We caught up with the brilliant and insightful DYSHEA UPSHAW a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

DYSHEA, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

The defining moment in my life was: I was in my 9th year as a New Jersey State Correctional Officer and I was out on my 3rd or 4th suspension due to my documented stalker called up to SID and left an anonymous tip that I had a phone in an outside tower (all officers who worked outside towers took their phones with them, and it’s not a law stating officers can not have them, but it is frowned upon). My history with the NJDOC was rocky (I was not a female who slept around and I didn’t allow officers to abuse the inmates therefore I was disliked!. SID policy states they are not allowed to investigate anonymous tips, but they stated to me they felt they needed too because it was me. The NJDOC was starting to resort to unethical practice to harass me. I was being harassed by officers and administration nearly the entire time I was an officer. I had put in an EEOC complaint on several officers and the administrative staff of NJDOC during the time of my last suspension. I always proveI was I was not in the wrong and I my suspension does not lead to anything, but this time my father ask me, “is proving your smarter than them, and proving to them they are wrong worth them setting you up.” When my father put it to me that way I decided it was time for me to resign. I left correction in October 2012, I had a BA in Sociology and a MA in Administrative Science Non-Profit- and For- Profit. I withdrew my pension gave my Lexus back to the dealership, I brought a 2009 Honda Accord, and paid off my bills for a year. I went back to working as a Direct Support Staff taking nearly a 6ok pay-cut. I couldn’t get an upper management position due to lack of experience (their words not mines). In November of 2012 I worked as a Direct Support Staff for about 6 months before they told me they were laying me off; good thing I continued to go on interviews trying to find a job that would allow me to be a manager in a group home setting. In April of 2013 I started working as a Program Manager for a behavior group home; the group home had adult clients who were dually diagnosed and they had behavior plans. I was intrigued by the concept of the behavior plan. I researched what it was and what I needed to do to be able to work as a person who created behavior plans. Once I knew what I had to do I went back to school to get a second Masters in Criminal Justice/Applied Behavior Analysis. In December of 2016 I started working as a Program Director for a Psych community group home; the home was a behavior home with a 40 hour a week BCBA. Working at as an director of a behavior group home reinforced my decision to go back to school to become a BCBA

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Throughout my years of working in social service in a group home setting I started taking notice of the people who working directly with the DD population (Developmental Disability). I started noticing who the people were in lower and middle management. I started thinking if we as Black Americans in NJ are the majority workers woking on the front line, lower, and middle management we should be owners. During my times working for several companies in their group homes and Day Programs in different positions and on different levels I took notes on things that could improve the programs that would give the clients a better life and experiences. In August 2019 after passing my BCBA exam on the 3rd try I created Giving Better Lives LLC. (at that time the BCBA exam was 85% fail rate on your first try, you did not get your results until 3 month after you took the the exam and you had to wait 3 more months to take it again. It literally took me from Jan-Aug to take and retake the BCBA exam and pass ); today the test taking rules have changed. Once I passed the test I started applying to be credential with all the major insurance companies and medicaid. Once I was approved for medicaid in Oct of 2019 GBL was born. I applied to open my first DDD program which was my in home behavior therapy. Next in Feb of 2020 during Covid I became first Black BCBA to open up a Adult DDD Day Program that Modeled a ABA Therapy Clinic. Giving Better Lives Day Habilitation is like no other in NJ 1st because it is owned by an actually BCBA, 2nd our model is based on the principals of ABA, 3rd I am the only day program that make my DSP’s behavior Techs (BT’s) and Registered BT’s 4th we have a full time Behaviorist. 5th we are a family ran business with my two daughters who both have their BA’s and my baby girl Graduates with her masters in ABA, she is also the Behaviorist for the day program; my oldest is the Program Director, she will be the Executive director once we have been open for 5 years. The other companies that I have open over the pass few years is Transportation to transport the clients to and from the day program, Community Base Supports (CBS), Individual Supports (IDS), Policy Writing, Consultation Services , Temporary Employment Agency (TEA), and I am approved to open group homes; I plan on opening up a true Behavior Group Home from a BCBA perspective. I’m super proud to be the first black BCBA to open up an Adult Behavior Day Program, I am also proud that I am able to offer TEA contracts to small DDD approved providers, these bigger companies charges for BCBA services are very expensive. I offer the services for nearly $9 less then what medicaid pays out and I do not have a client companies. Because I change less and do not have a client monthly standard In. average 1 -2 new client monthly.. Once my Group Home open I will be the First Black Female BCBA to own their own Behavior Group Home modeled from the ABA princples

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I am from the city of Camden NJ, Camden at times was the murder capital. Growing Up I had my daughter when I was in my senior year, because I was college bond I did not want to take to much time off. I graduate high school at number 50th out of 250 students even tho I did have to tale off 2 months to have my daughter. In decided not to go on welfare, I worked wand went to school once I graduate I attended Rowan Un. I attended Rowan UN until my sophomore year when I had my 2nd daughter Rowan; had to drop out of college at that time. Three years after having my daughter prematurely I decided I had to do something that would help me be financially secure and help me go back to school. Decided in 2002 I would become a state correctional officer.. in 2003 I became a state correctional Officer. In 2005 my oldest daughter father was killed in the city of Camden, and in 2009 my youngest daughter father was killed in the city of Camden. I was not with either of my children fathers. I never wanted my children to be affected by their fathers death and that motivated me to always ensure they live full lives doing everything they wanted in and outside of school. I went back to college in 2007 and I graduated in 2009 with my BA in Sociology., the amazing part of that was I graduate with my mom and my best friend (at that time) since 5th grade, All 3 of us walked a-cross the stage one after the other. In 2009 I applied for my Masters and my youngest daughter father was killed. I graduated with my Masters in May of 2012 and I resigned from Corrections in October of 2012, I graduated with my second Masters in 2017.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

My work experience and life experiences makes me a well rounded person, and taught me to be able to adjust in any setting, to be able to work with any culture, race and ethnic group. I am when faced with adversity and hard times. Experiencing bad leadership in corrections and well working as a program manager and Program director created my leadership style. I am very big on inclusive of the front line staff. I am very big on creating a space that makes them feel seen and apart of the puzzle. I not only hold to masters but I have four Master level Certification, Non-profit- For profit Organization, Organization Leadership, Human Resource Organization, and Administration

Contact Info:

• Website: www.givingbetterlives.com
• Instagram: DyDiamond
• Facebook: DyShea T Upshaw
• Linkedin: DyShea Upshaw -Johnson MA, MS, BCBA LBA
• Youtube: Gvingbetterlives

Image Credits
GBL Staff