James E. Carr Behavior Analyst Certification Board

Credentialing Practitioners of Behavior Analysis

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

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Chief  Execu,ve  Officer  

Chief  Opera,ng  Officer  

Senior Program Specialist  

Program Specialist  

Assistant Program Specialist  

Senior Admin. Assistant  

Admin  Assistant  

Admin  Assistant  

Admin  Assistant  

Admin  Assistant  

IT & Project Development  

Operations Assistant  

Psychometrician   Postdoctoral  Fellow   A@orney  

Inves,gator   Senior  Paralegal  

Paralegal  

BACB Personnel

The Credentials

BCBA   BCaBA  

BCBA-­‐D   RBT  

Eligibility Standards Coursework Requirement 180 classroom hours in behavior analysis

•  Ethics - 15 hours •  Basic concepts & principles – 45 hours •  Behavioral methodology – 15 hours •  Applied behavior analysis – 90 hours •  Discretionary behavioral content – 15 hours

Degree Requirement

A minimum of a bachelor's degree.

Experience Requirement 1000 hours of Supervised Independent Fieldwork*

Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA)

Eligibility Standards Coursework Requirement 270 classroom hours in behavior analysis

•  Ethics – 45 hours •  Basic concepts & principles – 45 hours •  Behavioral methodology – 45 hours •  Applied behavior analysis – 105 hours •  Discretionary behavioral content - 30 hours

Degree Requirement

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.

Experience Requirement 1500 hours of Supervised Independent Fieldwork*

Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)

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

17,477

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12000

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16000

18000

20000

BCaBA

BCBA

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1500

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BCBA

BCaBA

Total Number Certified Per Year

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400

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1600

BCaBA

BCBA

Cumulative Number of Non-US Certificants

1,388

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 Guidelines for Responsible Conduct for Behavior Analysts

§  BACB Professional Disciplinary and Ethical Standards

* Documents available at :: www.BACB.com

BACB ETHICS

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

Detect potential misconduct

Make personal contact with certificant and/or agency

File complaint with the BACB

BACB Review Committee considers complaint

1

2

3

4

Current or former member of Board of

Directors (chair)

Additional members as needed (e.g.,

in-region certificant)

Additional members as

needed

Attorney

BACB certified

member I

BACB certified

member II

BACB Review Committee

BACB Disciplinary Actions §  Certification

•  Suspended •  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 B BEHAVIOR TECHNICIAN A

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

Thank you