This book provides students and newly minted behavior analysts with general philosophical principles and core ethical standards that can be used to inform their approach to real-life scenarios and challenges as an Ethical Behavior Analyst.
The Ethical Behavior Analyst addresses the challenge of balancing ethical behavior analysis with business operations. It guides clinicians through various aspects of running a behavior analysis company, from client admission to service conclusion, emphasizing individualized, ethical treatment that prioritizes clients' interests. Readers will learn about client and supervisee management, business operations, ethical decision-making, finding employers, providing quality customer service, supporting supervisees' professional development, and implementing ethical billing practices. Each chapter offers practical guidance for maintaining ethical standards while navigating the business aspects of behavior analysis in today's profit-driven treatment environment.
Graduate students studying ethics, professional issues, and behavior analysis on psychology courses will find this resource invaluable, as well as newly certified clinicians, supervisors who oversee registered behavior technicians, and employers looking to integrate an ethical core to their business practice.
Table of Contents:
Introduction Part I: Ethical Practice 1. The Philosophy of the Ethical Behavior Analyst 2. Treatment Issues from an Ethical Perspective 3. Care and Ethical Management of Clients 4. Supervision of Future BCBAs 5. Client-Centered versus Profit-Motivated 6. Finding an Ethical Employer Part II: Ethical Business 7. Operating Your Own Ethical Business 8. Developing and Managing Employees 9. Ethical Employment 10. Epilogue
About the Author :
Zachary A. Stevens, MS, LBA, BCBA, is the owner of Practical Behavior Analysis, LLC, a provider of Applied Behavior Analysis therapy and consultation. He is an executive committee member of the Tennessee Association for Behavior Analysis.
Jon S. Bailey, PhD, BCBA-D, is retired Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Florida State University, and has taught graduate courses for behavior analysts for over 50 years.
Mary R. Burch, PhD, BCBA-D, is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst®. Dr. Burch has more than 25 years of experience in developmental disabilities. She has been a behavior specialist, QMRP, unit director, and consulting behavior analyst in developmental disabilities, mental health, and preschool settings.
Review :
"I have been in practice for more than 40 years and I'm aware of no document, manual, or book pertaining to APA ethical principles that comes even close to how thorough, practical, and apprehensible this book is for practicing behavior analysts. Going forward when faced with an ethical issue, I am much more likely to consult this book than something produced in my own neck of the professional woods. In addition to using the book for ethical guidance, it is no exaggeration to say one could use it as a blueprint for constructing a practice in any area of fee for service applied psychology."
Patrick Friman, PhD, ABPP, vice president of behavioral health, Boys Town, clinical professor of pediatrics, UNMC
"The Ethical Behavior Analyst is a defining guide for our field. It calls us to move beyond procedure and embody the values that make behavior analysis deeply human and effective. The authors remind us that ethical practice begins where awareness, integrity, and intention meet. This book grounds us in purpose and equips behavior analysts with the clarity and commitment to practice from principle, not pressure. It is a timely and transformative contribution to the future of our profession."
Nasiah Cirincione Ulezi, EdD, BCBA, CEO and founder, ULEZI, LLC
"The Ethical Behavior Analyst provides clinicians with invaluable instruction and guidance on how to engage in effective, ethical decision-making when faced with challenges that are common in today’s rapidly changing field. The authors go well beyond mere discussion of compliance with the ethics code by providing readers with practical examples to help foster ethical reasoning that is grounded in the values of our science."
Dorothea C. Lerman, PhD, BCBA-D, LBA, professor of behavior analysis, chair, Behavior Analysis Program, director, Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, University of Houston, Clear Lake
