I would NEVER!...Mitigating Problematic Bias in the Context of Familial Trauma, Abuse, and Neglect is the kind of topic that looks straightforward until it collides with the speed, ambiguity, and competing demands of caregiver coaching, home routines, team meetings, and values-sensitive decision making. In I would NEVER...Mitigating Problematic Bias in the Context of Familial Trauma, Abuse, and Neglect, for this course, the practical stakes show up in better alignment between intervention and the family context in which it must survive, not in abstract discussion alone.
Provider: BehaviorLive — via Verbal Beginnings
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Join Free →Bias is ubiquitous. It is a product of being human in a verbal world. Our bias becomes problematic when it contributes to negative outcomes for those we serve. Behavior analysts working in Child Welfare partner with families in the context of trauma, abuse, and neglect. Often, the court has ordered these families to behavior analysis (BA) services. The extent of parent participation in BA services varies. Under these circumstances, it is not uncommon for parents to engage in behaviors that are counterproductive. Some parents directly sabotage BA services (e.g., repeatedly missing sessions). For other parents, engagement in BA services is indirectly influenced by substance misuse, housing and financial crises, unhealthy relationships, and other factors. Topographically, associated behaviors can look like poor parenting. Behavior analysts may (at least with their inside voice!) find themselves judging parents for their past behavior or blaming them for their current circumstances. How could they? I would never! This position can be detrimental to rapport. Moreover, attributing blame may shift our focus away from evaluating the myriad environmental variables influencing parent behaviors. In this talk, we will advocate for a functional-contextual approach to understanding parent engagement in the context of child welfare. We will analyze contingencies selecting parent responses to BA services. We will discuss functionally related strategies for empowering parent participation. Taking a function-driven approach when addressing parent engagement should mitigate the effects of problematic bias, promoting more appropriate, effective, and socially valid treatment.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 1 | General |
| COA | 1 | — |
Michelle Sereno, Ph.D., BCBA-D is a Board-certified Behavior Analyst. She earned a master's degree in psychology with a focus on behavior analysis from the University of Nevada, Reno. She earned her doctorate in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) from the Chicago School. Doctor Sereno’s primary research area is problematic bias related to Intimate Partner Violence. Her work has been published in reference books and peer-reviewed journals, including Trauma, Violence, & Abuse and Research on Social Work Practice. Doctor Sereno currently serves as Regional Senior Behavior Analyst for a community-based foster care agency. She is passionate about applying ABA toward socially meaningful change for families experiencing trauma and abuse.
Dig into the research behind this topic — plain-English summaries written for BCBAs.
252 research articles with practitioner takeaways
239 research articles with practitioner takeaways
233 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.