Jay received his undergraduate degree in psychology from Northern State University (South Dakota) and an anthropology degree from Iowa State University. He is currently working toward completing his Masters Degree in public administration at Iowa State. He has 17 years of experience in the human services field, including extensive work with individuals with developmental disabilities and children with behavioral disorders. His most current position was with the Medicaid Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) program where he worked as an HCBS specialist. Prior to HCBS, he was a residential manager at Beloit of Lutheran Services in Iowa, a residential treatment center for children. In September of 2008, he began work as a Technical Writer/Trainer with the Iowa State University Child Welfare Research & Training Project.