Dr. Scott Spreat brings over 40 years of behavioral health experience and a unique skillset of hands-on operations and evidenced-based research in the intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD) arena to OPEN MINDS. Throughout his career, he has held several leadership roles in the operation of I/DD residential and integrated treatment programs, served as an adjunct professor of Psychology at Drexel University and Temple University, and was a member of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disability’s Terminology and Classification Task Force serving in the workgroup that developed the definition of Intellectual Disability.

In addition to his work with OPEN MINDS, Dr. Spreat is currently the Vice President of Evaluation and Research for Wood Services National Research and Evaluation Center in Langhorne, PA. In this role, Dr. Spreat collects and analyzes data and reviews evidenced-informed programs and services to develop innovative approaches for I/DD care delivery and vocational engagement among persons with intellectual disabilities who live in community group homes. Additionally, he leads policy-related research to inform decision-makers who have an impact on legislation relative to complex health care delivery. Dr. Spreat has been called on to give testimony before Pennsylvania state legislative committees regarding direct support professionals’ compensation practices and the fiscal health of Pennsylvania organizations that provide intellectual disability services.

Dr. Spreat also serves on the board of PAR (Pennsylvania Advocacy and Resources for Autism and Intellectual Disability) where he is a Principal Investigator for PAR’s research efforts. Most recently, Dr. Spreat, in collaboration with his PAR colleagues, designed a recent ANCOR national survey to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on intellectual disability providers.

Prior to his tenure at Woods Services, the majority of Dr. Spreat’s career has been in the operation of residential treatment programs. He was the President/Chief Operating Officer of Woods Programs, a one-time subdivision of Woods Services;  Executive Director of the Woodland Center for Challenging Behavior;  Vice President of Clinical Services at Woods Services; and Clinical and Executive Director of the 284-bed program at Temple University’s Woodhaven Center.

Dr. Spreat received his doctorate in Educational Psychology from Temple University and is a licensed psychologist in Pennsylvania. He is a prolific author who has published several studies on outcomes in intellectual disability, particularly outcomes associated with deinstitutionalization, and large-scale program evaluation systems to provide administrative and clinical feedback to staff to industry peer-reviewed publications such as the Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, and The Behavior Analyst.