Behaven Kids Increases Capacity with Addition of Dr. Janie Funk as ABA Clinic Director

New hire part of Behaven Kids continued growth in Nebraska to meet increasing need for mental health services for children and families throughout the state

OMAHA, Neb.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Behaven Kids, one of Nebraska’s leading providers of services for children and adolescents who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, mental health-related issues and behavioral difficulties, has hired Janie Funk, Ph.D, BCBA-D as Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Clinic Director.

In her new capacity at Behaven Kids, Dr. Funk will be responsible for overseeing all ABA programs and services at all three locations. Behaven Kids’ ABA programs provide evidence-based therapy for the treatment of children ages 2-18 diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and developmental delays.

Dr. Funk is the latest addition to the Behaven Kids clinical team catering to the needs of families across Nebraska. Behaven Kids recently announced several new additions, including Paula Kenyon, Ph.D., BCBA-D, a doctoral-level Board Certified Behavior Analyst with more than 25 years of professional experience, to the company’s advisory board. Behaven Kids also added three clinical BCBAs to support its ABA programs.

As a doctoral-level Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Dr. Funk brings more than a decade of experience providing behavior-analytic services for people of all ages with neurodevelopmental and related disabilities in home, community, clinic and residential settings.

Dr. Funk earned her master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Nevada, Reno and received her training from distinguished leaders in the fields of psychology, behavior science and disabilities studies. The expertise she brings to Behaven Kids includes building high-level clinical teams and developing systems that produce excellent behavioral health services. She is driven to expand the capacity of Behaven Kids to serve more of Nebraska’s youth and their families.

“Janie brings with her a solid background that will serve our children and families well,” said Themis Gomes, CEO of Behaven Kids. “There is a tremendous need throughout Nebraska for autism and behavior-related services and Janie will be instrumental in helping us continue to grow and meet these needs.”

Dr. Kenyon added that “the addition of Dr. Funk and the other professionals has significantly increased the capacity and clinical ability of Behaven Kids in capacity-constrained Nebraska. There is tremendous demand for autism-related services throughout the state, with only about 10 percent able to be met by existing facilities. The expansion of Behaven Kids, in both Omaha and Lincoln, will result in more children and families receiving the services they need.”

Before joining Behaven Kids, Dr. Funk was a Project Coordinator for the Nevada Center for Excellence in Disabilities. Prior to that, she worked with the Nevada Aging and Disability Services Division providing community and family services and consultation, contributing to statewide program evaluation, and spearheading development of Nevada behavioral services policies.

Behaven Kids is a provider of services for children and adolescents who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, mental health-related issues and behavioral difficulties. The company provides a full range of therapy, counseling, trauma-informed and care services to help children, parents and families at three locations in Nebraska. Behaven Kids has more than 70 professionals with a variety of credentials and expertise, including Board Certified Behavior Analysts, licensed behavior specialists, licensed mental health practitioners and certified clinical trauma professionals. Behaven Kids was founded in 2000. More information is available at BehavenKids.com and on social media @behavenkids.