed Behavior Analyst and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.

Peter Gerhardt, Ed.D., is the Executive Director of the EPIC Programs in Paramus, NJ.  Dr. Gerhardt has over 40 years of experience utilizing the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis in support of adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorders in educational, employment, residential, and community-based settings. He has authored or edited a number of publications, including “The Handbook of Quality of Life for Individuals with ASD” (Springer, 2022), which he co-edited, and “Clinician’s Guide to Sexuality and Autism” (Academic Press, 2024). He has presented nationally and internationally on these and related topics.  Dr. Gerhardt serves as Co-Chairman of the Scientific Council for the Organization for Autism Research and is on numerous professional advisory boards including the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies.  He currently serves as Affiliate Faculty in the Institute for Applied Behavioral Science at Endicott College.  Dr. Gerhardt received his doctorate from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey’s Graduate School of Education.

Devin is the Associate Director of Sustainability for Strategic Sourcing & Procurement at Bristol Myers Squibb.
Devin was a Sustainability Compliance Auditor within IKEA Purchasing Services where he led sustainability activities as part of the global purchasing and supply chain objectives. He received a Corporate Sustainability Certificate from NYU in the Spring of 2019. Previously Devin was a performance consultant at Gap International where he partnered with leaders to produce exceptional results through strategy, leadership, execution and culture.Devin worked at the American Council on Renewable Energy and the China Environment Forum and is published in clean energy development and sustainability. He also worked at the White House during the 2012 election year, working in the Office of Presidential Correspondence.

Devin is passionate about creating a community model for adults with autism to ensure individuals, like his brother Brandon, can thrive where they live.

Peter Posada currently serves as Head of Partnerships at Recover Medical Group, a drug and alcohol clinic serving low-income adults and adolescents. In this capacity, Peter identifies and develops public-private collaborations to reduce barriers to treatment. Previously, Peter worked for five years in legal aid as a supervising attorney providing pro bono representation and direct services for unhoused and indigent individuals. He also served as Deputy Director for the Eviction Defense program, taught housing law, and supervised students at clinical law programs through Georgetown University, George Washington University, and American University. While in law school, he completed public interest work through the Lowenstein International Human Rights Clinic, the Detroit Mayor’s Office, the Stanford Environmental Law Clinic, and the U.S. Senate. Peter graduated with a J.D. from Yale Law School and summa cum laude from the University of Florida.

Elise Buzby graduated from Rowan University in 2017 with a Bachelors of Science in Psychology, with a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis. With over a decade working with children and adolescent autistic individuals, she has a hands on perspective for handling any challenge directed her way. Working closely with individuals on the spectrum has been a fulfilling lifelong commitment. With her time in the field she has gained experience with different strategies to help individuals grow and thrive. 

Donna Icovino, Family Member and Advocate for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Complex Severe Behavioral Health Conditions. Former Co-Chair, N.J. Department of Human Services Dual Diagnosis Task Force. Served as a Peer Support Counselor, Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care Mom2Mom Helpline. A Founding Family Member of “Urgency of Now/Protect People with IDD.” Co-Authored with Psychologist, Dr. Lucille Esralew, the “Family Crisis Handbook” (2010), “The Revised Family Crisis Handbook” (2019), “An Enhanced Family Support Crisis Handbook: A Behavioral Health Wellness Toolkit” (2021) and (2023).