by Courtney Taylor

Pablo Juárez, MEd, BCBA, LBA, has been named director of behavior analysis within the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC) and the Division of Developmental Medicine (DDM) at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Juárez is a senior associate in Pediatrics, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Special Education and serves as co-director of the Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (TRIAD).

In this new role, Juárez will continue to lead behavior analysis programming with a focus on community-informed and community-assessed practice across TRIAD, the VKC, and the DDM. This will include the implementation of a new model for behavior analytic services developed alongside his team called Community-Assessed Practice — an extension of TRIAD’s Community-Informed Practice model — and the start of a new behavior analysis research program with a focus on compassionate and trauma-informed care.

These programming initiatives, among others, will include substantive engagement with various community organizations such as VKC’s Community Advisory Council, TRIAD’s Autistic Advisory Committee and The Arc Tennessee.

“Pablo has been an incredible leader in the thoughtful and meaningful use of behavior analysis, guiding the use of these methods within TRIAD,” said VKC director Jeffrey Neul, MD, PhD. “I am very excited about the opportunities this new role will provide for Pablo to use these experiences to guide efforts across the entire VKC as well as in the Division of Developmental Medicine.”

Juárez envisions this new role as an important teamwide recognition.

“This title represents broader institutional recognition of the work our teams have been engaging in within the field of behavior analysis,” said Juárez.

“We have leaders on our team — Dr. Alacia Stainbrook, John Staubitz, Lisa Wallace, Becky Haynes, Kathleen Simcoe, Mary Fleck, Lauren Weaver, Michelle Hopton, Dr. Jeff Hine and so many others — who have driven forward novel and important initiatives and collaborations at all levels, and always with a focus on doing the absolute best for the people we serve. This is a clear recognition of the importance of this team’s work, and the remarkable support we continue to receive from institutional leaders across the VUMC footprint.”

Juárez received his undergraduate degree in behavior analysis from the University of North Texas and his MEd in special education with an emphasis in behavior analysis at Vanderbilt University.

He began working as an educational consultant and behavior analyst within TRIAD in 2008. In 2015, he was named director of TRIAD and set about growing a small and relatively stable program into a larger, dynamic and growing enterprise with considerable impact on Tennessee’s disabilities and special education communities.

“Pablo is highly regarded not only in Tennessee, but the nation, for his leadership and ability to advance applied behavior practices from families to educators to policymakers,” said Zachary Warren, PhD, director of the DDM and executive director for VKC TRIAD.

“In this new role, he will undoubtedly continue to shape the future of ABA research, policy, and practice in a manner that incorporates and respects the experiences of the people it serves to benefit.”