Phone: 904 465-0090 / Fax: 904 212-1032 / Email Us
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Merrill Martin Chandler, MS, BCBA
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Director of Services
Senior Staff Team
Board Certified Behavior Analyst
Supervising BCBA
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Serving Jacksonville and St. Augustine area!
"That there could be a science of behavior, what we do, who we are? How could you resist that?"
-Donald Baer
Leadership Team
Merrill has been working in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) since 2004 in Florida including Jacksonville and Tallahassee. She earned both Undergraduate and Master Degrees from Florida State University under the leadership of Dr. Jon Bailey. Her Masters Degree was completed in 2006, as well as becoming a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). Her early experience in Tallahassee included work in Leon County Public Schools working with children in Autism, ESE, EH, MR, VE, Pre-k and Mainstream classrooms providing both behavioral interventions, as well as skills and social development. Her experience also includes working with adults, as well as children, across home and community settings with varying developmental delays and special abilities.
Merrill's experience in Jacksonville included intensive ABA intervention assessing and implementing ABLLS, AFLS, VB-MAPP and Behavior Treatment Plan assessment, development and intervention. She had been part of leadership and a supervising senior staff member for over 8 years. Her experience ranges across intellectual and developmental delays and special abilities, in a variety of settings including Intensive Care Facilities, in family home, school settings and many community interventions. In addition, she has conducted school and class wide trainings for parents and teachers to improve skills and focus for children. She is passionate about finding new and creative ways to implement behavior techniques, teach skills in a positive and natural manner, which maximizes confidence and success for the individual!
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Merrill obtained a certification in Performance Management from 2004, while completing her undergraduate degree in in Psychology with a minor in Business. Performance Management combines these two fields by incorporating the research of Applied Behavior Analysis in the business setting in order to improve the performance of employees. She has been led projects to improve socially significant behaviors such as bartenders checking IDs, improving phone counselor skills, improving staff data collection and behavior plan implementation in group home settings.
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During her career, Merrill has been an active participant in local, state and national Behavior Analysis organizations, including Vice President of First Coast FABA in 2010. She has presented multiple research projects and trainings at the local (FC FABA), state (FABA, Capital Area ABA) and national conferences (ABA) in Jacksonville, FL, Tallahassee, FL, Panama City, FL, Daytona Beach, FL, Bonita Springs, FL and Boulder, CO. Presentations range in topic from improving self care skills and independence with brushing teeth and showering, improving motivation for on task behaviors using a specially designed "to do" list, social skills development, staff performance, self management for exercise programs and improving the use of positive reinforcement by teachers.
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In her free time Merrill is passionate about spending as much time on a tennis court as possible! She loves to compete in tennis tournaments, plays in various tennis leagues, her favorite, Mixed Doubles with her husband, and watching her children play their sports; soccer, gymnastics, and lacrosse. When possible her dog Rusty is on the go with the family!
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Liz Horst, MA, BCBA
Director of Development
Senior Staff Team
Board Certified Behavior Analyst
Supervising BCBA
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Liz's extensive experience began 2004 while working with individuals with developmental delays in Wilmington, NC following earning her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. During her undergraduate studies she joined a large non-profit company, The Arc of Wilmington, supporting adults with varying abilities using person-centered approaches. Through this experience Liz was introduced to the field of Applied Behavior Analysis, and pursued her BCABA certification through the highly regarded program at Florida Institute of Technology. Upon completion of this program, she continued on to earn her Master's degree in Exceptional Student Education with an emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis from The University of West Florida.
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Liz has spent the last 12 years working in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis across North Florida delivering ABA services with individuals and their families, consulting with adult day programs and group homes, as well as providing school consultative services across several school districts pre-k through post grad high school across North Florida and Georgia.
Liz's leadership experience included being a member of the senior management team and overseeing direct care staff and collaborating with a team of BCBAs and BCBA-Ds on a weekly basis. In addition, Liz dedicated the last four years to supporting the development and growth opportunities to both undergraduate and graduate level practicum students eager to enter the field of Applied Behavior Analysis by conducting skills and competency based training programs.
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Liz enjoys making a difference through enhancing the lives of others every day! In her free time, Liz enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, crafting, and relaxing at the beach.​
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Anna McBride, MA, BCBA
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Board Certified Behavior Analyst
Supervising BCBA
Lead Administrator
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Anna earned her Masters of Arts in Educational Psychology with specialization in Applied Behavior Analysis from Ball State in July 2020. She previously obtained her Bachelors of Arts in Psychology with a concentration in Child Psychology from the University of North Florida. She has been part of the NBS team since October 2017 and specializes with implementation in NET and incidental teaching across children's day to day activities in home, school and community settings. Her passion is with early learners in natural environment. She passed her BCBA exam in March 2022. In her free time, Anna enjoys weight lifting, doing yoga, and spending time with friends and family.
Supervising BCBA
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Amber Raikes, MA, BCBA
Board Certified Behavior Analyst
Supervising BCBA
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Amber graduated from the University of North Florida in May 2020 with a bachelor's degree in Behavioral Neuroscience. During her undergraduate studies, Amber was a part of the behavioral neuroscience research lab and studied the effects of mindfulness on emotional processing using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). She is now working towards her M.A. in Behavior Analysis Practice from the Florida Institute of Technology. She is expected to graduate in August 2023. Her goal is to pursue her BCBA certification after finishing her coursework at Florida Tech. Amber has been a RBT since September 2020 and has experience in clinics, schools, and homes. She has enjoyed working with individuals across all ages and settings. During her free time, she likes to travel with her fiance and two dogs, roller skate, and mountain bike.
Registered BehaviorTechnicians RBT Team
Emma Queener, RBT
Behavioral Neuroscience Student at UNF with Chemisty Minor
Emma is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in Behavioral Neuroscience with a minor in Chemistry at the University of North Florida. Alongside her academic studies, she is also involved in the functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fIRS) imaging research lab where she specializes in studying preschool aged children's emotional regulation. Before joining the ABA field, she worked extensively in childcare and in a nature-based preschool. She has been an RBT since 2022 and worked in a variety of settings. Emma's unique perspective on sensory processing disorders and academic specialization in children's neuropsychology add to her passion for meeting children where they are in order to help them reach their full potential. In her free time, Emma enjoys doing archery, painting, and writing music.
Ryan Ramsden, RBT
5 Years of Experience
Clinic, School, Home and Community Settings
Ryan has been working as a Registered Behavior Technician for 5 years, which he discovered through his experience living as a young adult with Autism Spectrum Disorder. He has worked with individuals across various age ranges, from kids all the way to adults. He has primarily worked in a clinic setting but also has experience with working in schools, in homes, and in the community. Ryan has been an RBT since September 2019 and has found great success at bringing his own life experiences and personal insights into his work in the role. In his free time, he enjoys playing piano, reading, and spending time with friends.
Aleana Payne, RBT
Specializes in NET in home and Schools
Aleana is a Jacksonville local, where she graduated from Douglas Anderson School of the Arts. Here she first began working with children as a clarinet instructor. Her interests in behavioral science and passion for teaching are the motivating factors for her pursuit in ABA. Aleana enjoys working with a variety of ages across all environments including school, community and in home. In her free time she enjoys going to concerts with her friends, spending time with family and playing clarinet.
Adair Tormanen, RBT
Specializes in Early Learners through Adults
Bio and Photo coming soon
Lacey Mauritz, MS, RDN
***Currently Not Offering Services at this time***
Will resume August of 2025
Master's Level Registered Dietician Nutrition Consultant
In Home Movement Instruction
Author
Lacey J. Mauritz, RDN, is a food-loving, registered dietitian, wife and mom who is ultra-passionate about child and family nutrition. Her goal is to engage parents and their little ones in the process of preparing, cooking and—the best part—eating fresh, healthy food. She earned her Masters of Nutrition in December of 2021 at the University of North Florida. In 2022, she accepted an adjunct professorship at the University of North Florida. In addition, she is working towards obtaining her Certified Personal Trainer credentials through the National Academy of Sports Medicine.
In addition, Lacey is a cookbook author and the founder of Storybook Nutrition, a practice dedicated to the health literacy of children and families. She has just finished her fourth parent-child cookbook and nutrition handbook. Celebrating with Mother Goose is a collection of nursery rhymes and recipes designed to support healthy food relationships. It’s the companion book to Cooking with Mother Goose, a storybook cookbook filled with delicious recipes for family-friendly meals. Her earlier cookbooks—Eat! Play! Cook! and ¡Vamos a Cocinar!—are directed to little eaters six months old and up.
Growing up in New Orleans, Louisiana, and living in Santiago, Chile has had a tremendous influence on how Lacey approaches family nutrition. You’ll find a lot of Creole and South American influence in her recipes. Lacey has always believed that, as a dietitian, she must know how to prepare and serve food, while also being sensitive to its cultural significance, to teach people about nutrition and cooking. At the end of the day, her favorite way to support families is by balancing eating with enjoyment.
When Lacey is away from her kitchen and schoolbooks, she enjoys playing tennis, spending time with her family and traveling.
For more information about Lacey or how to find her books, please visit her website at www.storybooknutrition.com or email her at lacey@storybooknutrition.com.
