Professional Conduct and Scope of Practice
F-1 Describe the BACB?s RBT supervision requirements and the role of RBTs in the service-delivery system.
F-2 Respond appropriately to feedback and maintain or improve performance accordingly.
F-3 Communicate with stakeholders (e.g., family, caregivers, other professionals) as authorized.
F-4 Maintain professional boundaries (e.g., avoid dual relationships, conflicts of interest, social media contacts).
F-5 Maintain client dignity
F-1 Describe the BACB?s RBT supervision requirements and the role of RBTs in the service-delivery system
It is your responsibility to track your supervision. You need to keep track of the number of hours you are working as an RBT every day. You also need to make sure that you request supervision to ensure you meet the supervision requirements.
Supervision must include at least two face-to-face, real-time contacts per month. Supervision cannot be carried out by phone or email. Your supervisor must observe you delivering interventions during at least one of these supervision meetings. While on-site observation is preferred, observation by video-conferencing is also acceptable.
With regard to the duration of monthly supervision, the BACB guidelines are clear that an RBT must obtain supervision for 5% of the hours that provide ABA interventions. This means that if you work for 100 hours a month, you should receive a minimum of 5 hours of supervision. If you work for 120 hours a month, you should receive a minimum of 3 hours of supervision.Many ABA interventions are delivered using a tiered service-delivery model. Within a tiered service-delivery models, ABA services are generally overseen by a master?s (BCBAs) or PhD (BCBA-Ds) level Board Certified Behavior Analysts. The programme may receive mid-level oversight by a bachelors level (BCaBAs) practitioner, and are implemented directly by Registered Behavior Technicians (RBT).
It is important that you understand that the role of the RBT is to implement behavioural interventions and collect data ? not to design their own intervention plans.
F-2 Respond appropriately to feedback and maintain or improve performance accordingly
Your supervisor has duty to provide you with training and feedback. When you are doing something incorrectly or sub-optimally, your supervisor should provide you with constructive criticism. This can be aversive. However, it is important that you accept feedback and seek to change the relevant behaviour. When feedback is provided in a constructive manner, your performance will improve and this will ultimately benefit your clients.
F-3 Communicate with stakeholders (e.g., family, caregivers, other professionals) as authorized
You have a duty to protect your clients? privacy. This means that you should not share data that you are not authorized to share.
When communicating with other stakeholders, you should ensure that the language you use is professional and objective. It is also important that you refer other stakeholders to your supervisor when appropriate to do so. For example, if a stakeholder suggests a change to an intervention or a new intervention, as an RBT you should direct them to your supervisor and only implement the new interventions with their agreement and support.
F-4 Maintain professional boundaries (e.g., avoid dual relationships, conflicts of interest, social media contacts)
Multiple or dual relationships involve a person having a professional relationship and some other kind of relationship with a client. These relationships might be romantic relationships, friendships or other business relationships. It is important to note that RBT?s do not engage in romantic or sexual relationships with current clients, stakeholders, or supervisors.
As an RBT, your role is not to be a friend or to conduct business with the client, but rather to deliver interventions and supports. While it is important to be friendly, it is equally important to keep conversations focused on the learner and their support.
You avoid dual relationships, as this can impair your judgement and create unrealistic expectations. If, for example, a client?s parents think of you as a friend, then they may expect you to support their views or plans. They may expect you to do things that are not part of your role as an RBT. This can ultimately harm a client. By avoiding dual relationships and staying professional, these issues can be avoided altogether.
RBTs are not allowed to accept gifts as it could create a conflict of interest. It is also important to avoid adding clients or their family members on social media while working with them. These actions can create an impression that a dual-relationship exists.
F-5 Maintain client dignity
Another important aspect of the RBT role is maintaining client dignity. This includes treating clients with respect, empathy, and compassion, as well as adhering to ethical principles and standards of practice outlined in the RBT Ethics Code. Additionally, RBTs should be aware of cultural and individual differences and strive to be culturally responsive in their interactions with clients. This requires ongoing self-reflection and self-evaluation, as well as participating in continuing education and professional development opportunities.
As an RBT, it is important to always respect and treat clients with dignity, treating them as if they were yourself. You should ensure that you have their consent for any interventions, protect their privacy and not talking about them outside of work. Do not talk down to your clients or use belittling language. Avoid talking about them on front of them. If you need to discuss aspects of their support with another stakeholder, you should include them within the conversation to the greatest extent possible. You should also, where required, ensure that you are maintaining their physical dignity. For example, if a client?s clothes or body becomes dirty, you may need to help them fix this.
You should always strive to provide support in a way that you would like a loved one to receive support.
Professional Conduct and Scope of Practice Key Terms
Role of RBT
The role of the RBT is to implement behavioural interventions and collect data and not to independently design their own intervention plans.
RBT Supervision Requirements
Supervision must include at least two face-to-face, real-time contacts per month. Supervision cannot be carried out by phone or email. Your supervisor must observe you delivering interventions during at least one of these supervision meetings. While on-site observation is preferred, observation by video-conferencing is also acceptable. The BACB guidelines state that an RBT must obtain supervision for 5% of the hours that provide ABA interventions.
Stakeholders
A stakeholder is a person with an interest or concern in the services you are providing to a client. In addition to your client, other stakeholders might include parents, guardians, other family members, friends or partners, coworkers, teachers or supervisors and other professionals.
Dual/Multiple Relationships
Multiple or dual relationships involve a person having a professional relationship and some other kind of relationship with a client or other relevant stakeholder.
Dignity
Dignity means treating someone with respect and honour. While providing interventions, you must ensure that you acknowledge a client?s abilities and desires, provide interventions in a way that promotes a client?s self-esteem and autonomy, communicate respectfully and in a way that best meets a client?s communication needs. You must support your client?s physical and mental well-being. Utilising a person-centred approach is key to safeguarding your client?s dignity.