There is a propensity for schools, regional centers and private health insurances to put an emphasis on the credentials and degrees of the behavioral supervisor. In California, the school behavioral supervisors need to have at least a Master’s degree. For Regional Center, and private health insurance, the ABA supervisor needs to be a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. However, there is little to no emphasis on the credentials and knowledge of the direct service staff. Why is there so much inattention to the direct service staff? The therapists are the ones that implement the program, and spend the majority of the time with the client, much more than the supervisor.
B.I.G. Solutions understands how vital it is for the behavioral therapist(s), who will be directly working with your child, to be properly trained and credentialed. Therefore, B.I.G. Solutions has invested time, resources, finances and research in providing a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) training program to their behavior therapists in order for them to become credentialed as such.
As of January 2017, The Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) has received accreditation of its Registered Behavior Technician credential by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). The NCCA is the accreditation body of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence and its accreditation helps demonstrate that a credential has met the rigorous standards established by the credentialing industry.
B.I.G. Solutions RBT training program:
The training will be no less than 40 hours, by a BCBA Certificant, teaching content from the RBT Task List, designed by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. The Task List includes, but is not limited to, Data Measurement, Assessment, Skill Acquisition, Behavior Reduction, Documentation and Reporting, Professional Conduct and Scope of Practice. Staff must also successfully complete a competency assessment. The assessment involves competencies based on the RBT Task List and the BCBA determines competency in each task. Once this is mastered, the therapist must apply for the RBT credential through the BACB, and must pass the RBT exam. Upon passing the exam, approved RBTs will appear in the RBT Registry of the BACB website.
RBT Scope of Practice
An RBT is a paraprofessional who receives training in evidence-based Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) principles for direct implementation of behavior-analytic services for individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), or other developmental disabilities. RBTs practice under the close, ongoing supervision of a BCBA or BCaBA (Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst).
It is important to know that just obtaining the RBT credential is NOT enough. In order for the RBT to maintain their credential, he/she must pass the RBT Competency Assessment each year, and must receive ongoing supervision by a BACB, or BCaBA, who can oversee and evaluate the effects of behavioral service delivery. This ongoing supervision needs to occur no less than 5% of the hours spent providing ABA services per month, and it must include at least 2 face-to-face contacts per month by the supervisor. Moreover, the RBT needs to comply with the BACB’s ethics requirements relevant to the Registered Behavior Technician.
Direct Service Staff = Direct Impact!
B.I.G. Solutions clients and their family can be confident that the therapists are providing the most effective treatment. RBTs receive ongoing supervision of a BCBA or BCaBA, are most likely better trained, more qualified, and more reputable than therapists without the credential. The RBT credential signifies a higher standard of service. B.I.G. Solutions wants to exemplify this higher standard of service!