RBT RBT Professional Conduct and Ethics 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An RBT's supervising BCBA is frequently unavailable and rarely provides supervision. What should the RBT do?
- Continue working independently since they are trained
- Document the issue and escalate to higher management or the BACB if unresolved (Correct answer)
- Reduce hours to minimize unsupervised practice
- Ask another BCBA informally to supervise without formal arrangements
Correct answer: Document the issue and escalate to higher management or the BACB if unresolved
RBTs must have adequate supervision and should escalate inadequate supervision through proper channels, including the BACB if necessary.
Question 2: A client's insurance company contacts you directly asking for session notes. What should you do?
- Provide the notes since insurance has a right to them
- Refer the request to your supervisor or the appropriate administrative staff (Correct answer)
- Decline the request entirely since notes are confidential
- Ask the parent for permission and then send the notes
Correct answer: Refer the request to your supervisor or the appropriate administrative staff
RBTs should refer any requests for records or documentation to their supervisor or administrative staff rather than releasing information independently.
Question 3: Which of the following is an example of a dual relationship that an RBT must avoid?
- Greeting a client warmly at the start of each session
- Babysitting a client's sibling for pay outside of work (Correct answer)
- Using preferred items identified by the BCBA as reinforcers
- Collecting ABC data during school-based sessions
Correct answer: Babysitting a client's sibling for pay outside of work
Engaging in personal or financial relationships with a client's family outside of the professional role constitutes a dual relationship and must be avoided.
Question 4: An RBT makes a documentation error in the session notes. What is the correct way to handle this?
- Use correction fluid to cover the error
- Delete the original entry and rewrite the notes
- Draw a single line through the error, initial it, and write the correct information (Correct answer)
- Leave the error since it was minor
Correct answer: Draw a single line through the error, initial it, and write the correct information
Proper documentation correction requires drawing a single line through the error, initialing it, and writing the correct information to maintain an accurate and transparent record.
Question 5: A client's parent requests that the RBT use a punishment procedure the BCBA has not approved. What should the RBT do?
- Use the procedure if it seems harmless
- Implement it on a trial basis and report outcomes to the BCBA
- Decline and explain that only BCBA-approved procedures can be used (Correct answer)
- Ask the parent to sign a waiver and then proceed
Correct answer: Decline and explain that only BCBA-approved procedures can be used
RBTs may only implement procedures that have been approved and trained by their supervising BCBA, regardless of requests from family members.
Question 6: Which behavior best demonstrates an RBT acting with integrity in the workplace?
- Completing paperwork quickly even if some data is estimated
- Accurately recording all session data even when outcomes are unfavorable (Correct answer)
- Telling parents only about the client's successes to maintain morale
- Skipping difficult trials to avoid client distress
Correct answer: Accurately recording all session data even when outcomes are unfavorable
Integrity requires honest and accurate data collection regardless of whether the outcomes reflect well on the program.
Question 7: If an RBT disagrees with a treatment decision made by the supervising BCBA, what is the ethical course of action?
- Modify the procedure to match their own judgment during sessions
- Refuse to implement the intervention until it is changed
- Raise the concern with the BCBA through appropriate professional communication (Correct answer)
- Discuss the disagreement with the client's parents to gain support
Correct answer: Raise the concern with the BCBA through appropriate professional communication
RBTs should communicate disagreements professionally and directly to their supervising BCBA rather than unilaterally changing procedures or involving clients' families.
RBT RBT Professional Conduct and Ethics 5
An RBT's supervising BCBA is frequently unavailable and rarely provides supervision.
What should the RBT do?