| What is the problem? | Which ethical standards pertain to this problem? | Consider dimensions of the problem | Courses of action / potential consequences | Select course of action | Implement and evaluate the course of action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The trainee miscalculated monthly supervision hours for an extended period, and Yvonne did not catch the error earlier. | 4.01 Supervisory Competence, 4.02 Supervisory Competence, and 5.05 Communication of Supervision Conditions, as accurate documentation and oversight are required to ensure ethical and compliant supervision. | It affects the trainee’s eligibility for credentialing, the integrity of fieldwork records, and Yvonne’s responsibility to monitor supervisee progress; it also carries potential professional and legal implications. | Allow the miscalculated hours to stand – avoids immediate conflict but risks BACB noncompliance. | Yvonne should correct the hours, provide clear guidance to the trainee on proper calculation, and implement a system to regularly review hours logs to prevent recurrence. | Yvonne can update the trainee’s hours, review the calculations with each trainee monthly, document all changes, and check that future supervision hours are correctly logged; evaluation can occur at the next supervision cycle to ensure accurate ongoing tracking. |
The fieldwork hours must be checked and registered monthly (by supervisee and supervisor), to ensure the requirement is being met. Failures in an appropriate follow up in this process, had as a consequence a miscalculation of hours along a year. | 4.01 Compliance with Supervision Requirements (see 1.02) | The supervisee didn't complete the monthly requirement for fieldwork hours for a year. The 2 hours missing monthly can not be added after the correspondents period ended. | Address and document all the situation with the company, as soon as she realized the issue, and schedule an immediate meeting with the supervisee. | If the supervisee agrees to start completing the hours correctly again, the supervisor can continue with the new period of fieldwork supervision, following the considerations previously commented. If not, the supervisor needs to end the supervisory contract immediately, explaining this professional and ethical issue. | If the supervisee agrees to start completing the hours correctly again, the supervisor can continue with the new period of fieldwork supervision, following the considerations previously commented. If not, the supervisor needs to end the supervisory contract immediately, explaining this professional and ethical issue. |
miscount of hours/ failure to revise by bcba | supervisory oversee | check ethical code/redo superv if necessary | |||
Yvonne has failed to monitor fieldwork hours, hence trainee is at risk of losing all accumulated hours. | 4.05 Maintaining Supervision Documentation | Trainee at risk losing accumulated hours | 1.16 Self-Reporting Critical Information | Develop a remediation plan, be compassionate | Make aggreement and inform trainee stakeholders |
Supervisor did not check supervisee's fieldwork log | performance monitoring of supervisees, accuracy with documentation, accountability for supervisee behavior | Supervisee needs their hours, supervisor did not monitor log, BACB standards | Look at supervisor's personal tracker and MFVFs to see if those hours are also off. If those are not miscalculated, then adjust log based on that. If all of those are miscalculated, self-report to the BACB. | Look at supervisor's personal tracker and MFVFs to see if those hours are also off. If those are not miscalculated, then adjust log based on that. If all of those are miscalculated, self-report to the BACB. | Follow what the BACB says to ensure the most ethical and effective solution possible. |
The ethical dilemma is that a trainee has been miscalculating the required supervision hours for an extended period, which may mean that some accrued fieldwork hours are invalid. Yvonne must balance supporting the trainee while ensuring accurate documentation and compliance with BACB fieldwork requirements. | Relevant standards include maintaining accurate supervision documentation, ensuring supervision meets BACB requirements, and reporting fieldwork hours truthfully and transparently. The code also emphasizes the supervisor’s responsibility to monitor supervision and correct errors that could affect credentialing eligibility. | Yvonne should review BACB Fieldwork Requirements, agency policies, and any contractual supervision agreements to determine the extent of the discrepancy and allowable remediation. Consulting with a mentor, colleague, or the BACB (if needed) may help clarify appropriate corrective steps. She should also consider the impact on the trainee’s eligibility timeline and emotional response while maintaining ethical compliance. | Ignoring the error could lead to inaccurate certification documentation and ethical violations. Requiring correction of hours and adjusting supervision totals may cause stress and delay the trainee’s progress, but ensures compliance and protects future certification validity. Developing a remediation plan (e.g., additional supervision to make up deficits) may balance fairness and ethical accuracy. | The most ethical course of action is to correct the documentation, recalculate the hours accurately, and create a clear remediation plan to address any missing supervision. This action would be appropriate to recommend to other behavior analysts and would align with professional integrity and BACB standards, even if it is difficult for the trainee. | Yvonne should document the discrepancy, update records accurately, and collaborate with the trainee to schedule additional supervision to meet requirements moving forward. She should also implement a system to verify hours monthly to prevent future errors. The effectiveness of this plan can be evaluated by ensuring accurate logs, trainee understanding of requirements, and ongoing compliance with supervision standards. |
Yvonne and her trainee have encountered a cumulative documentation error. Because Yvonne didn't audit the logs for a full year, a small monthly mistake has snowballed into a significant discrepancy. | Standard 4.05: Maintaining Supervision Documentation | Effects trainees total hours | Correct tracker and update verification forms | Correct tracker and update verification forms | Correct tracker and update verification forms-may harm relationship |
Hours have not been accounted for accurately. | The supervisor is responsible for the work of their supervisees/trainees. | This could result in future problems if the trainee/supervisee is audited. | The supervisor should make more of an effort to review their supervisees tracker on a monthly basis. The hours should reflect the appropriate hours that have been collected thus far. Since the trainee seems to not want to lose those hours, the supervisor should come up with possible solutions to make up for those hours. | The supervisor should make more of an effort to review their supervisees tracker on a monthly basis. The hours should reflect the appropriate hours that have been collected thus far. Since the trainee seems to not want to lose those hours, the supervisor should come up with possible solutions to make up for those hours. | At the end of every month, the supervisor should review their supervisees trackers. |
The supervisor should is also responsible for the trainees hours. | 1.03 | The traniee might need to make up hours lost. the BCAB can be flagged by the board. | adress this a meeting and decide what are the next steps. | set a plan so this issue doesn't happen again | |
A trainee has been miscalculating required supervision hours each month and did not meet BACB supervision requirements. Yvonne failed to review the hours log regularly, so some accumulated hours may not be valid. | 4.04 Accountability in Supervision | Number of months affected Amount of supervision hours missing Impact on trainee eligibility Shared responsibility between supervisor and trainee Risk of submitting inaccurate hours to the BACB | Recalculate all hours accurately Remove any hours that do not meet requirements Create a plan to make up missing supervision Document the error and correction Possible delay in trainee’s certification timeline | Audit all affected months, correct the logs, and ensure only valid hours are counted. Develop a corrective supervision plan and document everything. | Establish monthly checks of supervision hours, verify calculations regularly, and monitor compliance moving forward. |
The problem is that one trainee has been incorrectly calculating and recording supervision hours for an extended period, and Yvonne failed to regularly monitor the hours log, putting the trainee’s accumulated fieldwork hours at risk and creating a potential compliance and ethical issue. | 4.05 Maintaining Supervision Documentation – Yvonne is responsible for ensuring supervision records are accurate and complete. 4.04 Accountability in Supervision – She is accountable for her supervisory practices and oversight of trainees. 1.03 Accountability – Yvonne must address the error and follow through on corrective actions. 2.05 Documentation Protection and Retention – Proper maintenance and review of records is required. 1.01 Being Truthful – All reported hours must be accurate and corrected when errors are discovered. | Yvonne should consider how her lack of regular review of the hours log contributed to the error and recognize her responsibility in preventing and identifying mistakes earlier. She should consider the potential impact on the trainee’s certification timeline and emotional distress caused by the discovery of the miscalculation. She must also consider BACB rules and Fieldwork Requirements, which require accurate and honest reporting of hours. Organizational policies and supervision contracts may influence how corrections must be handled. In addition, she should consider the importance of modeling ethical behavior, honesty, and accountability for her trainees. Allowing inaccurate hours to remain uncorrected could place both Yvonne and the trainee at risk for ethical violations. | Yvonne could correct the hours immediately in the tracking system and inform the trainee that only accurate, verified hours can be counted. This maintains ethical compliance and protects her certification, but it may delay the trainee’s progress and cause disappointment. She could review all past supervision documentation and verification forms to determine exactly which hours are valid. This ensures fairness and accuracy, but it requires time and administrative effort. Yvonne could consult with a more experienced supervisor, her employer, or the BACB for guidance on proper procedures. This may provide clarity and reduce risk, but it may prolong resolution. She could ignore the error and allow the inaccurate hours to stand. This may temporarily relieve the trainee’s anxiety, but it constitutes falsification of records and could result in serious ethical and professional consequences for both parties. She could implement new procedures for regular monitoring of hours going forward. This improves future compliance but does not resolve past errors on its own. Each option should be evaluated based on honesty, client and trainee welfare, and adherence to BACB requirements. | Yvonne should conduct a thorough review of all supervision and fieldwork records to determine which hours are accurate and valid. She should correct any errors in the documentation and ensure that only legitimate hours are counted. She should clearly explain the situation to the trainee and provide emotional support while emphasizing the importance of ethical compliance. If needed, she should consult her employer or the BACB for guidance. In addition, Yvonne should implement regular procedures for reviewing hours moving forward to prevent future errors. This course of action best supports honesty, accountability, and adherence to ethical and certification requirements. | Yvonne should meet with the trainee to review all supervision and fieldwork records together and clearly identify which hours were calculated incorrectly. She should correct the documentation and update the tracking system to reflect only valid, verified hours. All changes and discussions should be documented and acknowledged by both parties. If needed, she should consult with her employer or the BACB to confirm that corrections are handled properly. Yvonne should then establish a routine schedule (e.g., monthly reviews) to monitor hours logs and verification forms. Over time, she should evaluate whether these procedures prevent future errors and ensure ongoing compliance with fieldwork and ethical requirements. |
noncompliance with supervision requirements | 1.03 Accountability | Client Welfare | Ignore or minimize the problem | Provide structured performance feedback and increased supervision Supports supervisee skill development Improves accountability Protects client welfare Requires additional time and effort | Christine should: Review and clarify supervision expectations, including communication requirements and implementation standards. Provide written, objective feedback identifying performance concerns. Develop a remediation or performance improvement plan with measurable goals and timelines. Increase observation and feedback frequency. Document all supervision activities and communication attempts. Communicate concerns and documentation with the employer. Remove or reassign the supervisee if performance does not improv |
Improper counting of hours | False documentation | - False documentation | - Denial of hours by bacb | - Not signing off on those hours | - Discuss hourly requirements |
Yvonne neverr checked on the trainees hours throughout the year to make sure they were implemented correctly. | Supervision hour requirements (4.05) | the trainee could lose the hours they had accumulated | could modify/reduce hours to comply with the supervision requirements | provide opportunities to get hours if they are having to be removed/redone. | would be beneficial to make sure that the hours are kept appropraitely in the future and checked often. |
lack of effective documentation | appropriate monitoring | poor organization | failure of audie | supervisor is responible for both themselves and supervisee | look at other documentation idea |
A trainee miscalculated supervision hours for an extended period, and the supervisor failed to monitor the logs regularly. This places the trainee’s accrued hours and Yvonne’s supervisory responsibility at risk. | 4.04 Accountability in Supervision | Risk to trainee’s credentialing eligibility | Ignore the error /Ethical violation, risk of audit failure Correct only future logs / Misrepresentation of experience hours Correct past and future records /Trainee may lose hours but maintains ethical compliance | Yvonne should correct the documentation to reflect accurate supervision hours and explain the requirements to the trainee, while taking responsibility for her own lack of oversight. | Yvonne updates the logs, provides retraining on hour calculations, establishes a monthly review system, and monitors future logs for accuracy. She evaluates whether documentation procedures prevent similar errors moving forward. |
documentation | |||||
the supervision hours must equal 5% of the fieldwork hours. | 4.05 | THe BACB will also reject the monthly supevsion log with the incorrect hours | extend the supervision to make up those hours | ||
Hours Tracking Error | No responsibility for work | personal, organizational | not fair for the company or the client | miscalculating the amount of supervision hours he needs each month | Implement a different system or method. Retrained the staff person |
Yvonne took on too many supervisees for a new supervisor as well as the volume of supervision compared to her own workload. | The volume of supervisees to monitor quality implementation of behavioral interventions. | Her lack of ability to monitor fieldwork trackers has created a situation where her supervisee may lose supervision hours. | Yvonne should consult with a peer or supervisor of her own for assistance with supervising the trainees. | Consult a peer or supervisor to share the supervision load. Create a clear schedule for supervision meetings with an agenda that includes checking the fieldwork tracker consistently. | Yvonne will get extra supervision to be able to increase her repertoire of supervision skills for future supervisee and her supervisees will gain more oversight for acquiring hours and tracking correctly. |
required hours | supervisor did not review recorded hours | ethics | review requirements and plan to remedy | weekly review of hours | compare hours tracked |
Due to the BCBA's lack of supervision of hours, supervisee will lose hours. | Ineffective supervision and taking on too many responsibilities. | BCBA may have ethic violations brought against her and her certification is in jeopardy. Supervisee may lose supervision hours due to inadequate over sight by BCBA. | BCBA should acknowledge problem and acknowledge she may have over extended herself. | Create a plan to catch up supervisee hours and retrain supervisee the correct way to calculate hours. | Provide supervisee with training and weekly checks on supervision hours for all supervisees. |
The problem is that the supervisee was miscalculating hours and the BCBA was not tracking the hours along the way as they are required. | 4.01 | Consult the ethics code for supervision requirements | Remove the hours since they weren't appropriately tracked/ may cause rift in relationship | The best most ethical course of action would be to remove the hours since they weren't appropriately recorded. | Call a meeting with the supervisee and address which hours were reported in excess of the actual hours worked. If the supervisee can produce evidence of these hours, honor them, keep the hours, and in the future ensure that the BCBA is overlapping and recording hours as well. |
The supervisor and supervisee did not double check the hours tracked. | The hours were not tracked accurately. The hours were then not submitted accurately. | The hours do not match the amount of work needed on either parties part. | They need to fix the hours for each month moving forward. | Only used the hours that can be selected based on the supervision hours provided. | Moving forward Yvonne needs to do better at tracking the hours. |
Falsified accruing of hours is an ethical violation. | Falsifying reporting. | The fieldwork hours are incorrect. | The supervisee still qualifies for some of his hours, however his schedule will need to be adjusted to ensure supervision quotas are met. | Additional supervision and changing the accrued hours logged. | Yvonne now knows how to help their supervisees ensure they are getting enough supervision in the future. |
| What is the problem? | Which ethical standards pertain to this problem? | Consider dimensions of the problem | Courses of action / potential consequences | Select course of action | Implement and evaluate the course of action |
