| Problem-solving step | Your response | Response example |
|---|---|---|
| Identify the problem |
overwork/caseload |
Jack’s responsibilities have increased but no room has been made in his schedule. |
| Relevant ethical standard(s) |
Quality supervision to support trainees |
4.03 Supervisory Volume – Jack’s work responsibilities have increased, and now his supervision commitments have exceeded his ability to be effective. |
| Consider dimensions of the problem |
contract requirements |
Jack has responsibilities to both his clients and his trainees. His workload has exceeded his ability to be effective as a supervisor. It would be an ethics violation for Jack to abandon his clients or his trainees |
| Consider courses of action & potential consequences |
discontinue supervision, find another person to help |
Decrease client caseload – Jack could ask his employer to share the extra responsibilities with other behavior analysts, or temporarily cut his billable hours to the minimum necessary Share supervision – Jack is the only behavior analyst supervisor so this is really not an option |
| Select a course of action |
find someone else to help |
Jack might decide to present the problem as an urgent ethics issue to his director and urge that they contract with a staffing agency to fill the position with a BCBA who can take on the extra client cases while they continue the search for a permanent replacement. |
| Implement and evaluate course of action |
assess eval |
The director is responsive to Jack’s request and Jack receives relief from the extra work within about a week. |
