Multicultural alliance of behavior analysis standards for cultural competence in behavior analysis.

Abstract

Standards for Cultural Competence in Behavior Analysis Practice are based on the need interpreted by the Multicultural Alliance for Behavior Analysis, which believes that socially responsible Behavior Analysts, and those in study of Behavior Analysis, have the ethical responsibility to be culturally competent clinicians. material that follows is the first attempt by the profession to delineate standards for culturally competent behavior analysis practice. There are currently 12,118 certificants from 57 different counties registered with the Behavior Analysis Certification Board (BACB) (BACB, personal communication, March 7, 2013). In addition, the United States Census bureau projects there will be significant increases in racial and ethnic diversity over the next four decades, in part due to international migration (Guarneri & Ortman, 2009). Paralleling this growth, Behavior analysts will be called to serve an increasingly heterogeneous population. Ensuring that this diverse population obtains the level of care necessary, delivered in a culturally sensitive fashion, will be a challenge behavior analysts and health systems, and policy makers (Branch & Fraser, 2000) Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) has a diversity policy, in which they support diversity. It states: The Association for Behavior Analysis International seeks to be an organization comprised of people of different ages, races, nationalities, ethnic groups, sexual orientations, genders, classes, religions, abilities, and educational levels. ABAI opposes unfair (Diversity Policy, 2012). Similarly, the BACB, has outlined Guidelines for responsible conduct which includes: 1.02 Competence (a) Behavior analysts provide services, teach, and conduct research only within the boundaries of their competence, based on their education, training, supervised experience, or appropriate professional experience. (b) Behavior analysts provide services, teach, or conduct research in new areas or involving new techniques only after first undertaking appropriate study, training, supervision, and/or consultation from persons who are competent in those areas or techniques. 1.05 Professional and Scientific Relationships (b) When behavior analysts provide assessment, evaluation, treatment, counseling, supervision, teaching, consultation, research, or other behavior analytic services to an individual, a group, or an organization, they use language that is fully understandable to the recipient of those services. They provide appropriate information prior to service delivery about the nature of such services and appropriate information later about results and conclusions. (c) Where differences of age, gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, language, or socioeconomic status significantly affect behavior analysts' work concerning particular individuals or groups, behavior analysts obtain the training, experience, consultation, or supervision necessary to ensure the competence of their services, or they make appropriate referrals. (d) In their work-related activities, behavior analysts do not engage in discrimination against individuals or groups based on age, gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic status, or any basis proscribed by law. (e) Behavior analysts do not knowingly engage in behavior that is harassing or demeaning to persons with whom they interact in their work based on factors such as those persons' age, gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, language, or socioeconomic status, in accordance with law. Standards for Cultural Competence in Behavior Analysts aims to provide a framework for Behavior Analysts to work within a heterogeneous population (see appendix a) * Definition: Culture In Beyond Freedom and Dignity, Skinner offered a simple behaviorist definition of culture: social environment is what is called culture. …