The Apprentice: an Innovative Approach to Meet the Behavior Analysis Certification Board’s Supervision Standards
An apprenticeship setup can cut supervision costs, but pair it with barrier checks and quality safeguards or you risk weak autism services.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Hartley et al. (2016) sketched an apprenticeship supervision model. The goal was to help agencies meet tougher BACB rules without sky-high costs.
The paper is a position piece. It offers a plan, not test results.
What they found
No data were collected. The authors simply map out how senior BCBAs can supervise small groups of trainees in real time while billable work continues.
How this fits with other research
Leaf et al. (2017) extend the debate. They warn that quick, low-cost supervision may hurt quality for kids with autism. Their worry adds a safety check to Hartley’s cost-saving pitch.
Sellers et al. (2016) supply the fix-it guide. Released the same year, they list red flags like supervisee avoidance and late reports. Pair their watch list with Hartley’s model and you get both a plan and a warning system.
Leaf et al. (2020) later supersede the talk. They react to 2020 RBT rule changes and urge BCBAs to speak up. The conversation moved from “how to supervise cheaply” to “how to protect standards amid new rules.”
Why it matters
You can borrow the apprenticeship layout today. Run small cohorts under one senior BCBA, rotate cases, and keep billing alive. Just add the Sellers barrier checks: watch for missed meetings, late data, and consumer gripes. If you serve kids with autism, weigh Leaf et al.’s caution—extra layers of case review may be needed. The model can save money, but only if quality guards stay tight.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The Behavior Analysis Certification Board continues to increase the standards for supervision of trainees, which is needed in order for the field to continually improve. However, this presents a challenge for organizations to meet the needs of both their clients and their supervisees based on these increasing standards. Throughout the ages, experts in all trades have passed along their knowledge and skill through apprenticeship opportunities. An apprenticeship supervision model is described that allows Board Certified Behavior Analysts to supervise future behavior analysts by mentoring, educating, and training supervisees on the science of human behavior in a format that is mutually beneficial. This innovative supervision model is discussed as it applies to an applied behavior analysis human service organization with the goal of creating a system that results in high-quality supervision in a cost-effective manner while providing maximal learning for the supervisee. The organization’s previous supervision difficulties are described prior to implementing the apprenticeship supervision model, and the benefits of developing and using the apprenticeship supervision model are outlined. The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s40617-016-0136-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2016 · doi:10.1007/s40617-016-0136-x