Networking on Long Island for BCBAs: Conferences, Meetups, and CEU Hotspots
- Jamie P
- Oct 17
- 8 min read
Long Island is a deceptively rich ecosystem for behavior analysts. On paper, it’s “suburban New York”—in practice, Nassau and Suffolk host a dense web of clinics, districts, hospitals, private practices, and family organizations that constantly cross-pollinate. If you’re a BCBA (or LBA in New York) trying to grow your network, stay current on the Ethics Code, and stack CEUs without burning out, this guide gives you a field-tested plan tailored to Long Island: where to go, who to meet, what to bring, and how to convert handshakes into real collaboration.
We’ll cover the flagship conferences (including the annual Long Island Behavior Analysis Conference), how to use New York association events to meet your next supervisor or hire, campus-based CE options around Stony Brook, Hofstra, Molloy, and LIU, plus a month-by-month rhythm that turns networking into a habit—not a once-a-year sprint.
Why Long Island is a uniquely good place to network as a BCBA
Dense provider landscape: Many school districts, early intervention providers, and private clinics operate within short drives of one another. That density translates into lots of cross-organization projects (consults, co-treats, and supervision relationships).
Year-round cadence: Fall IEP season, winter skill intensives, spring audits/reviews, and summer ESY/parent programming create natural collaboration points.
Multiple academic anchors: Long Island’s universities run ABA coursework and frequent training series; when you plug into those lists, you hear about CE opportunities and research-practice forums before the flyers circulate.
Bottom line: if you show up consistently, you’ll build a local “guild” faster than in most markets—and that pays off in clinical quality, job mobility, and supervision depth.
The big-stage events you shouldn’t miss
Long Island Behavior Analysis Conference (LIBAC)
The ELIJA Foundation hosts LIBAC each December, historically at Hofstra University’s Mack Student Center. It’s a two-day, Long Island-centric conference with national speakers, practitioner workshops, and a very approachable hallway scene—perfect for meaningful conversations between sessions. If you’re new to LI, circle LIBAC on your calendar; it’s where clinicians, supervisors, district reps, and university faculty mix, and where “We should collaborate on that training” turns into a January email thread.
How to get the most out of LIBAC:
Attend one talk per time slot for content, and one for connections: Ask a good question, then follow up at the speaker table to introduce yourself and exchange cards.
Bring an artifact: A one-pager of a graph makeover, TI sampling plan, or caregiver BST checklist is a great icebreaker (“I’d love your feedback on this rubric”).
Schedule your hallway meetings: DM two people ahead of time (a district BCBA and a clinic PM you admire) and set 10-minute coffee windows between sessions.
NYSABA annual conference
The New York State Association for Behavior Analysis (NYSABA) runs a robust statewide conference each fall. Even though it’s held upstate, Long Islanders attend in force—providers recruit there, districts shop for PD partners, and many LI speakers present. It’s also the best place to meet organizers of smaller downstate meetups and special interest groups you can join year-round.
Action steps:
Join the NYSABA mailing list and scan the events calendar monthly.
If you present at NYSABA, repurpose that talk for a local PD at a neighboring district or clinic in Nassau/Suffolk—two birds, one deck.
Year-round: meetups, micromeetups, and “CEU-adjacent” gatherings
NYSABA meetups & local chapter activities:
NYSABA promotes community meetups statewide, including downstate. These are gold for junior and mid-career BCBAs: small enough that you’ll talk to everyone, substantial enough to meet supervisors hiring tomorrow. If your neighborhood doesn’t have a regular meetup, host one; the state association makes it easy to propose a venue and theme.
Parent & provider forums:
Keep an eye on family organizations and clinics that host evening talks—many offer certificates of attendance or low-cost CEUs, and the room usually includes a mix of caregivers, SLPs/OTs, districts, and BCBAs. Those cross-disciplinary relationships are how you end up co-teaching a caregiver workshop next month (and getting paid for it).
Clinic open houses & poster nights:
Several Long Island programs run informal “poster nights” or open houses for supervision candidates, RBT pipelines, or new program launches. Show up with a 60-second pitch: who you are, your top two interests (e.g., TI systems, tele-BST), and what you can offer a partner (“I have a clean BST deck and a TI checklist we can share”).
Campus-based CEU hotspots on Long Island
Universities anchor many CE calendars, even when the sessions are not branded “ABA.” Subscribe to updates from:
Stony Brook University (Stony Brook / Stony Brook Medicine): continuing education and community trainings often include behavioral health topics and host professional workshops across the health system.
Hofstra University (Hempstead): home base for LIBAC and multiple ABA-related programs; departments regularly cross-promote public lectures and practitioner days.
Molloy University (Rockville Centre): continuing education & professional studies offers ongoing professional programming (including educator CE that often intersects with ABA in school settings).
LIU (Post / Brookville): behavior analysis degree programs and events around the School of Health Professions.
How to use campus calendars:
Filter for supervision-relevant sessions (measurement, graphing standards, decision rules, ethical case rounds).
When a session doesn’t offer BACB CE credit but is directly relevant, take notes and ask the organizer if they’ll issue a letter of participation—you’ll still build knowledge and relationships.
Your networking toolkit
A one-page “calling card” PDF:
Include a short bio, two sample artifacts (graph + decision rule; BST fidelity sheet), and a QR code to your professional page or portfolio. Hand it to speakers and clinic leads you meet.
A three-line DM script:
“Loved your point about TI sampling at LIBAC. I’m a BCBA in [town]. Would you be open to a 15-minute Zoom next week? I want to show you a TI checklist and get your take—thinking of piloting it with two classrooms.”
Calendar discipline:
Reserve one evening/month for a meetup or lecture and one lunch/month for a 20-minute virtual coffee. Networking compounds when it’s routine.
Artifact-first conversations:
Instead of “We should connect,” say “Could I get your feedback on this decision-rule template? I’m not confident about the replication criterion.” People remember you when you ask precise, professional questions.
The CEU strategy that pays off twice
The BACB’s CE requirement keeps you current; on Long Island, you can make it pay in network equity too.
Pick three themes for the year (e.g., measurement integrity, caregiver BST, ethical decision-making).
For each theme, earn at least one CE locally (LIBAC/NYSABA/campus event) and one remote/on-demand to fill gaps.
After each CE, post a short internal memo to your team—or offer to give a 15-minute share-out at a nearby clinic or district. Sharing what you learned cements the relationship and positions you as a go-to for that topic.
Pro move: When you attend a university-hosted workshop, ask if the department is looking for guest clinicians for a student roundtable—you’ll meet faculty and future staff in one afternoon.
A month-by-month Long Island networking calendar
January–February:
Winter illnesses drive cancellations; propose tele-BST evening sessions and attend one campus CE or virtual NYSABA meetup.
DM two LIBAC connections to schedule quick Zooms; offer to swap one artifact each.
March–April:
IEP season heats up. Target one school-facing CE (measurement, graphing, or program decision rules).
Host a micro-meetup at a coffee shop near the LIRR with a crisp theme: “Data stories in 30 seconds—bring one graph.”
May–June:
Pre-ESY planning with districts; volunteer a 20-minute faculty-room talk on BST or TI.
Attend a hospital or university spring lecture; ask the organizer if they need panelists for fall.
July–August (ESY & summer intensives):
Offer a parent workshop at a local library/community center; invite two clinicians you met in spring to co-teach.
Schedule at least one statewide event (NYSABA webinar or summer symposium) to broaden your network beyond the Island.
September–October:
NYSABA annual conference time. Finalize your abstract or plan your travel day.
Join a practice-focused breakout and capture 3 new contacts; book follow-ups before you leave the venue.
November–December:
LIBAC on Long Island. Pack your artifact one-pager and book mini-meetings between sessions.
Draft your next-year themes and ask new contacts what they want to learn—co-host a January session together.
Turn connections into collaborations that actually happen
Propose something concrete with a deadline: “Would you review my TI checklist next Tuesday? I’ll bring cookies.” beats “Let’s connect sometime.”
Bring the draft, not the idea: Show a one-page decision-rule schema (“If 3 consecutive points below baseline mean by ≥30%, introduce to next tier; otherwise re-probe”). Ask, “What would you change?” You’ll get real feedback—and a likely invite to co-pilot.
Offer to do something for their team: “Want me to run a 30-minute graph-makeover lab for your RBTs next Friday? I’ll bring a template you can keep.” Reciprocity builds quickly on Long Island.
Follow up within 48 hours: Send a short “Thanks + artifact + next step” email. If you met at LIBAC or NYSABA, include a quick reference to the session you discussed to jog memory.
New York licensure and ethics: why they matter in your LI network
New York regulates practice via Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA) credentials. Most Long Island employers will ask you to verify LBA status and keep your registration current. When you network, be ready to discuss how your documentation and supervision practices align with state expectations and the BACB Ethics Code—clean, ethical operations are the trust currency locally. If you’re proposing cross-agency projects or supervision, add a line about consent, privacy, and artifact security. You’ll stand out immediately.
Five Long Island plays to grow fast in 2025
The Corridor Coffee: Book a 15-minute window during LIBAC between Mack Student Center sessions to meet a district BCBA and a clinic PM. Bring your artifact one-pager; ask for one specific critique.
The Campus Triangle: Subscribe to Stony Brook, Hofstra, and Molloy CE lists. Commit to attending one session per campus this year and introduce yourself to the coordinator each time.
The Micro-Meetup: Use NYSABA’s meetup framework to host a 60-minute evening in Garden City/Jericho/Huntington with 8–12 people, one theme, one handout, and a short “speed share” of action items that attendees can steal.
The District In-Service: Offer a free 20-minute “data story” tune-up for a nearby school as a preview, then propose a paid 90-minute PD with CE where permissible.
The Winter Tele-Stack: Pitch a January/February virtual caregiver series to two clinics you met at LIBAC (4 weekly sessions, fidelity checklists, simple metrics). You’ll help them stabilize utilization—and earn a reputation for making operations smoother.
FAQs
Where should I start if I’ve never been to a local event?
Start with LIBAC in December and a NYSABA meetup; both are friendly to first-timers. Then add one campus event (Stony Brook, Hofstra, Molloy, LIU) within 30 days.
Do university workshops count for BACB CE?
Some do, some don’t—check the listing. Even when a session isn’t BACB-approved, it can be valuable for networking and skills. If CE credit matters for that slot, prioritize LIBAC/NYSABA/ABAI offerings.
I’m mostly school-based—what should I target?
Look for measurement, graphing, decision-rule, and caregiver-training sessions. Bring an IEP-safe, de-identified graph to every event and ask one pointed question about improving interpretation.
How many events should I attend?
One event or meetup per month is enough—if you follow up with at least one 15-minute virtual coffee and share something useful (a template, a quick win).
Any pitfalls to avoid?
Don’t “spray and pray” business cards. Pick a theme, bring an artifact, ask for concrete feedback, and promise one quick next step. Consistency beats volume in this market.
Key takeaways
Long Island’s density of providers, districts, and universities makes it one of the best places in New York to build a real BCBA network.
Anchor your calendar with LIBAC (December) and NYSABA (fall), then fill the year with campus events and targeted meetups.
Networking works when it’s artifact-first: bring graphs, decision rules, TI tools, and BST checklists; ask for feedback.
Convert conversations into collaborations with specific, next-week asks and 48-hour follow-ups.
Keep licensure/ethics at the center of your pitch—Long Island partners value clean, audit-ready operations.
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