Team Membership and Behavior Plan Quality: Participation of Mental Health Professionals, Behavior Specialists, and Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) may exhibit a complex spectrum of internalizing and externalizing behaviors, necessitating support from interdisciplinary specialists during the development of Functional Behavior Assessments (FBAs) and Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs). This descriptive study examined the extent to which mental health professionals, behavior specialists, and students themselves were involved in the FBA-BIP process in two large districts (Midwest and Southeast). Findings highlight student and mental health professional involvement across grade levels, as well as significantly higher mean quality ratings of FBAs and BIPs with involvement of these individuals. Behavior specialist participation was too infrequent for meaningful analysis. Recommendations for future research, policy, and practice are discussed to guide the collaborative teaming process for FBA-BIP development for students with EBD, as well as limitations of this study.