Impact of COVID-19 on the Applied Behavior Analysis Workforce: Comparison across Remote and Nonremote Workers
Remote ABA staff burned out fastest during COVID—shore up structure or lose them.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team sent an online survey to ABA staff in 2021. They asked who worked from home and who still saw clients in person. Questions covered job security, hours, and burnout.
What they found
One in three people feared losing their job. Almost half said they got less done and felt burned out. Remote workers reported the worst scores on every measure.
How this fits with other research
Bottini et al. (2020) warned that heavy caseloads and weak supervision drive burnout. Jimenez-Gomez shows COVID simply poured gasoline on those same sparks.
Rosencrans et al. (2021) looks like a contradiction: Dutch adults with IDD got more help after clinics closed, not less. The difference is focus. Margaret counted successful telehealth visits; Jimenez-Gomez counted the staff trying to run those visits. Same storm, two angles.
Bergmann et al. (2021) fills the gap. Their Zoom how-to guide gives the missing structure remote staff craved. Use their breakout-room tricks and you may cut the burnout Jimenez-Gomez found.
Why it matters
If your team still works from home, expect higher turnover unless you add guardrails. Schedule daily check-ins, cap daily Zoom hours, and give clear telehealth scripts. These cheap fixes can protect your people and your clients.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
With the abrupt transition to observing physical distancing as a result of COVID-19, applied behavior analysts were faced with the sudden need to modify their service delivery model, while at the same time managing personal difficulties brought about by the pandemic. The present article provides a description of the impact of COVID-19 on the behavior analyst workforce currently providing clinical services in the United States. We conducted a survey to assess work conditions, burnout, and productivity of behavior analysts at various certification levels. These data provide a snapshot of the impact of COVID-19 on the workforce. Overall, one third of the participants reported experiencing job insecurity, and almost half of participants reported decreased productivity and increased burnout, with remote workers more severely affected. Taken together, these factors could compromise the ability of behavior analysts to adequately provide services to their clients. We provide recommendations for behavioral health agencies for supporting staff during extreme situations such as a pandemic.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2021 · doi:10.1007/s40617-021-00625-0