Rita Gardner – Ensuring Organizational Ethics: Another Case for Organizational Behavior Management

Abstract:

Behavior Analysts often operate in the context of larger settings that may include many other professions. The BACB’s code of Professional and Ethical Compliance Code for Behavior Analysts requires under 1.0 (Responsible Conduct of Behavior Analysts) that behavior analysts maintain the high standards of behavior of the profession. Furthermore, the code specifies in section 1.01 that there is a Reliance on Scientific Knowledge. (Behavior analysts rely on professionally derived knowledge based on science and behavior analysis when making scientific or professional judgments in human service provision, or when engaging in scholarly or professional endeavors). Ensuring that organizational systems are set up to promote compliance with the BACB ethics code may be a challenge when individuals in positions of Leadership in Human Service Organizations (HSO’s) are often not credentialed in the field of Behavior Analysis. We are seeing a rapid growth in organizations who claim to be Applied Behavior Analytic Providers, including those funded through Private Equity, whose goals may or may not be value based, and may be strictly monetary. It is critical for organizations to maintain a commitment to our ethical guidelines, and to create systems that ensure a professional work environment for all employees that maintains compliance with the BACB’s ethical codes.  The goal of this presentation is to review how the code of ethics should inform the development of any ABA organizations’ operational systems.