Behavior analysts are increasingly called upon to provide services in forensic and child welfare settings, yet these environments present ethical, legal, and clinical challenges that differ fundamentally from traditional ABA service delivery contexts. The intersection of behavior analysis with dependency court, the Department of Children and Families (DCF), juvenile justice, and human trafficking cases introduces complexities around client identification, dual roles, mandated reporting, limited autonomy, and the tension between therapeutic and legal objectives.
Provider: BehaviorLive — via Florida Association of Behavior Analysis
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Join Free →This panel will explore the unique ethical, legal, and applied challenges faced by behavior analysts working in forensic and child welfare contexts, particularly within the state of Florida. Panelists will discuss how Florida statutes intersect with the BACB Ethics Code, influencing assessment, intervention, and decision-making in forensic environments. Special attention will be given to the dual roles behavior analysts often hold when operating within systems such as dependency court, the Department of Children and Families (DCF), and juvenile justice. Drawing from direct experience in child welfare and current research related to human trafficking, panelists will examine ethical considerations in risk assessment practices, including issues of consent, coercion, and the role of mandated reporting. The discussion will also address the challenges of supervising behavior analysts-in-training within these settings, including navigating confidentiality, safety, and the diverse demands of court-ordered services. The panel will encourage critical reflection on how to uphold ethical standards while promoting evidence-based practice in environments where client autonomy is often compromised and competing stakeholder interests are present. Implications for training, policy development, and interdisciplinary collaboration will also be explored. This session will be particularly relevant for practitioners, supervisors, and researchers interested in expanding behavior analytic practice into forensic and protective service arenas.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 1 | Ethics |
| COA | 1 | — |
| FL MH/PSY | 0 | — |
Dr. Mark T. Harvey earned a B.A. in Psychology from West Virginia University, a M.S. and PhD in Special Education from the University of Oregon, and completed post-doctoral research at Vanderbilt University. Dr. Harvey is a doctoral level Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA-D) who has worked with children with intellectual and developmental disabilities and other exceptionalities across community and educational settings for 30 years. Dr. Harvey, taught undergraduate and graduate courses in psychology, behavior analysis, and special education. Dr. Harvey served as the Undergraduate Psychology Program Chair and Program Coordinator for the undergraduate Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) course sequence at the Florida Institute of Technology. Current research examines bio-behavioral indices of behavior, technology in educational settings, and human operant behavior.
Dig into the research behind this topic — plain-English summaries written for BCBAs.
280 research articles with practitioner takeaways
279 research articles with practitioner takeaways
256 research articles with practitioner takeaways
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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.