The Behavioral Observations Podcast, hosted by Matt Cicoria, recently featured a powerful episode recorded live from the 20th Annual Hawaii Association for Behavior Analysis (HABA) conference. In this session, Matt sat down with a panel from the Hawaii Department of Education (DOE) to discuss the transformative work being done through The CARE Project—a large-scale initiative that integrates PFA-SBT and other evidence-based approaches to improve behavioral supports in schools statewide.

Panelists: Alysha Kim, Dodi Pritchett, Joshua Hoppe, and Sherene Hajiro
Collaborators: FTF Behavioral Consulting and Emergent Learning
Episode: Session 314 – Live from HABA 2025

Highlights include:

• How Hawaii’s DOE differs from other state systems
• The origins and purpose of The CARE Project
• Shifting from reactive to preventive models of behavior support
• The DOE’s collaboration with FTF Behavioral Consulting and Emergent Learning
• Real case studies demonstrating student success
• How the DOE is collecting and using data for research and evaluation
• Strategies for scaling effective interventions amid staff turnover
• How educators have embraced “PFA/SBT” as a verb
• Visions for the future of sustainable, compassionate behavior support in schools

This conversation highlights the extraordinary partnership among the DOE, FTF, and Emergent Learning, demonstrating how compassionate, function-based interventions can be scaled to benefit an entire school system.

For similar content, visit our Success Stories page to explore more presentations, tutorials, and real-world examples of PFA-SBT in action.