Skills Assessed: Professional Conduct and Ethics
1. Maintaining Boundaries
Your assessor will observe your interactions with the client and family to ensure you maintain professional boundaries. You must NOT engage in dual relationships, accept valuable gifts, or connect on social media.
Example: A client's parent offers you their personal phone number "so we can text about therapy." You say: "I can only communicate through official channels — please contact my BCBA supervisor." The assessor checks that you did not accept the personal contact and referred to your supervisor.
2. Dressing Professionally
Your assessor will evaluate your attire against the RBT dress code. You must arrive in business casual attire with closed-toe shoes, no revealing clothing, and no excessive jewelry or fragrances.
Example: You arrive wearing khaki pants, a collared shirt, closed-toe flats, hair tied back, no strong perfume. The assessor checks: business casual? Yes. Closed-toe shoes? Yes. Revealing clothing? No. Your appearance reflects professionalism and safety (no loose jewelry that clients could grab).
3. Communicating with Supervisor and Reporting Violations
You must communicate client progress, concerns, and incidents to your BCBA supervisor promptly. You must also report ethical violations (by yourself or others) to the BACB.
Example: You notice a coworker falsifying data sheets. You immediately report this to your BCBA supervisor and document the report. The assessor checks that you reported promptly, went to your supervisor, and did not try to "handle it yourself" or ignore the violation.
Supervisor Competency Checklist (Professional Conduct & Ethics)
Boundary Examples: What NOT to Do
No Social Media Contact: Do NOT accept friend/follow requests from clients or families on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, etc.
No Personal Phone Calls During Sessions: Your phone should be silenced and put away. Taking personal calls during therapy is unprofessional and a competency failure.
No Gifts Over $10: Decline valuable gifts (typically over $10). Small homemade items (cookies, a drawing) are generally acceptable. If unsure, ask your BCBA supervisor before accepting anything.
Dress Code: What to Wear as an RBT
Business Casual: Khaki/ dress pants, collared shirts, blouses, sweaters, closed-toe shoes. No jeans, no t-shirts with logos, no shorts.
Closed-Toe Shoes: Required for safety. Clients may drop items, spill liquids, or have elopement risks. Open-toe shoes are a safety hazard.
No Revealing Clothing: No low-cut tops, short skirts, tank tops, or tight clothing. Dress modestly and professionally at all times.
Additional Rules: No strong perfumes/colognes (clients may have sensory sensitivities). Hair tied back if long. No excessive jewelry (clients may grab earrings/necklaces). No acrylic nails (hygiene concern with clients).
Ethics Scenarios for Assessment
Scenario 1: Social Media Request
A client's parent sends you a Facebook friend request. You see it during your lunch break.
Correct Action: Decline the request. RBTs must NOT connect on social media with clients or their families. This violates the Professional Relationships section of the Ethics Code (dual relationship ban).
Scenario 2: Personal Phone During Session
Your phone rings during a session. It's a personal call from your friend. The client is working on a task.
Correct Action: Silence the phone and put it away without answering. Taking personal calls during therapy sessions is unprofessional and a competency failure. Your focus must be 100% on the client during paid session time.
Scenario 3: Valuable Gift Offer
A client's parent hands you a $50 gift card at the end of session as a "thank you" for your hard work.
Correct Action: Politely decline. Gifts over ~$10 are considered valuable and create a dual relationship. Say: "Thank you, but I cannot accept gifts over $10 per the RBT Ethics Code. I appreciate the thought!" Small homemade items are acceptable; cash/gift cards are not.
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