Gabriela I. Sierra M., MA, BCBA

Gaby has worked in the Mental Health field specializing in Applied Behavior Analysis, Mental Illness and Performance Management since 2001. She started as a Direct Support Professional for adults in Community Integrated Living Arrangements (CILAs) and children with Intellectual Disabilities while in college. These experiences defined her career and in 2006, she graduated from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She was in the first Applied Behavior Analysis graduating class in Chicago. The next year, she became one of the first few Hispanic Board Certified Behavior Analysts. Gaby spent the first 10 years of her career working in community agencies under varied capacities and immersing herself in different aspects of organizational and individual service needs. This includes becoming a licensed foster parent in 2015.

Over the past 20 years, Gaby has lead organizations in creating systems to successfully support Behavior Management Services from the ground up, participated as an expert witness in a criminal case against a perpetrator of an individual with IDD (sentenced to prison), advocated for and created trauma informed behavior analytic supports and services for youth in foster care across agencies, and supervised BCBAs in Illinois who went on to become successful practitioners. She was born and raised in Puerto Rico and is passionate about supporting Hispanic families and providers. As a result, she was invited to become a National Spokes Person for Autism Treatment in Hispanic Communities and participated in a televised campaign for 2 years. One of her most memorable experiences was traveling with an international delegation to research IDD supports in a Latin American country.

Her areas of interest include services for underserved and under resourced individuals, trauma informed behavior analysis, cultural awareness in treatment, and development of systems for organizations (including policy and procedures). Finally, her work focuses on the relationship between happiness, satisfaction (of individuals and support staff), and performance.

In 2018, after 17 years in the field, Gaby and her business partner, decided to form BIOS. It is an opportunity to put all their experience and knowledge into practice and to address the deficits and service gaps they see in the field. BIOS has served over 15 agencies and more than 200 individuals and families. BIOS is regarded as one of the best providers of Behavior Analytic services for dually diagnosed (IDD/MI) individuals, and youth in foster care in the area. In 2022 she was appointed to the Oak Park Disability Access Commission.

One of her greatest personal accomplishments is becoming a parent through adoption and foster care. In her free time, she is often running around with her 3 awesome kids and husband. They love to cook, eat desert, watch movies, swim, and travel.