I’m an RBT and I’ve been having some weird supervision sessions lately. My BCBA has been hopping on our supervision calls while they are driving their kids around or with other random people in the car who aren't part of the case/company.
I’m really uncomfortable with this because we are talking about specific client programs, behavioral data, and she will always tell me “yea ask me in the chat.” which is annoying AF because I shouldn’t have to do this!!
It feels like a massive violation of the BACB Ethics Code regarding professional boundaries and client privacy.
Beyond the privacy aspect, the quality of supervision is basically non-existent. It is impossible for them to provide meaningful clinical feedback or observe my implementation of protocols when they are focused on traffic, checking mirrors, or managing kids in the backseat. I feel like I'm not getting the professional development I need, and the client isn't getting the oversight they deserve.
So this was happening every supervision and she will also do parent training sometimes with my phone on the same call, so I had to give my phone to the caregiver.
Fast forward to today, the caregiver ended up cancelling services because she didn’t like what programming I was implementing and told me to leave her house because I was being “aggressive” which I was definitely not. I responded to the caregiver by saying “I am sorry but I have not been able to implement therapy effectively because you have not allowed me to. I was not being aggressive and I will discuss this with the caregiver team. Good luck.” I got in trouble and put on a PDP because of this because it was my fault I “lost” a client. During the PDP meeting, they told me I also was over stepping the BCBA by implementing a toileting token chart without her permission. I told them she allowed me to and I have the conversation. I turned in the conversation photos and then met with my mentor and she said “I showed the photos to the BCBA and she said it wasn’t the token chart you overstepped, it was telling the caregiver to stand in the bathroom with the client to make sure she voided in the toilet.” I said “Oh wow. I never said that. I am shocked. I told the caregiver to stand outside the door because the BCBA agreed it was ok.” I am trying to find the notes from my session where I listed that she approved it because I know I did. During that meeting as well I told my mentor my supervision was inadequate because she was doing supervision while in the car with her kids, every single time. She would sometimes turn on her camera and I would see the kids, other times she would have her camera off and I could hear them, and other times she was muted with the camera off and I would as a question and she would say “oh what sorry say that again? Actually just text me.” This was really hard because I needed guidance on the session and she was just ignoring the session or not answering. Also I want to note that she would be doing errands while in supervision. There was a lot going on.
Her programming also sucked, but just ALWAYS asked questions and made note of everything.
Not only was she doing all of this, she would often ask me to pass the phone to Doria while on supervision so she could do parent training.
I told my mentor all of this and am SO confused about how I am the one in trouble, but the BCBAhas been unethical and violating HIPPA. They may be reprimanding her but no clue. She is friends also with the COO. I’m getting a taste of this industry and seeing in a different way and now I’m scared.