For individuals seeking to work as a RBT, BCaBA, or BCBA, part of the journey is to receive direct supervision, oversight, and/or training from a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst.
This supervision relationship can (at times) be challenging to find, and it can be even more challenging to find a good fit. Like anything else related to working in this field, Goodness-of-Fit should be prioritized over just meeting minimum requirements.
A low-quality supervision experience will not yield a clinician who is ready for the rigorous demands of succeeding in this field.
The decision to initiate a supervisee-supervisor relationship should be carefully evaluated, and must be approached similar to a job interview.
On a job interview, the applicant is not just looking to impress an employer. There is also a need to gather information about company culture, pay, benefits, evaluation of performance, company vision, etc.
Okay....so then why do so many of us treat the supervisee-supervisor relationship more casually than we would starting a new job??? The selection of an ABA Supervisor can have far-reaching implications on your effectiveness as a clinician one day, which if you ask me, is FAR more important than a simple job interview.
See below for some general guidelines to help you select a Mentor for the supervisee-supervisor experience. I hope they're helpful!
YES, this person should be a Mentor: I use the word Mentor intentionally,
because the supervisee-supervisor relationship (ideally) should continue far
after certification. Your first big interview post-BCBA certification, your 1st
conference attendance or presentation, your 1st promotion or
exciting leadership opportunity…all of these events should be discussed and
shared with the ABA Supervisor. After all, this person has invested heavily
in your future success, shouldn’t they care about how you do once you pass the
exam?? It would be odd if they didn’t care.
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Similar Career Aspirations & Goals: I get contacted on a regular basis by
people seeking BCBA supervision, and I always ask about their future career
aspirations. I primarily work in-homes, with children under the age of 5. If
my supervisee wants to eventually work as an animal trainer, that is
something I need to know about. Obviously, the science is the science. But
beyond the science, it is important as a supervisor that I have the
experience and expertise to be a valuable resource for my supervisee.
Otherwise, a more well-matched supervisor would be a better choice.
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Availability to Supervise: This point is critical for anyone receiving
BCBA supervision through their current job. Just because you were matched
with a supervisor does not mean that person actually has the availability to
properly train and mentor you. If the only time you see or speak to your BCBA
supervisor is during a therapy session twice a month àYikes.
I am not saying to quit your job, but just
know that you will very likely need to supplement the supervision you are
receiving through work (hire an additional external supervisor), and probably at your own
expense.
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Suitable Experience Supervising: Yes, the BACB has added more guidelines to
ensure that BCBA's who supervise others have the proper qualifications to do
so. Which is great. However, it is still important as the supervisee to do your
diligence and ask questions about your supervisor’s background and experience
supervising. Again, this person will have a far-reaching impact on your
career in this field. Wouldn’t you want to know how experienced they are as a
supervisor in advance? Or what their supervision style is? Or what their
expectations of you are? These are all critical questions to ask, right up
front.
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Approachable: Lastly, in my experiences even available, highly qualified, and
similarly matched BCBA's, can have a cold, overly formal, or condescending demeanor
that makes them seem highly unapproachable to supervisees. It’s sad, but it
does happen. Just because someone has 30 years’ experience in the field, and
has published tons of research, that does not automatically mean you will
enjoy being a supervisee to that person. As a supervisee, you should feel
comfortable asking your supervisor questions (which many of the RBT’s I talk
to are terrified to ask their
supervisor questions), stating your opinion, or asking for more help. If you can’t depend on the supervisor to
respond respectfully to your questions, suggestions, or complaints, then you
may be working with the wrong supervisor.
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* Resources:
'Recommended Practices for Individual Supervision of Aspiring Behavior Analysts'
This blog post gives great information about how Distance Supervision works
For more information about obtaining the RBT credential, or BCaBA/BCBA certification, see www.Bacb.com
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