The tragic death of Ryan Gainer, a 15-year-old Black autistic child who was killed by law enforcement officers his parents had called for mental health support, represents a catastrophic failure of the systems that should protect the most vulnerable members of our communities. This case is not an isolated incident but rather a stark illustration of the systemic gaps that exist at the intersection of autism, race, mental health, and the institutions families rely on during crisis.
Provider: BehaviorLive — via Behavior Genius
Take This Course →Including ethics, supervision, and topics like this one. New live CEU every Wednesday.
Join Free →On March 9, a 15-year-old Black Autistic child was killed at his home after his parents called the sheriff's dept seeking mental health support. His name was Ryan Gainer. You can read more on his story @ LA Times. We are committed to assembling an online community resource center where parents can tap into life-saving resources AND provide resources to each other. We are calling in families, city officials, law enforcement, educators, behavior analysts, mental health professionals, and all other changemakers who are willing to join this community and help us bring the resources to ONE PLACE so that parents can access them when needed. "We, the People" is the beginning of the forming of this community. The emphasis is that parents should never have to call the police on their child for lack of access to better resources. Demanding better training for law enforcement is insufficient, as we know that mental and behavioral health professionals are experienced, and that is the difference. No amount of training is going to make up for inexperienced officers, like the one who shot Ryan. This is a solution-focused conversation. It will be an organized Roundtable discussion on who Ryan's parents (and others) should have been able to call instead - a call to action for leaders across industries to rise up and serve our communities better.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 2 | Ethics |
Portia James has spent nearly two decades shaking conference tables — challenging systems that prioritize efficiency over dignity and outcomes over people. As the founder of Behavior Genius, she built the organization from the ground up with a singular conviction: that sustainable performance is impossible without care, clarity, and human-centered leadership. Today, Portia serves as Chief of People & Performance, where she focuses on the lived experiences of both staff and families. Her work centers on organizational behavior management (OBM), mentorship, psychological safety, and performance systems that support people without burning them out. She partners closely with clinical and operational leaders while maintaining a visible, front-line presence — meeting families during intake, mentoring leaders, and ensuring the mission is felt through every interaction with the people she serves. Known for blending rigor with relational leadership, Portia believes that accountability and compassion are not opposites — they are partners. Her leadership reflects a deep commitment to stewarding people well, protecting culture, and “mothering the mission” under the core belief that growth should not cost anyone their humanity. She is also the author of Radical OBM, where she reimagines traditional organizational behavior management through a human-centered, systems-driven lens — challenging leaders to design environments where people can perform, grow, and belong. At her core, Portia views leadership as service — a calling to be present, responsible, and faithful with what (and who) she has been entrusted to lead. Her work is rooted in healing the systems we’ve survived — and building workplaces that people don’t have to recover from. Outside of work, Portia is a wife, a homeschool mother of three, and a collector of experiences in the form of concert tickets, sky miles, and recipe books.
Side-by-side comparison with a clinical decision framework
Research-backed educational guide for behavior analysts
Research-backed answers to common clinical questions
All behavior-analytic intervention is individualized. The information on this page is for educational purposes and does not constitute clinical advice. Treatment decisions should be informed by the best available published research, individualized assessment, and obtained with the informed consent of the client or their legal guardian. Behavior analysts are responsible for practicing within the boundaries of their competence and adhering to the BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts.