Standard 1.01: Honesty and following the rules
RBTs are truthful themselves and help keep their workplace a place where others are truthful too. They never push or encourage anyone toward fraud, illegal acts or unethical conduct, and they obey the law as well as the rules set by the BACB, their employer and their supervisor.
What it means in practice
Honesty covers everything an RBT produces or says at work: the data recorded in session, session notes, time sheets, billing entries, and what you tell caregivers and coworkers. A number written down from memory as if it had been recorded live, or a session time rounded up to match the schedule, is a false record even if the difference seems small.
The standard also asks you to support "truthful behavior in others". In practice that means you do not cover for a coworker's inaccurate notes, sign anything you know is wrong, or suggest shortcuts that would lead someone else to falsify a record. Asking a caregiver to sign a session log for a session that did not happen would lead them into the same fraud.
You follow the law and the requirements of your "professional community", which the code names as the BACB, your employer and your supervisor. If a rule is unclear, or two rules seem to conflict, take it to your supervisor. The code's introduction tells RBTs to put following the law and the client's interests first when working through an ethical problem.
If you suspect someone else of dishonest or unethical conduct, the code's introduction sets out the route: raise it with your supervisor first, document what you did, and if it is not resolved, report it to the appropriate authority, which includes the BACB for ethics code violations.
Scenarios
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| A coworker who left a home session 40 minutes early asks you to confirm to the office that they stayed the full two hours. | Decline. Confirming a time you know is false would make you part of a false billing record. Tell your supervisor what was asked, and write down the date, what was said and who was involved. |
| A caregiver asks you to write the full scheduled time on the session log because a shortened session "doesn't look good" to their insurer. | Record the actual start and end times. Explain kindly that you have to document sessions exactly as they happened, and let your supervisor know about the request so they can follow up with the family. |
| Your supervisor tells you to enter a cancelled session into the billing system as completed. | Do not enter it. Tell your supervisor you cannot record a session that did not happen and document the conversation. Because your supervisor is the person involved, if it is not resolved, take it to their manager or the organization's compliance contact, and report it to the BACB if it remains unresolved. |
Practice questions
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Question 1At the end of the day, an RBT realizes they forgot to collect data on one target during a clinic session. What should the RBT do?
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C: Tell the supervisor and document that no data were collected for that target. Data must reflect what was actually observed and recorded. A gap that is honestly documented is far less harmful than invented data, which is falsification and can mislead every decision made from the graph.
- A: Entering numbers that were never observed is falsifying data.
- B: Recollections from someone who was not recording are not session data and should not be presented as such.
- D: Copied data are not observations of that session and misrepresent it.
Task A.8 · RBT Ethics Code 2.02 · RBT Ethics Code 1.01
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Question 2An RBT is unsure how the RBT Ethics Code applies to a situation at work. Whom should they consult first?
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C: Their supervisor. The Ethics Code says RBTs seek support from their supervisor and other appropriate people in their workplace when interpreting the code and addressing ethical dilemmas.
- A: Posting about a client situation online can breach confidentiality and is not the code's guidance.
- B: Caregivers are not the right source for ethics guidance and may be involved in the situation.
- D: Discussing a workplace situation outside the organization can breach confidentiality.
Task E.2 · RBT Ethics Code 1.01 · 40-hour curriculum section F
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Question 3An RBT sees on a shared data sheet that a coworker recorded a full session of data for a client on a day the client was absent. What should the RBT do?
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C: Report it to the supervisor and document what they saw. Data recorded for a session that did not happen may be falsification. RBTs bring suspected violations to the supervisor first and document their actions.
- A: The code's first step is to bring it to the supervisor.
- B: Handling it privately leaves the supervisor unaware of possible falsification.
- D: Altering the record is not the RBT's role.
Task E.2 · RBT Ethics Code 1.01 · RBT Ethics Code 2.02
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Question 4A session was scheduled for 2 hours but lasted 1 hour 30 minutes. What should the session note show?
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D: The actual start and end times of the session. Session notes and billing records must reflect the services actually delivered. Recording more time than was delivered is inaccurate and can be fraudulent.
- A: An explanation does not correct a wrong time.
- B: Any time other than the actual time is inaccurate.
- C: Authorization does not make undelivered time billable.
Task E.4 · RBT Ethics Code 2.02 · RBT Ethics Code 1.01
Answer every question to see your score.
Where it sits in the code
Standard 1.01 is in section 1, General Responsibilities, of the RBT Ethics Code (2.0). On the exam it relates to task F.1 Core ethics principles. Read the official text for the exact wording.
Related standards: 2.02 Following direction, accurate implementation and documentation, 3.02 Honesty with the BACB and your supervisor, 1.05 Accurate claims about qualifications and services.