Rachel Freeman, PhD, Project Director

Rachel Freeman is the Project Director of the Kansas Institute for Positive Behavior Support, an Associate Research Professor at the Life Span Institute in the University of Kansas (KU), an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Special Education at KU, and is the acting President of the Association for Positive Behavior Support (www.apbs.org). Dr. Freeman works with state, regional, and local PBS teams interested in wide-scale dissemination of PBS within an interagency framework, including facilitation of PBS in districts and schools implementing positive behavioral interventions and supports, as well as in residential, and vocational settings supporting adults with disabilities. Her research interests include interagency statewide planning, organization-wide and school-wide positive behavior support, online instruction and staff development systems related to PBS, and issues related to children and adults with developmental disabilities including self-injury, self-restraint, and biobehavioral assessment. For more information about Rachel Freeman and the projects she directs, please visit www.kipbs.org, www.swpbs.org, and www.pbskansas.org.

Pat Kimbrough, MS Ed, Assistant Director of Operations

Pat Kimbrough is the Assistant Director of Operations at the Kansas Institute for Positive Behavior Support. Pat manages the daily activities of the program, coordinates the training and mentoring process, and works with the technology development. She has experience with web and database design, software support and training, and grant management in the areas of mental retardation and developmental disabilities. Pat has her Master's degree in Higher Education Administration from the University of Kansas.

Peter Griggs, M.Ed, Evaluation Coordinator / Northeast Instructor

Peter Griggs is the Evaluation Coordinator for the Kansas Institute for Positive Behavior Support. He reviews all components of the project, including case study plans developed by KIPBS facilitators in training, as well as initial SRS prior authorized plans, to assure that all PC-PBS plans are of high quality (fidelity) and, when implemented, produce positive impacts across various domains. Peter also mentors professionals enrolled in the KIPBS facilitator course. He has extensive experience facilitating SWPBS in early childhood, elementary, and middle school urban and rural settings. He has worked in community residential settings in Missouri with adults with disabilities and problem behaviors. Peter’s research interests include tertiary-level PBS for students with significant support needs, including deaf-blindness; sustaining communities of practice, and behavioral health systems change initiatives that require cross-agency collaboration. Peter earned his M. Ed. in Special Education from Temple University, and has completed all course requirements for a Doctorate in Community Psychology at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
 

Matt J. Enyart, MS Ed, KIPBS Research Assistant

Matt Enyart is a Research Assistant for the Kansas Institute for Positive Behavior Support within the Life Span Institute at the University of Kansas. Matt took the KIPBS Facilitator course in 2005 and prior to his employment with KU was a PBS Facilitator Board Member, PBS Facilitator, and KIPBS contractor. Matt’s experience includes human service administration, program development, service coordination, autism waiver, positive behavior support facilitation, independent living counseling, educational advocacy, sexual education, recreation, social skill development, supported employment, residential supports, behavior consultation, and presenting on various human service related topics. Matt also served as an eligibility screener for a Kansas community developmental disability organization and has served on multiple councils and work groups. Matt, his wife, and their four children live in Lawrence but have family all over north central and north eastern Kansas. Matt has a bachelor's degree from Mid American Nazarene University and earned his MS Ed in Special Education/Transition from the University of Kansas.

Kelcey Schmitz, MSEd, KIPBS Research Assistant /Instructor/SWPBS Training Coordinator

Kelcey Schmitz is a Research Assistant and School-wide Positive Behavior (SWPBS) Support Training Coordinator for the Kansas Institute for Positive Behavior Support within the Life Span Institute at the University of Kansas. Kelcey is also instructor and mentor for students enrolled in the KIPBS facilitator training and certification course. Prior to her employment at KU, Kelcey worked as a practitioner in the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) field for 15 years and provided residential services, in-home behavioral therapy for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), behavioral consultation for adults with developmental disabilities, and facilitation of positive behavior support services for children with challenging behavior. Her current research and professional interests include Positive Behavior Support and Transition to Adulthood, School-wide Positive Behavior Support, systems change, and the impact challenging behavior has on quality of life. Kelcey has a bachelor's degree in Applied Behavioral Sciences and a Master’s of Science in Education in Special Education/Transition from the University of Kansas. Kelcey and her husband Darin live in Lawrence, with their children Drew and Emilly.
 

James Letcher, IT Coordinator/Programmer

James is the IT Coordinator and Programmer for the Kansas Institute for Positive Behavior Support. He manages the Institute's websites by making updates and adding new content areas. James earned his B.S. in Computer Information Systems from Missouri Western State University in 2005.

KIPBS Instructors

Katie Zerr, Northeast Instructor - Katie Zerr has a bachelor’s degree in Human Development and a master’s degree is Early Childhood Special Education with an emphasis in Autism Spectrum Disorders from the University of Kansas. She has worked with individuals with Autism for approximately 8 years. Her primary areas of focus are early intervention for children with Autism and providing Positive Behavior Supports services. Katie currently provides Autism Specialist services through the Autism Waiver and Positive Behavior Support facilitation.

Nan Perrin, Northeast Instructor - Nan Perrin is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and has a graduate degree in Human Development from the University of Kansas. She is in the process of completing her dissertation in Early Childhood Special Education at KU. She has worked with individuals with disabilities for since 1990. She has been a BCBA since 2001. Her primary areas of focus are autism, behavior support for individuals and families, as well as policy and systems change. She is appointed to the Kansas Governors Commission on Autism as the BCBA member. She currently oversees Positive Behavior Support facilitation, Autism Waiver Services, behavioral consultation and Targeted Case Management.

National Advisory Board

The role of the National Advisory Board is to provide KIPBS staff members with expert guidance on the development of the standards and curriculum. The National Advisory Board members:

• Specify the standards for selecting the curriculum;
• Select and organizing the curricular content that will be covered;
• Oversee the professional development procedures; and
• Review the online instructional materials.

The Current KIPBS National Advisory Board Members will serve a three-year term ending October, 31, 2013.