Clinical Team

Emily, M.ED., BCBA, LBA

Center Director

Novi

Emily graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a B.S in Psychology in 2014. She then went on to attend Wayne State University in order to obtain her Masters of Educational Psychology with a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis, in which she graduated in 2016. Emily has been working with children on the Autism Spectrum since 2011, and specifically in the ABA field since 2013. She has worked as a Registered Behavior Technician and a Behavioral Consultant before obtaining her BCBA in 2016. Emily loves to see clients and their families be as successful as they can within every environment, placing high importance on coordination of care between other service providers, schools, and family! She also has a special interest in servicing clients with comorbid diagnoses. When she is not at work she enjoys being with her dogs Oliver and Zeena, or going on vacation to somewhere warm with a beach. Her favorite vacation spot is Holbox, Mexico.

Michelle, MA, LLP, BCBA, LBA

Center Director

Clinton Township

Michelle Fuhr received her bachelors (2007) and master’s (2010) degrees from Western Michigan University in Behavior Analysis. Ensuring staff of all levels have high quality education and training is essential to Michelle’s belief that this will lead to high quality services and therefore enhanced client progress.  Michelle has a history of developing curriculum for bachelors and master's level ABA programs, such as Wayne State University, Macomb Community College and other local universities. She is currently a professor in the graduate and undergraduate ABA programs at Wayne State University, Capella University and Macomb Community College. Michelle brings her education and passion for quality ABA services to the frontlines of UPAC to integrate knowledgeable staff with quality and ethical ABA treatment.

Michelle has been in the field of autism since 2005 and her primary interests include teaching early learning skills, teaching communication skills, parent involvement, and reducing problematic behavior. She has worked directly with Dr. Gregory Hanley on learning his Practical Functional Assessment (PFA) methods for behavior assessment and Skills Based Treatment (SBT) methods for behavior reduction. She has collaborated with Dr. Bondy on learning the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS). She has also received formal training in the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Relational Frame Theory (RFT) and as well as Functional Analysis (FA) implementation. She has presented at local and national conferences such as Behavior Analysis Association of Michigan (BAAM), Association of Behavior Analysis International (ABAi) and Women in Behavior Analysis (WIBA). She is currently seeking her PhD through Capella University in Behavior Analysis to pursue research and contribute to evidence-based practices.

Andrea, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA

Behavioral Consultant

Clinton Township

Andrea Engel has been working as a BCBA at the Clinton Township location since 2019. She started in the field in 2015 as a behavior technician. Andrea earned a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology from Wayne State University. In her free time, Andrea loves to travel and spend time with her family.

Heather, B.S., BCaBA, LaBA

Behavioral Consultant

Novi

Heather started working with children over 25 years ago within the Early Childhood Field. She received her Associates Degree in Early Childhood in 1996. She then spent many years as a busy stay at home mom of her two daughters. She began working at UPAC in 2009 as a Behavior Technician. Heather has held many positions throughout her years at UPAC including a Lead Registered Behavior Technician and as The Program Director. Her passion grew for ABA and she finished her bachelors of science degree in Psychology from Rochester College in 2015. She then continued her education receiving her BCaBA through Florida Institute of Technology in 2018. She then began taking clients as a BCaBA in the fall of 2019 at UPAC and has loved it. Heather’s favorite part of working at UPAC is working with the amazing children, families, and staff and making a difference is people’s lives.

Mada, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA

Behavioral Consultant

Novi

Mada started in the field of ABA in 2013, as a behavior technician. Within this role her passion for ABA grew into her pursuing her Master’s degree in Educational Psychology with an emphasis in ABA from Wayne State University, in which she graduated in 2016. Mada worked as a Behavioral Consultant and BCBA within the school system in Alberta, Canada. In order to grow her knowledge and experience Mada returned to her practicum site at University Pediatricians Autism Center, in a BCBA role in 2018. Mada’s favorite part of working at UPAC is engaging with the children and making lasting difference in the skills that are being targeted.

Krissa, M.S., BCBA, LBA

Behavioral Consultant



Krissa Jones received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Lake Superior State University, where she acquired an internship position at a local behavioral health center. In this role, she worked closely with the BCBA and eventually took a job as a behavior technician in October of 2018. Krissa moved to the area to attend Wayne State University for her master’s degree and to expand her options for field placement. She began working at UPAC in June of 2019 as a behavior technician and became a practicum student that August. Krissa graduated from WSU in April of 2021 and became a Qualified Behavioral Health Professional (QBHP) at UPAC in June of 2021 and became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst in September of 2021. Krissa’s favorite part about UPAC is their focus on parent/technician training and education, as well as the close-knit environment that allows for easy collaboration and discussion among staff.