Janine Strack, M.S., BCBA
Regional Clinic Director, South Bay
Janine Strack began her work with children diagnosed with autism at FirstSteps in 2005, after graduating with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles. While working as an Instructor, she quickly realized she had found her lifelong career and decided to pursue a graduate degree in the field. While continuing to work full time as a Lead Instructor at FirstSteps, she completed her Master of Science Degree in Counseling, with a specialization in ABA, from California State University, Los Angeles and, shortly thereafter, became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.
As a long-time member of the FirstSteps team, she has served in nearly every possible clinical role. Her experience ranges from providing 1:1 behavior therapy to clients in the home, school, and community settings, to designing and supervising individualized behavior intervention programs for children of a variety of ages and developmental levels, to heading the FirstSteps intake and assessment department, and most recently to overseeing all local clinic operations as the Regional Clinic Director of the Hermosa Beach office. Ms. Strack takes great pride in ensuring that every client under her supervision receives the most effective and individualized treatment possible, and she particularly enjoys developing intervention programs that teach higher-order skills such as perspective taking and executive functions.
Ms. Strack lives in the South Bay with her trusty canine sidekick, Billy, a hilarious and adorable Jack Russell mix. She is also an accomplished athlete; she was a national-level springboard and platform diver and has completed two full Ironman triathlons.