Specialization in Behavioral Services

Fall 2005

 

Coursework

 

Required by Rowan for the Specialization Designation on your Transcript

Required by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Inc for BCABA

Research in Learning and Behaviorism**

Research in Learning and Behaviorism

Applied Behavior Analysis*

Applied Behavior Analysis

Behavioral Assessment & Methodology*

Behavioral Assessment & Methodology

Field Experience**

 

Developmental Psychopathology*

 

* offered once a year; ** offered every semester

 

Field Experience (the course)

 

1.      You need to apply for Field Experience early the semester before you intend to take the course. For example, if you want to take the course in the Spring, you need to apply in early Fall.

2.      To apply, you get the application from Dr. Valerie Davis-LaMastro (Davis-LaMastro@rowan.edu) or from Ms. Evelyn Stewart in the Psychology Department.

3.      When you complete the application, please make sure you

a.       CLEARLY IDENTIFY that you are in the Specialization

b.      INDICATE whether or not you are interested in pursuing BCABA certification (not all students in the specialization are interested in pursuing the certification).

4.      Although Rowan has coursework approved by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Inc, enrolling in the Specialization or taking the courses will NOT meet the supervised hour requirement of the Board. Furthermore, Rowan University accepts no responsibility to guarantee that you will be able to accrue the required number of supervised hours in the Specialization. However, Dr. LaMastro and I will try to help you make contacts with people and places that might help you accrue these hours. If you are placed in a setting where you will receive supervision from a BCBA, in all likelihood, you will NOT accrue all the supervised hours required by the Board during Field Experience.

 

Supervised Experience Hours (Requirement of the Board)

 

1.      The Board recently changed the standard for the number of supervised hours required to be eligible to apply for BCABA. I have indicated the changes below.

 

Old Standards

Need to begin by 7/1/06 and be completed by 7/1/07

New Standards

There are three categories of experience: Supervised Independent Fieldwork, Practicum, and Intensive Practicum.
  1. 12 months of Mentored Experience, or
  2. 6 months of Supervised Experience, or
  3. A combination of a and b above. Experience must include at least 20 hours per week, 80 hours per month, in behavior analysis.

Supervised Independent Fieldwork: Applicants must complete 1000 hours of Supervised Independent Fieldwork in behavior analysis.  The distribution requirement for Supervised Independent Fieldwork hours is not less than 10 hours but not more than 30 hours per week for a minimum of 3 weeks per month. Applicants must be supervised at least every 2 weeks for 5% of the total hours they spend in Supervised Independent Field Experience.  (Total supervision must be at least 50 hours, distributed appropriately within each 2 week interval.)

Mentored experience includes monthly contacts between the applicant and a mentor who either is a BCBA, or can meet the degree requirements and one of the coursework options for taking the BCBA examination.

Practicum: Applicants must complete, with a passing grade, 670 hours of Practicum in behavior analysis within a university practicum program approved by the BACB and offered for academic credit.  The distribution requirement for Practicum hours is not less than 10 hours but not more than 20 hours per week for a minimum of 3 weeks per month. (Not an option at Rowan).

Supervised experience includes face-to-face meetings for at least two hours every two weeks between the applicant and a supervisor who either is a BCBA, or can meet the degree requirements and one of the coursework options for taking the BCBA examination.

Intensive Practicum: Applicants must complete, with a passing grade, 500 hours of Intensive Practicum in behavior analysis within a university practicum program approved by the BACB and offered for academic credit.  The distribution requirement for Intensive Practicum hours is not less than 10 hours but not more than 20 hours per week for a minimum of 3 weeks per month. (Not an option at Rowan)

One month of acceptable supervised experience is equivalent to 2 months of acceptable mentored experience,

Universities may combine any two or three of the categories above (Supervised Independent Fieldwork, Practicum, and/or Intensive Practicum) to meet the experience requirement; with Practicum having 1½ times the temporal value of Supervised Independent Fieldwork, and Intensive Practicum having 2 times the temporal value of Supervised Independent Fieldwork.

 

2.      In General:  Individuals may not mix experience accumulated under the old standards with experience accumulated under the new standards to qualify for examination – all experience must be obtained either under the old standards or under the new standards.

 

Prior to July 1, 2006:  Individuals may begin accumulating experience either under the old experience standards or under the new experience standards.

·        Individuals who begin accumulating experience under the old standards prior to July 1, 2006 must complete their experience under the old standards by July 1, 2007.  This means that individuals may need to accumulate their experience under supervision rather than mentoring to accumulate the required amount of experience by July 1, 2007.  Individuals accumulating experience under the old standards may use a mixture of Supervision and Mentoring as long as they have sufficient experience by July 1, 2007.

1.     Individuals who begin accumulating experience under the new standards prior to July 1, 2006 will not have the abovementioned time limits imposed on completing their experience.  Individuals accumulating experience under the new standards may use a mixture of Supervised Independent Fieldwork, Practicum, and Intensive Practicum.

3.      After July 1, 2006

a.       Onset of Experience:  Applicants may not start accumulating Supervised Independent Fieldwork, Practicum, or Intensive Practicum hours until they have begun the coursework required to meet the BACB coursework requirements.

b.      Contractual and Ethical Considerations:  The supervisor and applicant should execute a contract prior to the onset of the experience that states the responsibilities of both parties, delineates the consequences should the parties not adhere to their responsibilities (including proper termination of the relationship), and includes an attestation that both parties will adhere to the BACB Guidelines for Responsible Conduct.  The parties should pay particular attention to Sections 1, 2, and three of the Guidelines and consider the supervisor to be the client of the applicant except as noted above.

c.       Nature of Supervision:  The supervisor must observe the applicant engaging in behavior analytic activities with a client in the natural environment during each required supervisory period (i.e., 1 or 2 weeks, depending on the type of experience being obtained).  This observation may be conducted via web-cameras, videotape, videoconferencing, or similar means in lieu of the supervisor being physically present.  Supervision may be conducted in small groups of 5 or fewer participants for no more than half of the total supervised hours in each supervisory period.  The remainder of the total supervision hours in each supervisory period must consist of direct one-to-one contact.

d.      Documentation from Applicant:  Applicants are responsible for collecting documentation for each two week period on a form provided by the BACB.  The form will require documentation of number of hours of experience, number of supervised hours, and the supervisor for each two week period and will require signatures of the applicant and supervisor.  The BACB reserves the right to request this documentation at any time following an individual’s application to take the certification exam.

e.       Documentation from Supervisor:  Supervisors are responsible for collecting documentation for each two week period on a form provided by the BACB.  The BACB reserves the right to request this documentation at any time following an individual’s application to take the certification exam.

Applying to Become Certified as BCABA

 

1.      Go to Board website to get application.

2.      Contact me to get the Content Verification Form for the application (kerwin@rowan.edu).