Bio:
Tyra P. Sellers is the CEO of the Association of Professional Behavior Analysts. She earned a B.A. in Philosophy and M.A. in Special Education from
San Francisco State University, a J.D. from the University of San Francisco, a Ph.D. from Utah State University, and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst®. Her professional and research interests focus on professional ethics, training and supervision, assessment and treatment of severe problem behavior, and variability. Dr. Sellers has over 20 years of clinical experience working with individuals with disabilities in a wide variety of settings. She has held positions as an Assistant Professor at Utah State University and as the Director of Ethics at the Behavior Analyst Certification Board®. She has published several journal articles, four co-authored book chapters, co-authored the book titled Building and Sustaining Meaningful and Effective Relationships As A Supervisor and Mentor and the workbook titled pair titled The New Supervisor Workbook and The Consulting Supervisor’s Workbook. She currently serves on the editorial boards for several journals.
Sarah Lichtenberger earned a B.A. in English and Psychology from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Behavior Analysis from Western Michigan University. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in the Neurobehavioral Unit Outpatient Clinic. She has 10 years of clinical experience, specifically with a focus on early intervention and severe interfering behavior. She has held positions as a senior clinician at Trumpet Behavior Health, as the Director of Clinical Standards at Verbal Beginnings, and as the Ethics Education Manager and Assistant Director of Ethics at the Behavior Analyst Certification Board®. She is currently a Senior Account Manager for BehaviorLive. She has been a guest reviewer for Behavior Analysis in Practice and is an Ethics Subject Matter Expert for the Association of Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA). She has served as a director on the Colorado Association for Behavior Analysis (COABA) board and as the co-chair of the Professional Development Committee (PDC). She is currently a volunteer for the COABA PDC and is a member of the conference advisory committee for APBA. She is also a member of the Behaviorists for Social Responsibility Sustainability work group.
Talk title:
Enhancing Accountability in Supervision of Registered Behavior Technicians®
Abstract:
Effective supervision is crucial for the safe and effective delivery of services and the professional development of Registered Behavior Technicians® (RBTs®). Supervisors hold full accountability for all facets of the supervisory relationship, including ensuring compliance with supervision requirements and meticulous documentation. Additionally, supervisors must educate their supervisees about these requirements, instruct them on proper documentation practices, and empower them to advocate for themselves if their supervisory needs are unmet. This knowledge and skill set is especially critical for RBTs, who may lack prior experience with these processes because the power dynamic inherent in the supervisory relationship may be a barrier to self-advocacy. This presentation explores the ethical dimensions of supervisory accountability, strategies for meeting supervision requirements, and best practices for documenting supervision, fostering a robust and ethical supervisory framework. This presentation will also provide some strategies for rapport-building and power-sharing to promote a healthy, bi-directional relationship.
CEUs: 1 Supervision BACB® CEU
Learning Objectives:
1. Attendees will identify three steps they can take to ensure they are familiar with supervision requirements.
2. Attendees will describe documentation best practices for creating, updating, and maintaining documentation.
3. Attendees will describe strategies for approaching conversations with supervisors when supervision requirements are not met.