Starting off on the wrong foot with my new supervisor
For context: I’ve been working as a BT for 6 months and just got my RBT certification activated today. I am a college student, and I just started working full time this summer.
I added on a new client to my schedule. The BCBA reached out to me acknowledging that we will be working together, and sent me her phone number saying “call, text, email me at anytime”
With my first ever client, my other supervisor and I scheduled a time to call, and she told me about my client and gave me some info about her bsp, maladaptive, goals, personality, etc.. That was so helpful, and I figured it was standard procedure for my company (I didn’t know any better). It was great to learn a little bit about my client before starting- so I knew what I was getting into.
Anyway, I ask to schedule a call with my new supervisor. Today comes, and she calls me. It is important to note : I have been studying so much, managing several appointments for my health, taking and making phone calls for various reasons, scheduling and rescheduling appointments/meetings, taking my exam, working, etc. I’m feeling discombobulated 100%. At my company, anyone who has ever scheduled a call with me has called me at that time on the dot. I figured this was very intentional and a thing employees do at my company.
Anyway, my supervisor hadn’t called me and it had been 4 minutes, so I emailed asking if 3 was still a good time. Looking back I totally 1000% understand how it looks, but I am so burnt out it didn’t register for me in the moment. Anyway, she calls me around 3:06, and I joyfully say that it’s nice to finally connect and I just sent her an email. Anyway, she got really annoyed, and responded in such a way. The rest of our call was very unproductive. She spoke to me in a demeaning way in several occasions, spoke over me, etc. I was trying to learn more about my client, and she was bothered by it. I was not made aware that this was her first session with my client too, and that the existing program for my client is not up to date. So before the call, I looked at his program, so I could ask clarifying questions about the data collection. That did not land well, and she was annoyed, telling me I shouldn’t have looked. She definitely misunderstood me at several points- one of them being I mislabeled something by saying “I was looking at the data point” and instead of clarifying if I knew my mistake, she got really upset and told me I’m not supposed to do that (I am FULLY aware of that). I was hurt because in the 20mins we called I didn’t get to speak much, so I didn’t get to correct myself. I don’t remember her exact wording, but something she said implied my request to call was a waste of time (for lack of a better term).
I learned that she’s new. She’s clearly under a LOT of stress. If I was in her shoes, I would feel the same way. I do feel hurt after our conversation, but I feel sad that she is stressed and that’s probably why she acted in that way.
My first time meeting her in person will be tomorrow. Should I bring up our phone call? I sort of want to clarify some misunderstandings. I don’t want her to think I’m trying to do things out of my scope of practice (that I would NEVER do) or trying to “take control.” She was concerned that because I wanted to ask clarifying questions that I wanted to get involved in things I’m not supposed to.
Should I talk to her? I understand she’s stressed so I feel bad, but I was also spoken to unfairly- and I want to redeem myself.