The quality of BCBA fieldwork supervision is one of the most consequential and least standardized variables in the pipeline that produces practicing behavior analysts. Nicole Stewart's course addresses this gap with a three-phase supervisory framework that sequentially targets direct care fluency, clinically applied research skills, and BCBA-level professional competencies.
Provider: BehaviorLive — via Women in Behavior Analysis
Take This Course →Including ethics, supervision, and topics like this one. New live CEU every Wednesday.
Join Free →Given the pivotal role that Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) play, effective fieldwork supervision is paramount to ethical implementation of treatment in the field of ABA. High-quality training is the foundation for the success of clients and the continued growth of the field. Presently, the quality and experience of BCBA fieldwork supervision can be highly variable, leading to less-than-desirable outcomes when trainees pass the BCBA exam and practice independently. These outcomes can include high rates of burnout, low rates of effective intervention and high turnover in ABA organizations, all of which are detrimental to already at-risk populations. Implementation of high-quality supervision is typically not due to lack of motivation from BCBAs, but due to lack of time, resources or training (Sellers et.al., 2019). We propose a three-phase progression during fieldwork supervision that adheres to a job model and considers the needs of all stakeholders (Garza et. al., 2018). This progression starts with fluency with direct-care skills. The next phase focuses on a clinically applied project intended to build expertise in one clinical area while bolstering behavior analytic professionalism skills. The final phase, once a trainee has learned professionalism skills in a structured setting, is to generalize to BCBA-level skills in a job model. Existing recommendations such as behavioral skills training, competencies, task list connections and ethical considerations are embedded throughout this sequence. This training includes actionable steps for individuals and organizations to take to implement components of this approach immediately. Attendees will learn practical strategies to get started with more applied fieldwork opportunities, and suggestions will be customized based on the audience that attends the training.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 1 | Supervision |
Nicole is an ambitious, driven and dedicated educator and behavior analyst who has been in this field for almost 20 years. Nicole takes a holistic and system-based approach to therapeutic and educational support. Her background has afforded her the ability to work with children with a wide variety of needs in almost every setting. This experience has created an eclectic and outside-the-box approach to therapy that blends scientific knowledge, developmental understanding, educational standards and therapeutic treatments. Currently, Nicole runs three businesses: one focused on practical solutions for families through direct intervention; one that provides training to improve inclusive settings; and one geared towards improving fieldwork supervision practices. In addition, she is an adjunct professor at CUNY Hunter College in the ABA department.
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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.