Supervisor Diversity: The Benefits of Multiple BCBAs

When gaining supervised fieldwork hours for your board certified behavior analyst (BCBA) credential there is a huge benefit to pursuing supervision from multiple supervisors. Not only does the behavior analyst certification board (BACB) advise trainees to receive supervision from multiple supervisors across various settings- this will also help trainees gain a multitude of experiences to help them become a more well-rounded and prepared practitioners. When discussing multiple supervisors, the board outlines these options as a trainee can either gather supervised fieldwork from:

1. Several individual supervisors
2. Multiple supervisors at one organization
3. A combination of A & B

SUPERVISIORS OUTSIDE OF A SINGLE ORGANIZATION

As a board certified behavior analyst supervisor of almost seven years- I’ve seen the importance of pursuing supervision from supervisors outside of a single organization. In this context, a single organization means one clinic or company, hospital, or school setting- to name a few. This is important because organizations have policies and practices in place that dictate how their BCBAs practice. So, if a trainee only works in one organization they may miss out on how things are run outside of one company’s policies. Additionally, even if you are receiving supervision from multiple BCBAs at one practice- they are most likely overseen by a lead-BCBA or clinical director who makes the big decisions about the direction of the organization. So, even if you have these multiple supervisors in one place- they are still under the direction of a single person which can limit what you are able to experience as a trainee. Finally, a single organization might only offer services in one setting, such as an ABA company that only offers in-clinic supervision. It’s preferable to look outside of one organization to see how the field of ABA is being applied in multiple settings.

MULTIPLE SETTING DIFFERENCES

ABA is everywhere. BCBAs can practice in homes, schools, group homes, the community, hospitals, colleges, daycares, corporations, and clinics. In your supervised fieldwork, you are collecting the experience to be a competent BCBA in the real world. Imagine if you are a brand-new BCBA who has never worked in an in-home setting and you send your trainee into a home to work with a client without any additional guidance! What if the home setting wasn’t suitable for the trainee to work in? What if the client has access to dangerous items in the home? Experienced in-home providers can utilize siblings and family members in sessions on the fly instead of being distracted by them. Your trainee, not armed with any guidance or insight from a seasoned BCBA, might leave that home and never come back! This isn’t ethical- and it’s not fair to the trainee, the client, or the family in this scenario. Trainees who only work in a clinic for the duration of their entire supervised fieldwork are limited by this experience as supervisors themselves- this should be avoided. To ensure that a supervision experience is well-rounded, trainees should gather experience from BCBAs who have worked in a variety of settings and have the experience to talk through how to successfully practice in them.

SCOPE OF COMPETENCE

BCBAs can do a lot- they write and administer assessments, develop goals and behavior reduction programs for clients, conduct research, analyze data, create materials, train parents and staff, and publish articles- but that’s just scratching the surface. However, a BCBA is obligated by the 2022 Ethics Code for Behavior Analyst to ensure their competence when practicing. BCBAs should ensure their competence by understanding and staying within their scope of practice at all times. As per the BACB ethics code, if a BCBA would like to engage in a new area of their profession- they should make sure to gain and document that they have appropriately prepared themselves through supervised experience, study, training or co-treatment with other professionals who are trained in the area they would like to expand. With this in mind, it is important for a trainee to find out what skills they would like to become proficient in, and find supervisors who have aligning expertise in those areas. A BCBA who is working with large corporations to increase worker productivity might not have the same skills when it comes to potty training as an in-home BCBA who works with children. That in-home BCBA might not be an ideal fit for a trainee who would like to work with severe behaviors in adults. However, all of these professionals have experiences and knowledge that can help trainees have successful careers. In short, as a trainee- make sure you take some time to find diverse providers who can give you insight to several facets of the amazing applications of applied behavior analysis (ABA).

DATA COLLECTION METHODS

Another reason why it’s a great idea for trainees to diversify their supervised fieldwork experience is to learn about different data collection methods. In the field of ABA, data drives what we do. Behavior analysts make decisions about interventions and progress based on the data that are collected. There are BCBAs that can do amazing things with online data collection applications. Tech-savvy providers can make graphs with ease, automatically fill out forms, and track progress instantly. Some of us lean on the old reliable pencil and paper to track behavior. Both data collection methods have their pros and cons- but as a trainee it would be really helpful for you to have exposure to both. BCBA interviewers do ask about a potential hires experiences with different data collection methods and applications, so learning from the professionals can allow trainees to answer those future questions with confidence.

EDUCATIONAL DIFFERENCES

Another consideration for trainees who want diverse supervisors is looking at the educational background of the BCBAs providing supervision. To become a BCBA, a graduate-level degree is needed. However, some BCBAs have done a considerable amount of research during their coursework. As a graduate-level student, I remember a group supervision session where I shared my progress on a smoking-cessation intervention I was planning, and another student in the group talked about a project they were doing tracking the behavior of worms! Both of these applications of ABA made me a more knowledgeable practitioner even though each person in my supervision group was working towards a different master’s degree. There are BCBA supervisors with educational backgrounds in criminal justice, education, psychology, and more. Trainees who inquire about the educational background and experiences of their supervisors can find a wealth of diverse knowledge and skills that can be shared during a supervision journey.

DIVERSIFY YOUR SUPERVISION EXPERIENCE

When considering the best way to diversify your supervised fieldwork experience as a trainee you might realize this is all easier said than done. Finding multiple BCBAs who are willing to supervise, have diverse backgrounds, specialties and experiences can be a challenge without utilizing the right tools. On your journey to find the best supervisors for you- I encourage you to take some time to self-reflect and think about the types of supervision you would like to receive. Next, research online tools that can connect you with multiple supervisors from a wide range of diverse geographic locations. There are supervision marketplaces with multiple BCBAs who are willing to supervise instantly and on your schedule. As a trainee, you are in charge of your supervision experience- define what you want it to be, make it what you’d like, and gather all of the diverse knowledge that you can on your way to become a board certified behavior analyst.