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Page 1: Professional and Ethical Compliance Code for Behavior Analysts€¦ · behavior analysts to assess the circumstances and recommend a resolution (see the articles on peer review in

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APBAPolicyonRespondingtoEthicsQuestionsandConcerns

Approved:November12,2011Revised:April2016

TheAPBAmembershipcomprisesprofessionalandparaprofessionalpractitionersofappliedbehavioranalysis(ABA)whoarecredentialedbytheBehaviorAnalystCertificationBoard(BACB)andotherswithinterestsinthepracticeofABA.AllmembersareexpectedtocomplywiththeBACB’sProfessionalandEthicalComplianceCodeforBehaviorAnalysts(http://bacb.com/ethics-code/),referredtohereafterastheBACBCode.TheCodeaddressesethicalandprofessionalconcernsspecifictoindividualswhoarecredentialedbytheBACBandotherswhodeliverandreceiveABAservices,andisthebasisforBACBreviewofcomplaintsaboutthebehaviorofindividualstowhomithasissuedcredentials.APBAmemberswhoholdlicensesorothercredentialsissuedbygovernmentsarealsoexpectedtocomplywithethicalandconductstandardsincorporatedintherelevantlaws,rules,andregulations.

RoleoftheAPBATheBACBandtheAPBAareindependentbodieswithdistinctbutcomplementarymissions.AlthoughtheAPBAplacesgreatimportanceontheethicalpracticeofABA,onlytheBACBmayinstitutesanctionsagainstthosewhoholdBACBcredentials.AsanorganizationdevotedtoservingtheneedsofpractitionerscredentialedbytheBACBandothersinvolvedindeliveryofABAservices,however,APBAacceptsaleadershiproleinpromotingtheethicaldeliveryofservicesandtheadherenceofallitsmemberstotheBACBCode.Tothatend,APBApublishesanEthicsChallengecolumninitselectronicnewsletter,theAPBAReporter,addressingethicaldilemmasthatareoftenfacedbyABApractitioners.ThosearticlesarearchivedontheAPBAwebsiteandareavailableforusebyuniversityfaculty,students,supervisors,andsuperviseeswhoaremembersofAPBA.Inaddition,APBAsponsorsandparticipatesinpaneldiscussionsandworkshopsoneveryday

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ethicalandprofessionalchallengesatconferencesandatitsownannualconvention.Thosesessionsareinvariablywellattendedandofteninvolveopendiscussionamongpanelistsandtheaudience.

QuestionsfromAPBAMembersandOthersNaturally,APBAmembersandothersoftenlooktoAPBAforguidanceinresolvingethicalandprofessionalproblemstheyencounterintheirwork.TheAPBAofficeregularlyreceivessuchrequests,whichfallintoseveralcategories:

• ComplaintsaboutpractitionerswhoarecredentialedbytheBACB.SomeaskhowtolodgecomplaintsagainstBACB-credentialedpractitionersforwhatareviewedasviolationsoftheBACBCode.Inthosecases,theAPBAstaffexplainsthatonlytheBACBcanenforceitsCode,andreferstheinquirertotheEthicssectionoftheBACBwebsite(http://bacb.com/ethics/)fordetails.

• ComplaintsaboutindividualswhoarenotcredentialedbytheBACB.SomeconcernsexpressedtoAPBAinvolveindividualswhodonotholdcredentialsissuedbytheBACB.Inthosesituations,theAPBAstaffinformstheinquirerthattheBACBcangenerallytakeactiononlyincasesinvolvingviolationofitsCodebythosetowhomithasissuedcredentials.TheinquirerisencouragedtousetheBACBCodeasaframeworkfordiscussingconcernsdirectlywiththerelevantparties.APBAmayalsorecommendpursuingactionsthroughlocalagenciesandauthorities,suchasemployers,governmentagencies,third-partypayers,orlocallawenforcementagencies.

• RequestsforAPBAtoevaluateethicalsituations.OftenAPBAisaskedtomakeajudgmentaboutsomeaspectofprofessionalbehavior.Thoserequestsmayraiseethicalquestionsthataregeneralinnature,inwhichcasetheyarewelcomedaspossibletopicsfordiscussionintheEthicsChallengecolumnintheAPBAReporter.Mostoften,however,theypertaintospecificsituationsthatmayormaynotinvolveBACB-credentialedpractitionersorAPBAmembers.

Assessingsuchsituationsismorecomplicatedthanitmightseem.Ethicalissuesareusuallycomplex,involvemultipleparties,andhavemorethanoneresolution.Anyoneperson’sopinionmaynotcoverallpossibleinterpretationsandoptions.ThepersoncontactingAPBAmayprovideconsiderabledetailtojustifyhisorherconcerns,butthereisalwaysatleastoneothersidetothestory.Learningenoughaboutthesituationfromallpartiestorenderanobjectiveandfairjudgmentrequiresatime-consumingandlegallyburdensomeeffort.Forinstance,althoughthecomplainant’sconcernsmayseemwarranted,thatcannotbeassumed.Eachpartymusthavetheopportunitytopresentevidence,andeffortsmustbemadetoverifyorcorroboratethatevidence.Actionsthatmayimpedeanindividual’sabilitytomakealivingorjeopardizehisorherprofessionalreputationmustbetakenonlyaftercarefulconsiderationoftherelevantfacts,andwithdueprocessandconfidentialityprotectionsforallparties.Applicablelawsandregulationsmayneedtobeconsidered,andthosevaryacrosslocations.Atpresent,APBAisnotinapositiontoconductsuch

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investigations,anddoesnothavetheauthoritytoimposeformalsanctionsonindividualswhoarefoundtohaveviolatedtheBACBCode.APBAcanonlyreconsiderthemembershipstatusofindividualswhoaremembersofAPBA.Additionally,APBAmustconsiderhowanyassessmentofanethicalproblemthatitprovidesmightbeusedandpublicized.

Policy

I.Respondingtoethicalquestionsandconcerns.WhenquestionsaboutethicalandprofessionalissuesingeneralorwithreferencetoparticularsituationsareposedtoAPBA,theAPBAstaffwillexplainthattheorganizationdoesnotrenderopinionsaboutsuchsituationsandwillofferthefollowingrecommendations:

• TohavethesituationdiscussedintheEthicsChallengecolumnintheAPBAReporter,contactthenewslettereditoratinfo@apbahome.net.ResponsestosituationsposedintheEthicsChallengecolumnarealwayswelcomeandshouldalsobesenttoinfo@apbahome.net.

• TodetermineifanactivityviolatestheBACBCode,gotohttp://bacb.com/ethics-code/ReadtheCodetodetermineifstandardsmayhavebeenviolated.Alsogotohttp://bacb.com/ethics-code/forinformationabouttheBACB’sdisciplinaryreviewandappealsprocesses,andinstructionsandformsforfilinganoticeofallegedviolationoftheCode.

• Toresolveanethicalsituation,firstconsulttheBACBCodetolearnabouttheprofession’svaluesandrulesastheyapplytothesituation.Thendiscusstheissueswithcolleagueswhoseviewsyourespect,takingcarenottodiscloseconfidentialinformationaboutthepartiesinvolved.Withtheassistanceofthosecolleagues,formulateacourseofaction,ifwarranted.Possibleactionsmightinclude:

o Discussingthesituationwiththeindividual(s)involvedinaprivate,non-confrontationalcontext,referencingtheBACBCode.Everyeffortshouldbemadetoresolvethesituationinamutuallysatisfactoryway.

o Arrangingforformalpeerreviewofthesituationbybringinginexpertbehavioranalyststoassessthecircumstancesandrecommendaresolution(seethearticlesonpeerreviewintheAPBAReporter,AprilandMay2010inthearchivesatwww.apbahome.net).Again,confidentialityandprivacymustbeprotectedthroughoutthisprocess.

o Takingconcernstoalocalauthorityorentitythatmayhavethemeanstoenforcearesolution.

o FilingaformalnoticeofallegedviolationasinstructedontheBACBwebsite(http://bacb.com/ethics/)whenthesituationinvolvesa

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BACB-credentialedindividualandyoubelievetheCodehasbeenviolated.

II.TerminatingAPBAmembership.WhenaBACB-certifiedmemberofAPBAhashisorhercertificationrevokedbytheBACB,APBAwillterminatethatperson’smembershipinAPBA.IndividualswhohavetheircertificationreinstatedbytheBACBmayapplytorejoinAPBA,whichwillverifytheircertificationstatuswiththeBACB.


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