Supervision in behavior analysis is not merely a credentialing requirement — it is the primary mechanism through which clinical competence is transmitted across generations of practitioners. The quality of supervisory relationships directly shapes client outcomes, staff retention, and the public perception of applied behavior analysis as a profession.
Provider: BehaviorLive — via BehaviorLive
Take This Course →Including ethics, supervision, and topics like this one. New live CEU every Wednesday.
Join Free →The quality of behavior analytic supervision influences many important aspects of our profession including the quality of clinical care our clients receive, workplace satisfaction for our employees, and the impression we make on society about our science and its impact. To address the quality of supervision, behavior analysts have produced many high-quality pieces of supervision literature over the past decade. This literature has propelled our profession toward a comprehensive conceptualization of supervision and has begun to give supervisors and supervisees tools to ensure supervision is high quality and effective. However, more is needed. In this talk, I propose that "something more" is adoption of positive supervision. I will inform the reader of the roots of the positive supervision movement in clinical psychology and translate the positive supervision model into specific supervisory behaviors. I will share resources including a self-assessment, specific behavioral recommendations, and a supervisor task analysis to fully facilitate adoption of a positive supervision approach.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 1 | Supervision |
Dr. Amber Valentino is a board-certified behavior analyst with a doctoral degree in clinical psychology. Amber has over 20 years of experience in the field of applied behavior analysis, working in a variety of healthcare settings. She currently (and enthusiastically!) serves as the Chief Clinical Officer of Mindcolor Autism (https://www.mindcolorautism.com/). Amber's professional work has concentrated on developing clinical standards and leading impactful research initiatives designed to ensure high-quality service provision and oversight within ABA organizations. She is the author of a book that tackles the research-to-practice gap in behavior analysis and has contributed to the research literature through numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. Furthermore, she has dedicated eight consecutive years as the associate editor for two leading behavior analytic journals (The Analysis of Verbal Behavior from 2015 to 2018, and Behavior Analysis in Practice from 2018 to 2023). Currently, she remains actively engaged in the editorial realm, serving on the editorial boards of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis (JABA), and Behavior Analysis in Practice (BAP), as well as taking on roles as both a guest associate editor and guest editor for various publications. Beyond her accomplishments in the field, Amber values her role as a mother and enjoys spending quality time with her young son and her supportive husband. She resides in the San Francisco Bay Area.
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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.