professional and ethical compliance code for behavior analysts€¦ · behavior analysts to assess...
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APBAPolicyonRespondingtoEthicsQuestionsandConcerns
Approved:November12,2011Revised:April2016
TheAPBAmembershipcomprisesprofessionalandparaprofessionalpractitionersofappliedbehavioranalysis(ABA)whoarecredentialedbytheBehaviorAnalystCertificationBoard(BACB)andotherswithinterestsinthepracticeofABA.AllmembersareexpectedtocomplywiththeBACB’sProfessionalandEthicalComplianceCodeforBehaviorAnalysts(http://bacb.com/ethics-code/),referredtohereafterastheBACBCode.TheCodeaddressesethicalandprofessionalconcernsspecifictoindividualswhoarecredentialedbytheBACBandotherswhodeliverandreceiveABAservices,andisthebasisforBACBreviewofcomplaintsaboutthebehaviorofindividualstowhomithasissuedcredentials.APBAmemberswhoholdlicensesorothercredentialsissuedbygovernmentsarealsoexpectedtocomplywithethicalandconductstandardsincorporatedintherelevantlaws,rules,andregulations.
RoleoftheAPBATheBACBandtheAPBAareindependentbodieswithdistinctbutcomplementarymissions.AlthoughtheAPBAplacesgreatimportanceontheethicalpracticeofABA,onlytheBACBmayinstitutesanctionsagainstthosewhoholdBACBcredentials.AsanorganizationdevotedtoservingtheneedsofpractitionerscredentialedbytheBACBandothersinvolvedindeliveryofABAservices,however,APBAacceptsaleadershiproleinpromotingtheethicaldeliveryofservicesandtheadherenceofallitsmemberstotheBACBCode.Tothatend,APBApublishesanEthicsChallengecolumninitselectronicnewsletter,theAPBAReporter,addressingethicaldilemmasthatareoftenfacedbyABApractitioners.ThosearticlesarearchivedontheAPBAwebsiteandareavailableforusebyuniversityfaculty,students,supervisors,andsuperviseeswhoaremembersofAPBA.Inaddition,APBAsponsorsandparticipatesinpaneldiscussionsandworkshopsoneveryday
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ethicalandprofessionalchallengesatconferencesandatitsownannualconvention.Thosesessionsareinvariablywellattendedandofteninvolveopendiscussionamongpanelistsandtheaudience.
QuestionsfromAPBAMembersandOthersNaturally,APBAmembersandothersoftenlooktoAPBAforguidanceinresolvingethicalandprofessionalproblemstheyencounterintheirwork.TheAPBAofficeregularlyreceivessuchrequests,whichfallintoseveralcategories:
• ComplaintsaboutpractitionerswhoarecredentialedbytheBACB.SomeaskhowtolodgecomplaintsagainstBACB-credentialedpractitionersforwhatareviewedasviolationsoftheBACBCode.Inthosecases,theAPBAstaffexplainsthatonlytheBACBcanenforceitsCode,andreferstheinquirertotheEthicssectionoftheBACBwebsite(http://bacb.com/ethics/)fordetails.
• ComplaintsaboutindividualswhoarenotcredentialedbytheBACB.SomeconcernsexpressedtoAPBAinvolveindividualswhodonotholdcredentialsissuedbytheBACB.Inthosesituations,theAPBAstaffinformstheinquirerthattheBACBcangenerallytakeactiononlyincasesinvolvingviolationofitsCodebythosetowhomithasissuedcredentials.TheinquirerisencouragedtousetheBACBCodeasaframeworkfordiscussingconcernsdirectlywiththerelevantparties.APBAmayalsorecommendpursuingactionsthroughlocalagenciesandauthorities,suchasemployers,governmentagencies,third-partypayers,orlocallawenforcementagencies.
• RequestsforAPBAtoevaluateethicalsituations.OftenAPBAisaskedtomakeajudgmentaboutsomeaspectofprofessionalbehavior.Thoserequestsmayraiseethicalquestionsthataregeneralinnature,inwhichcasetheyarewelcomedaspossibletopicsfordiscussionintheEthicsChallengecolumnintheAPBAReporter.Mostoften,however,theypertaintospecificsituationsthatmayormaynotinvolveBACB-credentialedpractitionersorAPBAmembers.
Assessingsuchsituationsismorecomplicatedthanitmightseem.Ethicalissuesareusuallycomplex,involvemultipleparties,andhavemorethanoneresolution.Anyoneperson’sopinionmaynotcoverallpossibleinterpretationsandoptions.ThepersoncontactingAPBAmayprovideconsiderabledetailtojustifyhisorherconcerns,butthereisalwaysatleastoneothersidetothestory.Learningenoughaboutthesituationfromallpartiestorenderanobjectiveandfairjudgmentrequiresatime-consumingandlegallyburdensomeeffort.Forinstance,althoughthecomplainant’sconcernsmayseemwarranted,thatcannotbeassumed.Eachpartymusthavetheopportunitytopresentevidence,andeffortsmustbemadetoverifyorcorroboratethatevidence.Actionsthatmayimpedeanindividual’sabilitytomakealivingorjeopardizehisorherprofessionalreputationmustbetakenonlyaftercarefulconsiderationoftherelevantfacts,andwithdueprocessandconfidentialityprotectionsforallparties.Applicablelawsandregulationsmayneedtobeconsidered,andthosevaryacrosslocations.Atpresent,APBAisnotinapositiontoconductsuch
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investigations,anddoesnothavetheauthoritytoimposeformalsanctionsonindividualswhoarefoundtohaveviolatedtheBACBCode.APBAcanonlyreconsiderthemembershipstatusofindividualswhoaremembersofAPBA.Additionally,APBAmustconsiderhowanyassessmentofanethicalproblemthatitprovidesmightbeusedandpublicized.
Policy
I.Respondingtoethicalquestionsandconcerns.WhenquestionsaboutethicalandprofessionalissuesingeneralorwithreferencetoparticularsituationsareposedtoAPBA,theAPBAstaffwillexplainthattheorganizationdoesnotrenderopinionsaboutsuchsituationsandwillofferthefollowingrecommendations:
• TohavethesituationdiscussedintheEthicsChallengecolumnintheAPBAReporter,contactthenewslettereditoratinfo@apbahome.net.ResponsestosituationsposedintheEthicsChallengecolumnarealwayswelcomeandshouldalsobesenttoinfo@apbahome.net.
• TodetermineifanactivityviolatestheBACBCode,gotohttp://bacb.com/ethics-code/ReadtheCodetodetermineifstandardsmayhavebeenviolated.Alsogotohttp://bacb.com/ethics-code/forinformationabouttheBACB’sdisciplinaryreviewandappealsprocesses,andinstructionsandformsforfilinganoticeofallegedviolationoftheCode.
• Toresolveanethicalsituation,firstconsulttheBACBCodetolearnabouttheprofession’svaluesandrulesastheyapplytothesituation.Thendiscusstheissueswithcolleagueswhoseviewsyourespect,takingcarenottodiscloseconfidentialinformationaboutthepartiesinvolved.Withtheassistanceofthosecolleagues,formulateacourseofaction,ifwarranted.Possibleactionsmightinclude:
o Discussingthesituationwiththeindividual(s)involvedinaprivate,non-confrontationalcontext,referencingtheBACBCode.Everyeffortshouldbemadetoresolvethesituationinamutuallysatisfactoryway.
o Arrangingforformalpeerreviewofthesituationbybringinginexpertbehavioranalyststoassessthecircumstancesandrecommendaresolution(seethearticlesonpeerreviewintheAPBAReporter,AprilandMay2010inthearchivesatwww.apbahome.net).Again,confidentialityandprivacymustbeprotectedthroughoutthisprocess.
o Takingconcernstoalocalauthorityorentitythatmayhavethemeanstoenforcearesolution.
o FilingaformalnoticeofallegedviolationasinstructedontheBACBwebsite(http://bacb.com/ethics/)whenthesituationinvolvesa
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BACB-credentialedindividualandyoubelievetheCodehasbeenviolated.
II.TerminatingAPBAmembership.WhenaBACB-certifiedmemberofAPBAhashisorhercertificationrevokedbytheBACB,APBAwillterminatethatperson’smembershipinAPBA.IndividualswhohavetheircertificationreinstatedbytheBACBmayapplytorejoinAPBA,whichwillverifytheircertificationstatuswiththeBACB.