Reference no: EM133875625

Question 

1. How did you reflect on the outcomes of your decisions in handling the situation with the parent?

2. In what ways could utilizing a Declaration of Professional Practices and Procedures help?

3. Which specific code standards guided your decisions in addressing the parent's behavior during sessions?

In scenario, 3.04, Managing Mom, the BCBA is aware that a possible conflict of interest may arise due to the mother treating the ABA time as an opportunity to vent about her personal life (Bailey & Burch, 2022). The BCBA wants to maintain a professional relationship to prevent a dual relationship from occurring with the mother. The BCBA attempted to make subtle cues to redirect the conversation back to discussing the client's progress but proved to be ineffective. By using my metacognitive skills along with applying the model for ethical decision marking, there are several pathways that I would consider if I were in the BCBA's shoes to find a solution in this situation.

Establishing a Declaration of Professional Practices and Procedures (DPPP) assists in maintaining certain standards that both the client and BCBA can hold in the therapeutic relationship (Bailey & Burch, 2022). Boundaries are established before the services start so that both the BCBA and the client or stakeholders know what to expect and can refer to when ethical dilemmas arise. In this situation, if the BCBA had established a DPPP before starting services, boundaries would have been discussed as well as what would happen if such boundaries were crossed. The BCBA could refer to the DPPP document to show the mother what both agreed to as the BCBA's responsibilities to the client and what role the BCBA has while providing services. In the DPPP, the ethical codes would outline what possible risks may occur when the codes are broken. The BCBA includes in the code of conduct section that the relationship between the BCBA and the client or stakeholders is strictly a professional one.

When reviewing the scenario, specific ethical codes came to mind to support my decisions in this scenario. Most evident is the risk of creating a multiple relationship between the mom and the BCBA which violates Code 1.11 (Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB), 2020). This becomes a problem due to what is stated in code 3.01 which highlights that the BCBA's ultimate responsibility is to the client by promising to do no harm. As demonstrated by code 3.02, the BCBA must identify what their obligation is to the mom at the beginning of the professional relationship. As 3.04 highlights, before any services are implemented, a service agreement must be signed with the stakeholder (mom) which states each responsibility of all parties involved. Here, the BCBA outlines what their responsibility is to the client and the stakeholder. Referring to the DPPP will help clarify any confusion about each role. The BCBA must handle this situation with empathy and compassion when addressing this issue. Using active listening can assist in this process where the mom feels understood and thus agrees to relay information that is only relevant to the client and their needs.

When reviewing solutions to this scenario, the BCBA meets with the mom outside of the ABA time to review the contract agreement to establish clear boundaries for both individuals, what each is responsible for, what the session times will look like, and if there continues to be conflict. The BCBA has a responsibility to document all the interactions made amongst both parties and seek advice from their colleagues on any further steps to take. If all other methods are exhausted, and the mom does not cooperate, possibly discontinuing the services might need to be considered (Code 3.14) (BACB, 2020).

When these ethical dilemmas arise where it may not be clear how to approach the situation, one can refer to the core principles that the BCBA should strive for to assure that the client's needs are met with dignity, compassion, respect, integrity, and competence (Kelly et al., 2021; BACB, 2020). One of the most important takeaways from this scenario is the need for established rules and boundaries before starting services. Using the DPPP is an essential tool that allows for each role to be established clearly. If a possible dual relationship is formed, immediate intervention is needed to not cause harm to the client and prevent any future dilemmas. It is important that through all of this, one should consider empathy towards the stakeholders as well as compassion when addressing the issue professionally.

Reflecting on my own metacognitive skills, I recognize that my own biases affect how I would respond to this scenario (Project Implicit, 2011). For example, it would be easier for me to relate to the mother given that we are both females. Recognizing that these biases are present allows me to be proactive when working with clients. Having that reminder that I may have a bias toward a certain population or idea allows me to reflect on what I can improve on. As per code 1.1.0 of the Ethics Code, it is the responsibility of BCBAs to be aware of any personal biases that may interfere with their professional work (BACB, 2020). Although empathy and compassion are important parts of being a BCBA, I could understand how this bias would make it easier to relate to the mom. The results of the personality test demonstrated that I strive to give stability and comfort (16 Personalities, 2011). I could see this happening when working with families. It is beneficial as motivation to help families; however, this could take a toll as a professional in whether the solution was the most effective for both the client and the mother. Another trait that could interfere is my inability to be confrontational about situations. Being introverted, I could understand why the BCBA made those subtle cues toward the mother in the beginning rather than telling her upfront. It would be difficult for me to voice my concerns initially. One of the positive traits that would be beneficial in this scenario is attempting to learn from this situation. I would use self-reflection on what personal factors may have contributed to this situation and seek different learning and adapting methods. Identifying these metacognitive skills makes it easier for one to evaluate their responses and how they affect the therapeutic relationship for the client and their stakeholders.