Ch 19 Flashcards
Why meet your supervisor?
Meeting with the actual person by whom you will be supervised and report to is essential if you want to start your first job on a strong ethical foundation. This allows you to learn about the supervisor’s style and whether you’ll be asked to do anything unethical.
What guidelines are suggested for choosing a setting or company?
Ask questions to determine whether there are any issues with the ethics and values of the employer. Lawsuits, being expected to sign off on programs you have not written, approving procedures with which you are not familiar, supporting agency strategies that are more public-relations smoke and mirrors than behavioral methodology, funding, citations, behavior analyst turnover rate, etc.
Why are job expectations important to discuss upfront?
Even if you have a good skill set, each agency and organization has its own method for doing each task. Your first assignment is to find out how administrators want it done. Ensure that you are working within your level of competence or whether you will be asked to take on cases or tasks for which you are not fully qualified. Establish the ethical boundaries necessary to protect yourself from engaging in unethical behavior.
As the new person, many therapists come to you for advice. What is a potential downfall?
You might get in over your head by taking on more than you can handle or be expected to help with things with which you don’t have experience.
Why is IOA so important?
To ensure that all observers are collecting data on the same behaviors in the same manner.
What is social validity?
The social importance and acceptability of treatment goals, procedures, and outcomes.
How do you determine if your treatment was in fact responsible for change?
By taking baseline data on the specific behavior of interest prior to treatment and continuing to take data on that same behavior during treatment (as well as after if the treatment is terminated).
How do you demonstrate that other therapists can implement your program procedures correctly?
The best way is to demonstrate the procedure, then have other therapists/teachers/aides/others practice, then provide feedback, have them try again, and so on until they do it right. Then you give them a written copy and maybe a video just to make sure, and then you leave, but only for short time because you need to make a spot check a few days later to observe to see if they are doing it right. If not, you will need to do some correction, some more role-play, and some more feedback, and then another visit a few days later. This is ethical training. Anything less is unethical.
Why is it important to document your time and billing?
To keep track of each client for specific date, time, and duration of contact as well as a brief note of what you did. This allows for accurately submitting billable hours. It is also essential to protect you from allegation that you have been overbilling or that you have attempted to defraud the client or the government. It is important to track not only billable hours but also supervision hours.
What is the gold standard to avoid conflicts of interest?
The behavior analyst has a responsibility to operate in the best interest of clients, and decisions in all cases revolve around the question of what is in the client’s best interest rather than what would benefit the therapist, the consulting firm, or the agency. Avoid dual relationships.
Why do you need to identify a trusted colleague?
To help build your confidence in making behavioral decisions. To entrust some rather deep thoughts such as “Am I really prepared to take this case?” or “My supervisor is telling me to do X, but it seems unethical to me. What should I do?” or “I think I’ve made a big mistake; what do I do now?”
What guidelines should be in place if you are working with a client and must “touch” the client? e.g., hand over hand prompting, high-fives, pats on the back, overcorrection, etc.
(1) To avoid a false client allegation of inappropriate touching, always make sure to have another person present.
(2) Make sure the witness knows what you are doing and why you are doing it.
(3) If you’re involved in any sort of physical restraint use, make sure that you have been properly trained and certified to do so.
(4) If you know of a client who has a history of false reports of inappropriate touching, be wary of close contact with that person unless you have done (1) and (2).
(5) Avoid cross-sex therapeutic interactions unless there is absolutely no alternative (and still follow (1) and (2)).
“Do no harm.”
If you are working with nonbehavioral colleagues and reach an impasse in services provided, what must you do?
Discuss with your trusted colleague. Attempt to come up with a behavioral alternative to non-behavioral treatments. When you and your supervisor feel that you have done everything possible to have some impact but have been unsuccessful, it may be necessary to terminate your involvement.
What is the verbal rule regarding sexual harassment?
Behavior analysts are trained to be superb observers of behavior, and this is a skill that you want to bring to bear at this time. DRO might be a good option. While “becoming a reinforcer” be careful that those you are “reinforcing” don’t get the wrong idea and that you are attracted to them.
