Based on the type of fieldwork hours accrued, you will need to complete either 1,300 Supervised Fieldwork hours or 1,000 Concentrated Supervised Fieldwork hours to meet the fieldwork requirement.

Onset of Fieldwork: Trainees may not start accumulating fieldwork hours until they have:

• a secured a qualified supervisor AND

• started qualifying undergraduate-level behavior-analytic coursework (they may begin accruing hours after attending the first class meeting).

No fewer than 20 hours but no more than 130 hours of fieldwork requirements may be accrued per month. Fieldwork hours include independent hours (supervisor not present) and supervised hours (supervisor present).

The trainee’s primary focus should be on acquiring the skills necessary to demonstrate competence in behavior analysis and the skills necessary to interact effectively with consumers, supervisors, families, and others. The supervisor will be responsible for determining whether activities qualify for accruing fieldwork hours and are consistent with the requirements in this document.

Trainees are strongly encouraged to have multiple experiences with multiple supervisors from each of these areas of activity:

• Conducting assessments related to the need for behavioral intervention (e.g., stimulus preference assessment, functional assessment, staff performance assessment) or for evaluating behavioral interventions.
• Designing, implementing, and systematically monitoring skill-acquisition and behaviorreduction programs writing behavior plans, progress summariesclinical notes, transition summaries, and professional correspondence.

• Overseeing the implementation of behavior-analytic programs by others.

• Training others, designing behavioral systems, and performance management.

• Communicating and collaborating effectively with caregivers and other professionals.

• Other activities normally performed by a behavior analyst that are directly related to behavior analysis, such as attending planning meetings regarding the behavior-analytic program and researching the literature that is relevant to a current client’s programming.

There is a restriction on the overall amount of hours you may spend delivering therapeutic and instructional procedures during fieldwork. This restriction is designed to ensure that trainees have sufficient time to acquire the other skills necessary for practice as a BCaBA. Restricted activities may comprise no more than 60% of the total fieldwork hours.

Activities that are unrestricted are those that are most likely to be performed by a BCaBA. Unrestricted activities must comprise at least 40% of the total fieldwork hours—this requirement does not need to be met during each supervisory period. Examples of unrestricted activities include:

• Observation and data collection training staff and caregivers on behavior-analytic programs or content.

• Conducting assessments related to the need for behavioral intervention.

• Meeting with clients about behavior-analytic programming and services.

• Conducting behavior-analytic assessments (e.g., functional analyses, stimulus preference assessments).

• Data graphing and analysis.

• Researching the literature relevant to a current client’s programming.

• Writing and revising behavior-analytic programs.

Supervision contacts should ideally consist of individual (i.e., one-onone) contacts between the supervisor and trainee; however, group supervision is permitted in certain circumstances.

To maintain your BCaBA certification, you must obtain ongoing continuing education (CE), adhere to the BACB’s ethics requirements  and self-reporting requirements , meet ongoing supervisión requirements, and submit a completed recertification application and associated fees every two years before your recertification date.

As a BCaBA, you are required to obtain 20 continuing education units (CEUs) within each 2-year recertification cycle, including 4 CEUs in ethics and 3 CEUs in supervision (for supervisors).

You must adhere to the Professional and Ethical Compliance Code for Behavior Analysts and self-reporting requirements. In addition, applicants and certificants must provide the BACB With information that could impact the BACB’s ability to effectively communicate with them or influence their certification status.

Every BCaBA must practice under the supervision of a qualified supervisor. Any BCaBA who does not have a qualified supervisor will be considered inactive and may not practice or use their BCaBA certification until they have a supervisor.

• Supervision Requirements:

• First 1,000 hours of post-certification practice: Supervision must comprise at least 5% of the total number of behavior-analytic service hours provided per month with no less than 1 hour of supervision every 2 weeks.

• Ongoing supervision (after the first 1,000 hours): Supervision must comprise at least 2% of the total behavior-analytic service hours provided per month.

• Frequency of Supervision: Each month in which the BCaBA provides behavior-analytic services, the BCaBA and supervisor must meet at least once. In addition, the BCaBA’s supervisor must be available for consultation between supervisory interactions.

• Structure of Supervision: Supervision may include (a) a combination of group and individual supervision, (b) multiple supervisors, and (c) multiple observation methods. This section Contains guidance on the posible structural variations.

• Nature of Supervision: Effective behavior-analytic supervision includes:
• Monitoring the skills of the BCaBA as they deliver behavior-analytic services.
• Developing and communicating performance expectations to the BCaBA.
• Conducting behavioral-skills training for the BCaBA.
• Observing the BCaBA’s performance with clients and delivering feedback.
• Modeling technical, professional, and ethical behavior.
• Guiding the development of behavioral case conceptualization and problem-solving and decisionmaking repertoires.problem-solving and decisionmaking repertoires.problem-solving and decisionmaking repertoires.problem-solving and decisionmaking repertoires.problem-solving and decisionmaking repertoires.
• Reviewing the BCaBA’s written materials (e.g., behavior programs, data sheets, reports) and delivering related feedback about the products.sheets, reports) and delivering related feedback about the products.sheets, reports) and delivering related feedback about the products.sheets, reports) and delivering related feedback about the products.sheets, reports) and delivering related feedback about the products.
• Overseeing and evaluating the effects of the BCaBA’s behavior-analytic service delivery.service delivery.service delivery.service delivery.service delivery.
• Evaluating the effects of supervision throughout the experience.

• Supervision Documentation: There are three forms of documentation required for BCaBA supervision: the supervision contract, the BCaBA Supervision Meeting Form, and a documentation system. The supervisor and the BCaBA must retain copies of these documents for at least seven years from the date of the last supervisory meeting and, if requested, provide them to the BACB.

Based on the type of fieldwork hours accrued, you will need to complete either 2,000 Supervised Fieldwork hours or 1,500 Concentrated Supervised Fieldwork hours to meet the fieldwork requirement.

Onset of Fieldwork: 

Trainees may not start accumulating fieldwork hours until they have:

•  secured a qualified supervisor, AND

• developed and signed a supervision contract with each supervisor , AND

• if applying under Pathway 1 or 2: started qualifying graduate-level behavior-analytic coursework (they may begin accruing hours after attending the first class meeting*),OR

• if applying under Pathway 4: completed 10 years of postdoctoral experience.

No fewer than 20 hours but no more than 130 hours of fieldwork requirements may be accrued per month. Fieldwork hours include independent hours (supervisor not present) and supervised hours (supervisor present).

The trainee’s primary focus should be on acquiring the skills necessary to demonstrate competence in behavior analysis and the skills necessary to interact effectively with consumers, supervisors, families, and others. The supervisor will be responsible for determining whether activities qualify for accruing fieldwork hours and are consistent with the requirements in this document.

Trainees are strongly encouraged to have multiple experiences with multiple supervisors from each of these areas of activity:

• Conducting assessments related to the need for behavioral intervention (e.g., stimulus preference assessment, functional assessment, staff performance assessment) or for evaluating behavioral interventions.
• Designing, implementing, and systematically monitoring skill-acquisition and behaviorreduction programs
• Writing behavior plans, progress summariesclinical notes, transition summaries, and professional correspondence.

• Overseeing the implementation of behavior-analytic programs by others.

• Training others, designing behavioral systems, and performance management.

• Communicating and collaborating effectively with caregivers and other professionals.

• Other activities normally performed by a behavior analyst that are directly related to behavior analysis, such as attending planning meetings regarding the behavior-analytic program and researching the literature that is relevant to a current client’s programming.

• Observation and data collection

• Training staff and caregivers on behavior-analytic programs or content.

• Conducting assessments related to the need for behavioral intervention.

• Meeting with clients about behavior-analytic programming and services.

• Conducting behavior-analytic assessments (e.g., functional analyses, stimulus preference assessments).

• Data graphing and analysis.

• Researching the literature relevant to a current client’s programming.

• Writing and revising behavior-analytic programs.

• Supervision contacts should ideally consist of individual (i.e., one-onone) contacts between the supervisor and trainee; however, group supervision is permitted in certain circumstances.

•   The trainee must be observed working with a client in the natural environment during each supervisory period by at least one supervisor. In-person, on-site observation is preferred. However, the observation may be conducted using asynchronous (e.g., recorded video) or synchronous (e.g., live video conference) formats.

To maintain your BCBA certification, you must obtain ongoing continuing education, adhere to the BACB’s ethics requirements and self-reporting requirements , and submit a completed recertification application and associated fees every two years before your recertification date. As a BCBA, you are required to obtain 32 continuing education units (CEUs) within each 2-year recertification cycle, including 4 CEUs in ethics and 3 CEUs in supervision (for supervisors).