RBT supervision requirements

The monthly minimum

• Amount: at least 5% of the hours you spend providing behavior-analytic services in each calendar month. Work it out with the supervision hours calculator.
• Contacts: at least two face-to-face, real-time contacts per month. Phone calls and emails don't count; video conferencing does.
• Individual contact: at least one of the two must be individual, with no other RBTs or trainees present. The other can be a small group.
• Observation: your supervisor must observe you providing services in at least one of the monthly contacts. In person is preferred, but a live video observation is allowed. Video monitoring alone, without real-time interaction or feedback, may not count.

Small groups are interactive meetings of 2 to 10 RBTs with similar experiences, never more than 10 however many supervisors attend. If non-RBTs are there, their participation should be limited so the RBTs can take part.

What supervision includes

Supervision may include setting performance expectations; observing, behavioral skills training and performance feedback; modeling technical, professional and ethical behavior; guiding problem-solving and ethical decision-making; reviewing written materials such as progress notes and data sheets; overseeing the effects of your services; and evaluating the supervision itself. It must be client-focused, and it's separate from professional development: one event can't count as both.

Who can supervise

• RBT Supervisor: a BCBA or BCaBA, responsible for all the services you provide under their supervision.
• RBT Requirements Coordinator: a BCBA who coordinates supervision when you have more than one supervisor at an organization and makes sure every requirement is met each month. They may also supervise. You can have only one per organization.
• Both must complete training based on the Supervisor Training Curriculum Outline (2.0) before supervising.
• You may not be related to, superior to, an employer of, or in a multiple relationship with your supervisor. Paying for supervision doesn't make you their employer. (Standard 1.04 of the RBT Ethics Code: RBTs are never employers of their supervisor.)
• Your supervisor must have enough client-specific knowledge to direct your work: usually they work for the same organization or have a contract covering your clients. You need a supervisor for every client you work with.

More than one employer

You must meet the requirements at each organization separately. You can't have 3% at one agency and 2% at another.

Being listed with the BACB

Your certification is only active while a supervisor is on record. Without a Requirements Coordinator, every RBT Supervisor who supervises you must list you as a supervisee in their BACB account; with one, only the coordinator must. When a supervisory relationship ends, the supervisor updates their account. If you have no supervisor on record, your certification is inactive and you can't practice, bill or present yourself as an RBT.

Records

You and your supervisor must keep documentation showing the requirements were met, for at least 7 years, even after the relationship ends:

• the days and times you provided services;
• the dates and length of supervision;
• the format (individual or group);
• the dates you were observed with a client;
• the names of the supervisors;
• proof of the supervisor's relationship to the client;
• other documents such as session notes if records conflict.

The BACB can audit current and former RBTs and supervisors at any time. An RBT found substantially noncompliant can have their certification terminated and can't reapply for six months.

When you're not practicing

If you aren't providing services, you don't need monthly supervision, but the other maintenance requirements still apply. For a long break, consider voluntary inactive status. If you find you haven't met the requirements, self-report it to the BACB and talk to your supervisor about fixing it.

Common questions

How many supervision hours does an RBT need?

At least 5% of the hours you spend providing behavior-analytic services each calendar month. For 100 hours of services, that's at least 5 hours of supervision.

Can RBT supervision be done online?

Yes. Contacts must be face-to-face and in real time, but they can be by web camera or video conference (not phone or email). In-person observation is preferred, and internet-based supervision must follow applicable laws.

Can an RBT be supervised by another RBT?

No. RBT Supervisors must be BCBAs or BCaBAs, and RBT Requirements Coordinators must be BCBAs.