Accurately Documenting Your Supervised Fieldwork Hours
Sep 8, 2024
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Documenting your supervised fieldwork hours is an essential part of a trainee’s journey in becoming a Behaviour Analyst. It’s not just a matter of tracking time, but a process that helps build critical skills and ensures compliance with the certification guidelines. Here’s why documenting hours is important, how to approach it, and what can be gained from mastering this practice.
Why Is Documenting Hours Important?
At the outset of supervision, accurately documenting hours helps trainees discriminate between different types of experiences and activities. Trainees need to be clear about which activities count as restricted or unrestricted hours, and which are acceptable under the certification guidelines. Proper documentation ensures that the variety of tasks undertaken—such as direct client work, collaboration with other professionals, and participation in training—are tracked in accordance with the Behaviour Analyst Certification Board (BACB) guidelines ethical standards, and the Australian Professional and Ethical Compliance Code for Behaviour Analysts.
Skills Developed Through Documenting Hours
Documenting hours goes beyond simply tracking time. It helps trainees:
Discriminate between restricted and unrestricted activities, which is vital to understanding the scope of behaviour analytic practice.
Develop precision and accountability by ensuring documentation is both accurate and consistent with certification standards.
Increase self-awareness of how daily tasks align with long-term professional goals, steering their development as behaviour analysts.
Steps to Document Hours Correctly
Proper documentation starts with understanding the types of hours that need to be tracked. Key steps include:
Select a Documentation System: Choose a system for tracking hours that ensures accuracy and consistency. Whether using Excel, Ripley Fieldwork Tracker, CentralReach, or another platform, the system must be methodical and organised.
Identify Relevant Activities: Trainees should review their responsibilities to determine which tasks can count toward fieldwork hours.
Log Hours Consistently: It’s important that each entry aligns with the guidelines, including understanding whether the activity is restricted or unrestricted, fieldwork type, duration and short summary of supervision activity.
Submit Documentation for Review: Monthly, trainees should submit their Unique Documentation System (UDS) entries and Monthly Verification Forms (MVF) for supervisor review to ensure accuracy and completeness. It’s essential to submit the Monthly Verification Form (MVF) on time, ensuring it matches the UDS.
The Supervisor’s Role in Documentation
Supervisors play a key role in guiding trainees through this process. They assist by:
Helping to select an appropriate system for documentation the requirements.
Reviewing activities to ensure they can count toward fieldwork hours and suggesting modifications or new activities that align with behaviour analytic practice.
Providing feedback on documentation and ensuring alignment with the BCBA Handbook and 6th Edition Test Content Outline, and the Australian Professional and Ethical Compliance Code for Behaviour Analysts and Australian Behaviour Analyst Supervision Standards.
Resources to help with Documentation
BCBA Handbook
ABAA Behaviour Analyst Supervision Standards
BACB Commonly Asked Questions about BACB Supervised Fieldwork Requirements
https://www.bacb.com/faqs-supervised-fieldwork-requirements/
BCBA Documenting Fieldwork FAQ and video https://www.bacb.com/documenting-fieldwork-helpful-answers-to-your-faqs/
Conclusion
Documenting hours is a vital aspect of becoming a Behaviour Analyst, not just for compliance but for personal and professional growth. By tracking hours correctly, trainees can build critical skills, stay aligned with Behaviour Analyst standards, and set themselves up for long-term success in the field of behaviour analysis.
