Interview Series: Sharon Alert-Burgess, Behavior Intervention Specialist
The following is an interview of Sharon Alert-Burgess. Ms. Alert-Burgess is a Behavior Intervention Specialist (BIS) in Queens, New York. We appreciate her for taking the time to answer these questions.
JJ: Where did you go for your bachelor’s and master’s degrees? What did you major in?
M.S.Ed., East Stroudsburg University (ESU)
B.A. Psychology, York College (CUNY)
JJ: How long have you been in the field? What made you select being a BIS as a career?
I started working in this field in 1999 after I graduated high school. I began in Early Intervention doing ABA with Children who were diagnosed with Autism. After high school, I wasn’t really sure what career path I wanted to follow. I wanted to go out of state for undergrad. I was accepted to three out-of-state schools and one locally. And, of course, the one local school I applied to (York College) was the one that my parents decided on against my desire.
When I looked at the programs of study offered at York, Psychology was one of the shortest program/course work to complete. So I declared my major would be “psychology.”
Fast forward after completing my undergraduate studies, I continued to work in the mental health field as an Assistant ABA teacher for children diagnosed with autism. It was there I decided that I would pursue a Master’s in Special Education. After completing that program in 2009, I took a job working as a BIS and the rest is history…
JJ: That’s one of the best answers I’ve heard in regards to why someone chooses a degree. What is your best advice for those interested in being Behavior Intervention Specialists?
Make sure it’s something that you’re really interested in doing. Try interning or working at a company that serves kids/adults who are diagnosed with intellectual disability/mental illness to see if it’s something that you would enjoy doing. You have to be a patient, creative, compassionate, and loving person to be in this field. If you’re not a people person, this is not the path for you.
JJ: I think you have really captured the essence of what it means to serve. Do you think enough is known about your field in the general public? How would people you know outside of the field describe what you do for a living?
Not enough is known. When most people hear BIS, they ask “what’s that” or “what exactly do you do?” People I know outside my field would describe my position as: “working with people with disabilities.”
JJ: What are two things that people misunderstand about those you serve?
1. They don’t understand anything or can’t communicate.
2. They are violent.
JJ: Do you think the field is sufficiently funded? Why or why not?
No. I say this because the rate of pay for staff in this field is very low and does not commensurate with the duties they perform daily. Either people are not aware of what being a direct care worker and assisting those who are most vulnerable and cannot do for themselves entails, or they don’t care.
JJ: Sharon Alert-Burgess, pleasure to have you.
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