Case Consultation and Clinical Committees matters because it changes what a BCBA notices when decisions have to hold up in clinic sessions and day-to-day service delivery. In Case Consultation and Clinical Committees, for this course, the practical stakes show up in service continuity, accurate reporting, and defensible clinical decisions, not in abstract discussion alone.
Provider: BehaviorLive — via Council of Autism Service Providers
Take This Course →Including ethics, supervision, and topics like this one. New live CEU every Wednesday.
Join Free →In organizational leadership, addressing exceptional cases involving staff or clients requires a structured approach to support. This involves creating tiers of case support that include both direct and indirect lines of consultation. Direct lines of support typically involve individuals within the direct reporting hierarchy, such as supervisors and their supervisors. Indirect lines of support may include clinicians within the organization, either as individual subject matter experts or as part of larger committees. As leaders, it is crucial to establish clear guidelines for providing case consultation, guidance, collaboration, and specific direction to clinical teams. This support must be offered without undermining the direct supervisor-supervisee relationship. Leaders must discern when mentorship is collaborative and guidance-based, allowing freedom in engagement, and when it becomes a directive that must be followed. Our discussion will address key questions: What are our responsibilities when providing case consultation to direct care staff without direct responsibility for them through the organizational chart? What documentation is necessary to support best practices in every interaction? How can we ensure that external support to a team is truly collaborative and supportive, leaving teams feeling empowered, clear, and heard? Ethics Codes to Consider: • 4.06 Providing Supervision and Training
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 1 | General |
| APA | 0 | — |
| COA | 1 | — |
Kelly Bernard, M.Ed., BCBA, is the Vice President of Clinical Services at BlueSprig, where she leads initiatives to ensure the delivery of high-quality, compassionate, and evidence-based applied behavior analysis (ABA) services. With over 20 years of experience working with children and adolescents across early intervention, public school, in-home, community, and center-based settings, Kelly brings a deep understanding of how to create supportive environments that foster growth, learning, and safety for both clients and clinicians. A Board Certified Behavior Analyst with a master’s degree in Special Education, Kelly’s professional journey has been grounded in her passion, providing superior ABA services for children and youth with ASD—from early intervention through high school—and empowering the professionals who serve them. In her current role, Kelly collaborates with clinical and operational teams to design, implement, and evaluate strategic clinical initiatives aimed at improving service quality, clinical efficiency, and staff well-being. She is deeply committed to reducing clinician stress, enhancing work–life balance, and developing responsive training systems that provide BCBAs with the tools and support they need, when they need them. Kelly also serves as the Chair of BlueSprig’s Safeguarding Committee, which provides organizational-level consultation and guidance on restrictive interventions, client and staff safety, and the ethical use of evidence-based practices. The committee’s goals include promoting the least restrictive interventions, offering expert-level case consultation for complex cases, and fostering a culture of collaboration and psychological safety across all clinical teams. Through her leadership, Kelly continues to champion a culture of safety, empathy, and excellence—ensuring that every child, family, and clinician at BlueSprig is supported to thrive. A recognized leader in the field, she has presented at national and state conferences, sharing her expertise in safeguarding, clinical excellence, and building thriving teams for children, families, and professionals alike.
Side-by-side comparison with a clinical decision framework
Research-backed educational guide for behavior analysts
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All behavior-analytic intervention is individualized. The information on this page is for educational purposes and does not constitute clinical advice. Treatment decisions should be informed by the best available published research, individualized assessment, and obtained with the informed consent of the client or their legal guardian. Behavior analysts are responsible for practicing within the boundaries of their competence and adhering to the BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts.