In today’s blog you’ll get to hear the amazing story of VB’s Senior Therapist, Hannah Hudson, and her journey into the world of ABA; from intern to RBT to Lead Therapist to Senior Therapist. We believe in our staff and support their dreams so hats off to you Hannah and thanks for letting us showcase your story!
How did you get to VB? What was your first position here?
I started at VB as an intern in 2016! I heard about them through someone that I used to work with on academic breaks in college (I went to JMU for my undergrad) at the Boys and Girls Club in Annapolis, MD. I didn’t know anything about ABA at this point, but I knew I loved working with children, especially children with special needs.
Now you’re Senior Therapist at the VB Center- Tell us how you got to this position from intern?
After interning with VB, I got certified to become an RBT and came back the summer before my senior year at JMU in 2017 to work as an RBT for the company. I loved it so much that once I graduated from JMU, I came back to continue working here! I worked as an RBT under awesome supervisors like Macarena, Shannon, and MacKenzie who helped me grow so much as a clinician and I eventually became a Lead Therapist and now a Senior Therapist!
How did your mentors and coworkers at VB inspire you to grow within ABA?
Macarena was my first supervisor here when I was an intern and I really credit her for getting me into this field. I remember sitting in her office with her going over a PowerPoint on the basic principles of ABA literally being in awe of how knowledgeable she was and how awesome all the things I was learning were. I started out as a curious college student with no definitive career path and then after working with her and Nicole Brown (another incredible supervisor of mine) for those summers in college, I could not picture myself in any other field.
The company continued to grow while I was away at college so when I came back after graduation to see how much the company had grown and got to work with more BCBA’s, I quickly realized that everyone in this field was as passionate and as driven as Macky and Nicole were. To come here every day and see all that these people put into our clients and into helping the rest of us grow is incredible and something I feel very proud to be part of. Even the BCBA’s that I just recently started working with have been so supportive and committed to my growth as a clinician and I am very grateful for that.
What’s a typical day like for you now?
I am in the process of transitioning to becoming a Team Coordinator in our LIFE classroom which will serve our older population in more of a classroom setting so a lot of my day is in preparation for that! I spend about 3-5 hours in 1:1 with clients that will be students in LIFE when it opens and several other clients who are on some of the other teams that I serve. The other hours in my day are spent shadowing new and current therapists with clients to ensure treatment integrity and provide assistance, training new staff, creating client program materials such as data sheets or organizing client programming binders, meeting with Lead Therapists about case management duties and meeting with my supervisors to discuss client programming!
Any advice you’d give to others just starting out in their careers in this space?
This field is not easy and is not for everyone, but if you are one of the lucky ones who has been gifted a passion for the field, it can be so unbelievably rewarding. Also, work somewhere that cultivates your passion, motivates you and supports your clinical and professional growth! The people you work with in a field like this are what get you through the hard days—only surround yourself with positivity.
Looking for your next career move? Want to join a team that’s focused on your growth (and have a great time in the process?) Check out Verbal Beginnings and let’s talk!
