Are you a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) considering offering remote fieldwork supervision for aspiring behavior analysts? You're not alone. Remote supervision is becoming an increasingly common service. Some BCBAs offer remote supervision as their full-time gig, while others do it on the side to supplement. Whatever path you take, it can be an excellent way to support the future generation of behavior analysts. However, this is not something to hastily dive into. There are many considerations you must make before embarking on this journey.
Are you looking for a remote BCBA to supervise your fieldwork hours for BCBA or BCaBA certification? Check out our BCBA Remote Supervisor Database to locate a supervisor!
Benefits of Remote BCBA Fieldwork Supervision
Before we cover the considerations for becoming a remote supervisor, let's evaluate the benefits of remote supervision. While many ABA organizations offer "free" supervision to their employees, it often comes with a few costs. First, they may set a clause in the contract requiring the supervisee to pay a large amount of money if they leave the company before a set amount of time (often two years). Another cost is the non-financial expense of subpar supervision. Many organizations overburden their BCBAs with high billables while requiring them to provide fieldwork supervision. This all results in poor quality supervision. Many trainees report struggles to accrue unrestricted hours, as their supervisors lack the time necessary to assign and evaluate unrestricted tasks. Many others get assigned busy work, like listening to a podcast and writing a report about what they learned.
Some people also want to gain experience hours without working in an RBT role. They may work as a teacher, paraprofessional, or in another unrelated role and not have access to a BCBA. Offering remote supervision also allows supervisees to gain a broader range of expertise with exposure to different populations, subspecialties, and diverse perspectives.
1. Understand the BACB Requirements
Before diving into fieldwork supervision, whether remote or otherwise, it's crucial to understand the regulatory requirements set forth by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB). Many BCBAs rush into offering supervision, which can prove detrimental. Take a deep dive into the BCBA Handbook to familiarize yourself with the current supervision requirements, task list, and more. Be sure you're also receiving email updates from the BACB. One of the most common issues I see is BCBAs not fully understanding what constitutes restricted and unrestricted hours. We have an ethical responsibility to thoroughly understand these standards before offering supervision.
Check out this overview to learn more about the current requirements for BCBA supervision: Understanding BCBA Fieldwork Hours.
2. Review State Laws and Licensure Requirements
Many states require a license to practice behavior analysis. If you plan to supervise candidates in states where you are not licensed, you need to review the licensure requirements for those states. Before proceeding, ensure you and the supervisee will be in compliance with applicable laws.
3. Ensure Technological Competence
Technology can be tricky. We've probably all been there--Spotty internet, apps or websites you can't figure out how to navigate, lost data, etc. Before you agree to provide remote supervision, make sure you can navigate the digital tools needed for high-quality supervision. Ensure you have a reliable internet connection and HIPAA-compliant platforms and can navigate digital tools and apps, including video conferencing, spreadsheets, and the like.
4. Gather Supervision Materials
Evaluate the materials you have available to guide your supervision practices. Consider a supervision curriculum to inform a more structured supervision plan. Explore recent literature to gather resources as well. To track your trainee's progress, also consider a BCBA Task List Competency Tracker.
Also, remember that you can access journals in your BACB gateway account. Click on the 'Resource' tab in your gateway account to access those.
5. Consider Your Capacity
Carefully evaluate your capacity before taking on remote supervisees. Consider not only the number of hours you will directly supervise them, but also the time you will need to dedicate to developing goals, assigning hours, and reviewing their work.
6. Leverage Your Strengths
We all bring something unique to the table. Consider how you can leverage your strengths and expertise to elevate the fieldwork experience for your supervisees. Aspiring behavior analysts put a great deal of faith in their BCBA supervisor. We have a responsibility not to simply slide by, assigning the bare minimum. Identify what unique strengths you have and leverage them to support your supervisees' learning and growth.
7. Consider who will be the clients
The purpose of the fieldwork experience is to develop competencies in behavior analysis through applied learning. As such, the BACB requires supervisors to observe their supervisee with a client each month. You'll want to develop plans to ensure your supervisees have access to clients with whom they can develop and implement behavior analytic plans. If you don't have clients you could provide them with, they will need to use their own clients, such as through their current job. To do this, you will need them to have a release signed, providing consent for you to observe them with their clients or students. Remember, the BCBA handbook states that supervisees must "work with, be observed by, and receive feedback from their supervisor for multiple clients during the fieldwork."
More BCBA Supervision Resources
Providing BCBA remote fieldwork supervision is a rewarding experience that allows you to mentor and shape the future generation of behavior analysts. Before offering remote supervision, ensure you have considered each of the aforementioned points to create a positive and enriching supervisory experience.
For more supervision resources, check out the following:
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