Azaba Ethics Scenario Archive

Pro Bono Work

Ethics Scenario Archive
1. Approaching Former Adult Client
2. Medical Marijuana
3. Pro Bono Work
4. Supervision Has Multiple Relationships with Family Receiving Services
5. Parent Training Concerns
6. Parents Not Implementing Procedures
7. Soliciting Parent Testimonials
8. Retaliation Towards Mandated Reporting
9. Family Rejecting Safety Measures
10. Parental Collaboration
11. Hostile Work Enviornment
12. Creating Protocol to Prevent and Treat Trauma with Limited Functional Language
13. Parent ABA Practice Questions in OT & Speech
14. Potential Gifts From Clients on Social Media
15. Helping Close Relationships With ABA Tips
16. Parent Utilizing CBD & THC
17. Client Pre-Authorization Denied For Much Needed Services
18. Supervisee Slaps Child in School Setting
19. Changing Direction of Treatment from Previous BCBA
20. BCBA Subpoenaed in Family Court
21. Terminate Services Due To Parent Behavior
22. Parents Offering Token Items During Check Out/Transition
23. Family Doesn’t Want Details Released To Funding Source Without Permission
24. Resources for IRB Approval for Independent Researchers
25. Speech Therapist Refusing To Do PECS
26. BCBA Receives Cease & Desist
27. Unlicensed, Certified BCBA Provide Supervision
28. Rapid Prompting Method (RPM)
29. Parent as Witness to Accident
30. Website Testimonials
31. Student Using Social Media Inappropriately
32. Hiring Behavior Analyst Trainees at a School District
33. College Recommendation Letter for Client
34. Connecting Families That Are Clients
35. Employer Requiring Same Number of ABA Hours for All New Clients from New BCaBA
36. Do we have any ethical guidelines regarding shared work spaces among two companies that provide similar ABA services in a private property?
37. Client Assessment & Discontinuation
38. Caseload Concerns
39. Naptime
40. Systemic Supervision Concern – Clients & RBTs
41. BCBA’s Performing Diagnostics
42. Self-Reporting DUI to BACB
43. Multiple Relationship with RBT
44. Refusal to Provide Documentation
45. Telehealth Supervision
46. Role of a Lead RBT
47. Urgent – Unsupervised RBT
48. Clinic Owner Requesting Services
49. Inadequate Case Supervision
50. Language Barrier to Services
51. Withholding Fieldwork Hours
52. Reportable Trainee Behavior
53. Treating Others with Compassion, Dignity, and Respect
54. RBT Self-Reporting DUI

Scenario

Dear Ethics Committee: I am an ABA student preparing for the BCBA exam. I have a question about pro bono limitations. I read in the code 2.13 about fees and financial arrangements. But in many references to this code, people will say that the relationship must be “remunerative.” Does this mean that pro bono work is discouraged? Many other professionals (i.e. some medical doctors I know) regularly provide a portion of their time to people on a pro bono basis. May a BCBA do this, provided that the relationship is spelled out clearly, and the other standards of the profession are withheld? That is, if we treat the client and others with the same high standards and in the same manner as paying customers, may we also do some pro bono work? I don’t see this addressed in high profile ABA contexts.

Response

  • I found that the bacb defines a behavior analyst as some one who does work for pay too, but it doesn’t specifically state not to do pro bono. I also found a presentation that states that the word remuneration needs to be taken out. I have, as most of us have, done presentations and talks, as a BCBA, for free. I don’t think the bacb wrote that part of the code to avoid pro bono, and it was just not thought about.

 

  • I wonder if they mean 2.12? In either case, I don’t see anywhere that suggests that one must avoid pro-bono work. My position is that so long as the pro bono work is clearly outlined and provided through a clearly defined contract the same as a remunerative relationship (with all of the same provisions and protections in place) a BCBA should be in good shape. I’ve done and continue to do pro bono work.

 

  • Define the relationship just as you would any other, and execute the BCBA part of the job just as you would with any other- the only difference being that the payment is $0.

 

  • I am not sure in which references to the code this was stated, but I have never interpreted any part of the code to mean pro bono would not be acceptable. I agree that how the relationship is defined is the key.

 

  • I had a couple of thoughts on this…The first is that, unless you’re an independent contractor, it implies that the pro bono work is beyond the workload and scope within your organization. Code 2.01 states that a behavior analyst should only accept clients that are commensurate with organizational policies. So, if you’ve signed a non-compete agreement, I can see a potential ethical issue, strictly based on that.My second thought is that the code doesn’t actually state “remuneration.” It says that the behavior analyst defines: the scope of their service, the roles of all parties and, specific compensation and billing arrangements. I would assume that if you wrote the details of the pro bono arrangement in that section, it would satisfy that guideline
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