The question of state licensure for behavior analysis practice represents one of the most significant regulatory and ethical issues facing the field today. As of recent years, 36 states have enacted licensure laws governing the practice of behavior analysis, with Georgia, Illinois, and Wyoming among the most recent additions.
Provider: BehaviorLive — via Florida Association of Behavior Analysis
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Join Free →Currently, 36 states have a license to practice behavior analysis including Georgia, Illinois, and Wyoming that passed laws in 2022. Licensing the practice of behavior analysis results in increased consumer protections for recipients of ABA services, regardless of the service location or funding source. While the BACB will conduct investigations regarding ethical issues of behavior analysis services, the BACB will only review cases involving individuals who are credentialed by the BACB (i.e., BCBA, BCaBA, RBT). Thus, individuals who practice behavior analysis within their own professional scope are not subject to the authority of the BACB. Additionally, individuals who practice behavior analysis without any scope of professional training are not subject to the authority of the BACB. If behavior analysts become licensed in Florida, this would help address ethical issues of individuals credentialed by the BACB, as well as those who are not, by establishing a licensing board to investigate complaints and take formal disciplinary actions, when warranted. Licensing the practice of behavior analysis could also have a positive impact on public access to health care (e.g., services via insurance companies). Specifically, various statutes in Florida only apply to individuals with a license to practice in the state of Florida (e.g., Ch. 490, Psychological Services; Ch. 491 Clinical, Counseling, and Psychotherapy Services). Without access to a license to practice, behavior analysts are lacking the benefits that such statutes provide. Other disciplines have maintained that behavior analysts should only operate under the supervision of licensed professionals. Licensing the practice of behavior analysis could prevent such attempts to force unwarranted supervision by non-behavior analytic professionals. Learning Objectives: Participants will describe the reasons for FL licensure including protecting patients and ensuring they receive appropriate treatment Participants will identify how a FL license will assist with enforcing legal and professional requirements Participants will explain how a FL license will lead to improved effective treatment implementation across the state
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 2 | Ethics |
Gina Green is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral in private practice as a consultant.. She is a co-founder and the former Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Professional Behavior Analysts, and previously held faculty and research positions at several institutions as well as leadership positions in several behavior analysis organizations. Dr. Green has authored numerous publications in conceptual, experimental, and applied behavior analysis. She co-edited the books Behavioral Intervention for Young Children with Autism and Making a Difference: Behavioral Intervention for Autism and is a co-author of Strategies and Tactics of Behavioral Research and Practice (4th ed). with James M. Johnston and Henry S. Pennypacker. She serves or has served on the editorial boards of several professional journals and the advisory boards of several autism programs and organizations as well as the B.F. Skinner Foundation. Recognitions and honors include Fellow of the American Psychological Association, the Council for Scientific Medicine and Mental Health, and the Association for Behavior Analysis; Psychology Today’s Mental Health Professional of the Year; honorary Doctor of Science degree from The Queen’s University of Belfast, Northern Ireland; California Association for Behavior Analysis Award for Outstanding Contributions to Behavior Analysis; New York State Association for Behavior Analysis John W. Jacobson Award for Contributions to Behavior Analysis; Berkshire Association for Behavior Analysis & Therapy Sidman Award for Enduring Contributions to Applied Behavior Analysis; Friend of the Kendall Centers, Modesto, CA; Autism Speaks Provider of the Year; Behavior Analyst Certification Board Michael Hemingway Award; American Psychological Association Division 25 Don Hake Translational Research Award ; California Association for Behavior Analysis Gerald L. Shook Advocacy Award; ABA in PA Initiative Trailblazer Advocate Award; and Autism Law Summit Sustained Outstanding Advocacy Award.. Dr. Green lectures and consults widely on autism and related disorders, behavioral research, effective interventions for people with disabilities, and public policies affecting the practice of applied behavior analysis.
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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.