Credentialing Practitioners of Behavior Analysis James E. Carr Behavior Analyst Certification Board
Benefits of a Professional Credential Fosters consistency across practitioners by providing a standard for content and practice Helps ensure that practitioners use the same terminology, view procedures similarly, and have similar training Helps establish a discipline s professional identity Provides a governmental category descriptor for the profession Helps protect the discipline s reputation Consumer protection!
Florida Behavior Analysis Certification Program (1979-1998)
BACB Background Nonprofit corporation Founded in 1998 to meet professional credentialing needs identified by behavior analysts governments consumers of behavior analysis services
Accreditation The National Commission for Certifying Agencies was created in 1987 to help ensure the health, welfare, and safety of the public through the accreditation of a variety of certification programs/ organizations that assess professional competence.
BACB Board of Directors Jonathan Baker, PhD, BCBA-D Barbara Byers Iser DeLeon, PhD, BCBA-D Jane Howard, PhD, BCBA-D (president) Eric Larsson, PhD, BCBA-D Suzanne Letso, MA, BCBA Neil Martin, PhD, BCBA-D Stephanie Peterson, PhD, BCBA-D Bridget Taylor, PsyD, BCBA-D
BACB Personnel Chief Execu,ve Officer Chief Opera,ng Officer Psychometrician Postdoctoral Fellow A@orney Senior Program Specialist Senior Admin. Assistant IT & Project Development Operations Assistant Inves,gator Senior Paralegal Program Specialist Admin Assistant Paralegal Assistant Program Specialist Admin Assistant Admin Assistant Admin Assistant 7
The Credentials
BCBA BCaBA BCBA- D RBT
Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) Coursework Requirement Eligibility Standards 180 classroom hours in behavior analysis Degree Requirement Experience Requirement Ethics - 15 hours Basic concepts & principles 45 hours Behavioral methodology 15 hours Applied behavior analysis 90 hours Discretionary behavioral content 15 hours A minimum of a bachelor's degree. 1000 hours of Supervised Independent Fieldwork*
Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) Coursework Requirement Eligibility Standards 270 classroom hours in behavior analysis Degree Requirement Experience Requirement Ethics 45 hours Basic concepts & principles 45 hours Behavioral methodology 45 hours Applied behavior analysis 105 hours Discretionary behavioral content - 30 hours A minimum of a master's degree from an accredited university that was (a) conferred in behavior analysis, education, or psychology, or (b) conferred in a degree program in which the candidate completed a BACB approved course sequence. 1500 hours of Supervised Independent Fieldwork*
BCBA-D (Doctoral) Requirements BCBA Doctorate from ABAI-Accredited Program OR Doctorate with: 2 BA courses during doctoral program Behavior-analytic dissertation Met all BCBA course requirements prior to doctorate
BACB Certification
The Exam
The Examination Multiple-choice examination BCBA: 150 questions BCaBA: 132 questions Both based on the BACB Task List List of job competencies Certificant survey Subject matter expert review All examination procedures based on Standards for Education and Psychological Testing
Exam Languages BCBA English Modern Spanish Italian (Feb. 2015) Hebrew (Feb. 2015) Korean (Feb. 2016) Brazilian Portuguese (Feb. 2016) BCaBA English Modern Spanish Traditional Chinese Italian (Feb. 2015) Hebrew (Feb. 2015) Korean (Feb. 2016) Brazilian Portuguese (Feb. 2016)
Exam Administration Pearson VUE Worldwide Secure Exam Administration Over 400 Testing Sites Worldwide 4 Exam Windows: February, May, August, November
Pearson VUE computerized testing
Maintaining Certification BCBA Annual renewal & attestation Recertification every 2 years 32 hrs of Continuing Education (4 in ethics) BCaBA Annual renewal & attestation Recertification every 2 years 20 hrs of Continuing Education (4 in ethics) At least 1 hr monthly supervision by a BCBA
Data
Cumulative Number of Certificants 20000 18000 16000 17,477 14000 12000 10000 8000 BCaBA BCBA 6000 4000 2000 0
Total Number Certified Per Year 4000 3500 3000 BCBA BCaBA 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0
Cumulative Number of Non-US Certificants 1600 1400 1200 1,388 1000 800 600 BCaBA BCBA 400 200 0
Non-US Certificants (61countries)
Non-US Certificants (61 countries)
Non-US Certificants (61 countries)
Approved Course Sequences Pre-approved sequences of required coursework in behavior analysis 89% of applicants qualify with ACS courses
527 Approved Course Sequences at 258 Institutions
110 Non-US Course Sequences at 61 Institutions in 28 Countries
Ethics & Discipline
Ethics Code and Disciplinary Standards BACB ETHICS BACB Guidelines for Responsible Conduct for Behavior Analysts BACB Professional Disciplinary and Ethical Standards * Documents available at :: www.bacb.com
Key Grounds for Disciplinary Action Gross or repeated negligence, incompetence, misconduct, or malpractice in professional work Limitation, sanction, revocation or suspension by a health care organization, professional organization, or other private or governmental body, relating to behavior analysis practice, public health or safety or behavior analysis certification Any criminal conviction directly relating to behavior analysis practice and/or public health and safety Failure to adequately supervise or be supervised in accordance with the BACB Standards for Supervision
The Complaint Process 1 2 3 4 Detect potential misconduct Make personal contact with certificant and/or agency File complaint with the BACB BACB Review Committee considers complaint
BACB Review Committee Current or former member of Board of Directors (chair) Attorney Additional members as needed BACB certified member I BACB certified member II Additional members as needed (e.g., in-region certificant)
Certification Suspended BACB Disciplinary Actions Revoked Mandated continuing education Eligibility to become Certified Suspended Revoked All disciplinary actions publicly available at :: www.bacb.com
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A New Credential
BEHAVIOR TECHNICIAN A BEHAVIOR TECHNICIAN B
RBT Standards To apply for the RBT credential, the applicant must: Be at least 18 years of age Possess a minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent (4+4+4) Successfully complete a background check at application - Verified by supervisor Complete a 40-hr training based on the RBT Task List - 37 task areas - Conducted by a BCBA/BCaBA Pass the RBT Competency Assessment - Administered by a BCBA/BCaBA
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Additional RBT Requirements Ongoing supervision by a BCBA/BCaBA for 5% of the hours spent providing ABA services per month at least 2 contacts per month RBTs must complete annual renewal procedures that include successful passage of the RBT Competency Assessment
23 RBTs 100+ applications begun
Practice Guidelines
Contents
www.bacb.com
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