Disseminating Ethical Applied Behavior Analysis within a Human-Service Organization: A Tutorial

Glodowski et al. (2025) walked readers through setting up an Ethics Network inside one human-service agency. The network had three parts: a rotating team of BCBA 'ambassadors,' a confidential hotline, and monthly talking-point memos.

Staff could phone or email the hotline anytime an ethical question came up. Ambassadors then met, talked it through, and sent guidance back to the caller and the wider staff.

The case study showed the hotline created steady, low-stress chances to talk ethics. Over the year, calls led to small but real policy tweaks—like clearer consent forms and simpler billing checks.

No numbers were reported, yet the authors say the process built a culture where staff now raise concerns early instead of hiding them.

LeBlanc et al. (2020) first built the same network five years earlier. Glodowski keeps the bones but adds fresh forms and faster ambassador rotation, showing the tool can be updated without starting over.

Valentino et al. (2025) also updated the network after the newest BACB code arrived. Their paper and Glodowski's both came out in 2025, together proving the model can flex with rule changes and still stay usable.

Cox (2020) offers a different path—an ethics committee instead of a hotline. Committees meet on a schedule; the hotline gives help right when the problem hits. Agencies can pick either or blend both.

If you lead BCBAs, you can copy this hotline in one staff meeting. Pick three volunteers, buy a cheap VoIP line, and post the number on the wall. You will hear about dilemmas while they are still small, and your team will see ethics as something we do, not just something we read about.