BAS Ethical and Legal Compliance 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A supervisee asks their BCBA supervisor to sign off on service hours the supervisee did not actually complete. What is the supervisor's ethical obligation?
- Sign off to help the supervisee meet certification deadlines
- Refuse to falsify records and report the request per BACB guidelines (Correct answer)
- Ask the supervisee to make up the hours later before submitting
- Consult the agency director before making a decision
Correct answer: Refuse to falsify records and report the request per BACB guidelines
Falsifying supervision records violates BACB ethics code honesty standards and supervisors must refuse and may be required to report.
Question 2: Under HIPAA, which action by a behavior analyst supervisor is MOST appropriate when sharing client data with a supervisee for training purposes?
- Share full records since the supervisee is part of the treatment team
- De-identify data or obtain written authorization before sharing for training (Correct answer)
- Share data verbally but never in writing
- Obtain verbal consent from the client's parent before each training session
Correct answer: De-identify data or obtain written authorization before sharing for training
HIPAA requires de-identification or proper authorization before using protected health information for training purposes.
Question 3: A supervisor discovers that a competing BCBA is providing services using outdated, unsupported behavior analytic procedures. What is the MOST ethical course of action?
- Publicly post criticism on social media to warn families
- Report concerns to the BACB through the ethics complaint process (Correct answer)
- Confront the other BCBA directly in front of clients
- Ignore the situation as it does not involve the supervisor's clients
Correct answer: Report concerns to the BACB through the ethics complaint process
The BACB ethics code requires practitioners to report observed ethics violations through proper channels rather than public or informal confrontation.
Question 4: A BAS is asked to provide ABA services in a state where they are not licensed. What should the supervisor do?
- Provide services remotely to avoid licensure requirements
- Obtain the required state licensure before providing services (Correct answer)
- Proceed if the BCBA credential is recognized nationally
- Delegate all direct service to an unlicensed technician
Correct answer: Obtain the required state licensure before providing services
Supervisors must comply with all applicable state licensure laws; BCBA certification does not override state-specific practice requirements.
Question 5: Which scenario represents a conflict of interest that a BAS supervisor MUST disclose to relevant stakeholders?
- The supervisor trained under the same mentor as a colleague
- The supervisor has a financial stake in a company that sells materials used in treatment (Correct answer)
- The supervisor specializes in the same population as a coworker
- The supervisor has previously worked at a different agency
Correct answer: The supervisor has a financial stake in a company that sells materials used in treatment
Financial interests that could influence clinical decisions must be disclosed to clients and stakeholders to preserve objectivity.
Question 6: A supervisor's supervisee begins a romantic relationship with a client's parent. The supervisor becomes aware of this. What is the MOST appropriate first step?
- Terminate the supervisee's employment immediately
- Address the dual relationship with the supervisee and document the conversation (Correct answer)
- Inform the client's parent that this is unethical
- Report the relationship to law enforcement
Correct answer: Address the dual relationship with the supervisee and document the conversation
The supervisor must address the dual relationship directly with the supervisee, document it, and take corrective action per agency policy and BACB ethics code.
Question 7: When is it permissible for a behavior analyst supervisor to accept a gift from a client's family?
- When the gift is under $25 in value
- When the gift is a token of appreciation and refusal would harm the therapeutic relationship, per documented judgment (Correct answer)
- Gifts are never permissible under any circumstances
- Only when the client has been discharged from services
Correct answer: When the gift is a token of appreciation and refusal would harm the therapeutic relationship, per documented judgment
The BACB ethics code allows gifts only in limited circumstances where refusal would harm the relationship, using clinical judgment and documentation.
BAS Ethical and Legal Compliance 2
A supervisee asks their BCBA supervisor to sign off on service hours the supervisee did not actually complete.
What is the supervisor's ethical obligation?