F.7 Multiple relationships
A multiple relationship is a mixing of two or more of an RBT's roles, such as professional and personal, with a client, stakeholder, supervisor or coworker, or someone close to the client. RBTs avoid them because they can create conflicts of interest and risk harm to the client. When one develops or cannot be avoided, the RBT tells the supervisor right away, works to resolve or manage it, and documents those steps.
What the outline says
Task F.7 in content area F, Ethics (11 of the 75 scored questions): "Identify types of and risks associated with multiple relationships, and how to mitigate those risks when they are unavoidable."
What a multiple relationship is
The RBT Ethics Code defines a multiple relationship as a mixing of two or more of an RBT's roles with a client, a stakeholder, a supervisor, a coworker, or someone closely associated with or related to the client. Stakeholders include parents, caregivers, relatives, legal representatives, collaborators and funders.
The key word is roles. Working with a client at home and at school, co-treating with a speech therapist, or receiving feedback from your supervisor in a group meeting are all part of one professional role. A multiple relationship exists when a second kind of relationship is added, for example:
- Family: providing services to a relative's child.
- Friendship or social: becoming friends with a caregiver, connecting on personal social media, attending a family party as a guest.
- Business or employment: babysitting for a client's family, buying a car from a parent, renting from your supervisor, hiring a client at your family's business, working as your supervisor's nanny.
- Professional favors: asking a parent who is a lawyer, accountant or stylist for free or paid services.
- Romantic or sexual relationships, which have their own specific rules (below).
Why multiple relationships are risky
The code defines a conflict of interest as an incompatibility between an RBT's private and professional interests that creates a risk to services or to a professional relationship. Personal, financial or professional considerations might then influence professional judgment.
Common risks include:
- Loss of objectivity. An RBT who is friends with a parent, or whose client's parent is a coworker, may hesitate to report poor progress or problems.
- Confidentiality breaches. Personal settings make it easy to slip into talking about services.
- Blurred boundaries. Families may expect favors, extra time or different treatment, and the RBT may feel unable to say no.
- Pressure in supervision. If you work for or live with your supervisor, it is harder to raise concerns or receive objective feedback.
- Harm to the client. Ultimately, any of these can affect the quality and continuity of services.
What the code requires
Standard 1.10 says RBTs avoid multiple relationships with clients, coworkers and supervisors. If an RBT finds that one has developed, they:
- immediately inform their supervisor;
- work to resolve it; and
- document these actions.
If the multiple relationship involves the supervisor, for example the supervisor is also your roommate or landlord, report it to the supervisor's manager or another appropriate entity, such as human resources or the BACB, and document that communication.
Related standards fill in the details. Standard 1.04 says RBTs are never employers of their supervisor. The only exception is that an RBT who is also a trainee may separately contract for fieldwork supervision toward BCaBA or BCBA certification. Standard 1.11 limits gifts because gift exchange can lead to conflicts of interest and multiple relationships (see F.8).
Romantic and sexual relationships
Standard 1.12 sets specific time rules:
- Current clients, stakeholders and supervisors: never.
- Former clients or stakeholders: not for at least two years from the date the professional relationship ended.
- Former supervisors: not until the parties can document that the professional relationship has ended, meaning all professional duties are complete.
- Receiving supervision from a past romantic or sexual partner: not until at least six months after that relationship ended.
Keep the numbers straight: two years applies to former clients and stakeholders, and six months applies to receiving supervision from a former partner. A supervisor's approval does not shorten either period.
When the relationship cannot be avoided
Some overlaps are hard to avoid, especially in small towns or close communities. The RBT's child may be in the same class as a client, or the RBT and a family may attend the same place of worship. The 40-hour curriculum asks RBTs to know how to mitigate the risks in these cases. The goal of every step is to reduce the risk of harm and conflicts of interest for the client:
- Tell your supervisor as soon as you know about the overlap, ideally before services begin, so the agency can reassign the case or plan safeguards.
- Document the situation and the steps taken.
- Keep roles separate. Do not discuss services, progress or scheduling in personal settings.
- Protect confidentiality in public. If someone asks how you know the family, give a polite answer that does not mention services.
- Avoid adding to the relationship with favors, gifts, unbilled sessions or social plans.
- Follow the supervisor's direction on any further steps, such as increased oversight or reassignment.
Abruptly dropping a client is not the answer. Ending services without planning can itself harm the client, so resolution is worked out with the supervisor.
Examples and non-examples
| Example | Non-example |
|---|---|
| A parent asks the RBT to babysit on weekends. The RBT politely declines and tells the supervisor about the request. | The RBT agrees to babysit because no ABA procedures will be used during babysitting. |
| An RBT learns their cousin's child has been referred to the agency and tells the supervisor before services start. | The RBT takes the case and keeps the family tie private, reasoning that knowing the family will build rapport. |
| An RBT whose former partner is assigned as their supervisor four months after the breakup asks for a different supervisor. | The RBT accepts the supervision because both promise to keep it professional. |
Common mistakes
- Thinking a relationship is fine because it happens outside work hours. A paid job, friendship or business deal with a client's family is still a second role.
- Reporting a multiple relationship that involves the supervisor only to that supervisor. The code directs it to the supervisor's manager or another appropriate entity.
- Mixing up the time rules: two years for former clients and stakeholders, six months before receiving supervision from a former partner, documented end of the relationship for former supervisors.
- Telling the supervisor but not documenting. The code asks for both.
- Assuming a self-report to the BACB is the required step. For a multiple relationship, the code's steps are informing the supervisor, working to resolve it and documenting.
How it's tested
Questions usually describe a situation and ask whether it is a multiple relationship, what the risk is, or what the RBT should do. The correct action almost always includes telling the supervisor promptly and documenting, or, if the supervisor is involved, going to the supervisor's manager or human resources. Expect distractors that make the second role sound harmless ("no ABA is used," "it's on the weekend," "the supervisor approved it") and numeric traps on the two-year and six-month rules.
Practice questions for task F.7
10 of our 23 questions on this task. The rest are in the Ethics practice sets and the mock exams.
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Question 1Why does the RBT Ethics Code direct RBTs to avoid multiple relationships?
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D: They can cause conflicts of interest and harm to clients. Mixing roles can create conflicts of interest, cloud the RBT's objectivity and put the client at risk of harm. That is why the code tells RBTs to avoid them and to act quickly when one develops.
- A: Multiple relationships are not on the list of events that must be self-reported; the code asks RBTs to tell their supervisor.
- B: The code does not tie recertification to multiple relationships; the concern is harm to the client.
- C: Personal, family and social relationships can create conflicts even when no money is involved.
Task F.7 · RBT Ethics Code 1.10 · 40-hour curriculum section G
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Question 2An RBT learns that their cousin's child has been referred to the agency and may be assigned to them. What should the RBT do?
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B: Tell the supervisor about the relationship before services start. Providing services to a relative's child mixes family and professional roles. Raising it with the supervisor before services begin lets the agency assign someone else or manage the risk, and the RBT documents that communication.
- A: Familiarity does not outweigh the risk that the family tie affects objectivity and the client's care.
- C: Hiding the relationship prevents the supervisor from managing the risk.
- D: Steering the family's choice is not the RBT's role; the supervisor needs to know so the agency can decide.
Task F.7 · RBT Ethics Code 1.10 · 40-hour curriculum section G
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Question 3A client's parent asks the RBT to babysit the client and their siblings on weekends for extra pay. What should the RBT do?
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C: Politely decline and let the supervisor know about the request. Working for the client's family in a second, private role is a multiple relationship that can affect objectivity and the client's services. The RBT declines and tells the supervisor so the request is on record.
- A: Babysitting adds a paid personal role with the family whatever is done during it.
- B: Billing babysitting as services would be inaccurate, and the second role would remain.
- D: A paid job with a client's family is not purely personal behavior; it mixes roles with the client.
Task F.7 · RBT Ethics Code 1.10 · 40-hour curriculum section G
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Question 4According to the RBT Ethics Code, what must an RBT do on finding that a multiple relationship has developed?
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B: Tell the supervisor at once, work to resolve it, and document it. The code lists three actions: immediately inform the supervisor, work to resolve the relationship, and document what was done. Resolution may include reassignment, but that decision is made with the supervisor.
- A: The self-reporting list covers events such as legal charges and investigations, not this; the code sends this to the supervisor.
- C: The code says to inform the supervisor immediately, not months later.
- D: Abruptly stopping services can harm the client; the code asks the RBT to work with the supervisor to resolve it.
Task F.7 · RBT Ethics Code 1.10
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Question 5Services with a client ended eight months ago. The client's single parent asks the RBT out on a date. What does the RBT Ethics Code require?
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A: Decline; at least two years must pass after services end. RBTs do not have romantic or sexual relationships with former clients or stakeholders, such as a client's parent, for at least two years from the date the professional relationship ended.
- B: Ending services does not end the restriction; the code sets a minimum waiting period.
- C: Six months is the rule for receiving supervision from a former partner, not for former clients or stakeholders.
- D: A supervisor cannot waive the two-year minimum in the code.
Task F.7 · RBT Ethics Code 1.12
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Question 6An RBT's romantic relationship with a BCBA ended four months ago. At the RBT's new job, that BCBA is assigned as their RBT Supervisor. What should the RBT do?
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D: Decline their supervision until six months have passed. RBTs do not receive supervision from someone they had a romantic or sexual relationship with until at least six months after it ended. The RBT should raise this so another supervisor can be assigned.
- A: The code sets a waiting period even after the relationship ends.
- B: Good intentions do not replace the waiting period in the code.
- C: Two years is the rule for former clients and stakeholders; for supervision it is six months.
Task F.7 · RBT Ethics Code 1.12
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Question 7Which of these is an example of a multiple relationship?
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B: An RBT buys a used car from a client's parent. Buying from or selling to a client's family adds a business relationship to the professional one. The other examples are all part of the RBT's ordinary professional role.
- A: Training from a supervisor is part of the same professional relationship.
- C: Different settings do not create a second role.
- D: Collaborating with another provider is a professional activity, not a second role.
Task F.7 · RBT Ethics Code 1.10
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Question 8An RBT and a client's family attend the same place of worship. After a service, another member asks how the RBT knows the family. What should the RBT do?
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B: Give a polite answer that does not mention services. When roles overlap in the community, the RBT protects confidentiality and keeps service matters out of personal settings. Even the fact that a family receives services is not shared.
- A: Whether a person receives services is confidential information.
- C: This confirms the child receives services and shares information about their progress.
- D: This discloses confidential information about the client in public.
Task F.7 · RBT Ethics Code 1.10 · RBT Ethics Code 2.08 · 40-hour curriculum section G
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Question 9As defined in the RBT Ethics Code, a conflict of interest is best described as:
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B: a clash of private and professional interests that risks services. A conflict of interest is an incompatibility between an RBT's private and professional interests that creates risk to services or to a professional relationship. Personal, financial or professional considerations might then influence the RBT's judgment.
- A: Professional disagreements are handled with the supervisor; they are not conflicts of interest.
- C: Differing goals are a clinical matter for the supervisor, not a private interest of the RBT.
- D: A scheduling clash is a logistics problem, not a conflict between private and professional interests.
Task F.7 · RBT Ethics Code 1.10
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Question 10A client's family invites the RBT to the child's birthday party as a guest. What should the RBT do?
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C: Thank them and check with the supervisor first. A social invitation can start a personal relationship with the family. RBTs seek their supervisor's support when applying the ethics code, so the RBT checks with the supervisor before accepting or declining.
- A: A gift worth more than $10 breaks the gift standard and adds to the personal relationship.
- B: Attending as a guest while providing unplanned services mixes roles further.
- D: Attending outside work hours does not remove the personal role, and the supervisor should know.
Task F.7 · RBT Ethics Code 1.10 · RBT Ethics Code 1.11
Answer every question to see your score.
Related ethics code standards
- 1.04 Never the employer of your supervisor: An RBT can never be the employer of their own supervisor. The code makes one allowance: an RBT who is also a trainee, earning supervised fieldwork toward BCBA or BCaBA certification, may separately contract for that fieldwork supervision.
- 1.10 Multiple relationships: RBTs avoid mixing their professional role with another relationship, such as friend, relative or business partner, with clients, coworkers or supervisors. If a multiple relationship develops, they tell their supervisor right away, work to resolve it and document it; if it involves the supervisor, they report it to the supervisor's manager or another appropriate body.
- 1.12 Romantic and sexual relationships: RBTs do not have romantic or sexual relationships with current clients, stakeholders or supervisors. The code also sets waiting periods for former clients and stakeholders (at least two years), for former supervisors (until the end of the professional relationship is documented) and for being supervised by a former partner (at least six months).
Key terms
| Multiple relationship | A mixing of two or more of an RBT's roles, such as professional and personal, with a client, stakeholder, supervisor, coworker or someone closely connected to a client. |
|---|---|
| Conflict of interest | An incompatibility between an RBT's private and professional interests that creates risk to services or professional relationships, because personal considerations might influence professional judgment. |
| Confidentiality | The obligation to protect information about clients and others from being shared except with authorized people, for valid reasons, as allowed by law, the BACB and the employer. |