Covid-19 Information
A New Way To Succeed
SBSLG is committed to supporting our students and their families while doing our very best to protect the health and safety of our staff, our students and all our families. We are using our past experience and our professional skills to adapt in order to continue to provide high-quality evidence-based learning opportunities while continuing to respect the impact of COVID-19. We are excited to be using online technology to continue to connect, support, assess and teach. With the unprecedented disruption of services due to COVID-19 we are introducing the new
SBSLG Telepractice Service Model
Ethics of Service
In response to the current crisis, the BACB has issued Ethical Guidance for ABA Providers During COVID-19 Pandemic (https://www.bacb.com/bacb-covid-19-updates/). That guidance highlights key components of the Code that are particularly salient to ethical decision-making during the pandemic:
- Section 2.0
Behavior analysts have a responsibility to operate in the best interest of clients.
- Section 2.04(d)
Behavior analysts put the client’s care above all others.
- Section 1.04(d)
Behavior analysts’ behavior conforms to the legal and ethical codes of the social and professional community of which they are members.
- Section 4.07(b)
If environmental conditions hinder implementation of the behavior-change program, behavior analysts seek to eliminate the environmental constraints, or identify in writing the obstacles to doing so.
- Section 2.15
Interrupting or Discontinuing Services
(a) Behavior analysts act in the best interests of the client and supervisee to avoid interruption or disruption of service.
(b) Behavior analysts make reasonable and timely efforts for facilitating the continuation of behavior-analytic services in the event of unplanned interruptions (e.g., due to illness, impairment, unavailability, relocation, disruption of funding, disaster).
The following sections of the Code are also particularly relevant:
- Section 1.01
Behavior analysts rely on professionally derived knowledge based on science and behavior analysis when making scientific or professional judgments in human service provision…
- Section 1.02
Boundaries of Competence o (a) All behavior analysts provide services… only within the boundaries of their competence, defined as being commensurate with their education, training, and supervised experience. o (b) Behavior analysts provide services…in new areas (e.g., populations, techniques, behaviors) only after first undertaking appropriate study, training, supervision, and/or consultation from persons who are competent in those areas.
- Section 2.06
Maintaining Confidentiality o (a) Behavior analysts have a primary obligation and take reasonable precautions to protect the confidentiality of those with whom they work or consult…
- Section 3.03(a)
Behavior analysts must obtain the client’s written approval of the assessment procedures before implementing them.
- Section 4.02
Behavior analysts involve the client in the planning of and consent for behavior-change programs.
Recommendations for decision-making during the COVID-19 emergency in light of the profession’s standards include:
- Comply with emergency orders and regulations issued by governmental entities in the location(s) where services are provided (see section I. Determining if ABA services are “essential”).
- If the applicable government order makes it optional for you to continue in-person services, then for each client, evaluate the likely harms of continuing services as they are vs. delivering services via telepractice vs. stopping services altogether (see the BACB’s Ethical Guidance).
- If the decision is made to deliver some or all services in person, implement virus mitigation and safety procedures recommended by the CDC and/or local public health authorities.
- If the decision is made to deliver some or all services via telepractice and that is allowed under applicable emergency orders or regulations, licensure laws/rules, and payer policies: