Code of Massachusetts Regulations
262 CMR - BOARD OF ALLIED MENTAL HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES PROFESSIONS
Title 262 CMR 10.00 - Requirements For Licensure As An Applied Behavior Analyst And Assistant Applied Behavior Analyst
Section 10.03 - Applied Behavior Analyst Application and Licensure
Universal Citation: 262 MA Code of Regs 262.10
Current through Register 1531, September 27, 2024
(1) Application.
(a) Application for licensure must be made in the manner prescribed by the Board and/or on forms furnished by the Board.
(b) No application shall be reviewed by the Board unless said application is made on forms which are furnished by the Board, and unless said application is completely and properly filled out in the manner prescribed by the Board, signed under the penalties of perjury, and accompanied by the prescribed application fee and such other information that the Board may require.
(2) Licensure as an Applied Behavioral Analyst. Pursuant to M.G.L. c. 112, § 165, in order to be licensed as an applied behavior analyst, an applicant for original license must demonstrate that he or she:
(a) is of good moral character;
(b) has not engaged or is not engaging in any practice or conduct which would be grounds for refusing to issue a license under M.G.L. 112, § 169;
(c) has successfully completed a Doctoral Degree Program or Master's Degree Program which meets the requirements under 262 CMR 10.03(3) or holds a doctoral or masters degree in another field of human services and meets the requirements under 262 CMR 10.03(4);
(d) has successfully completed a Practicum or Supervised Experience in the practice of behavior analysis which meets the requirements under 262 CMR 10.03(5); and
(e) has successfully completed the Board-approved examination(s).
(3) Acceptability of Doctoral and Master's Degree Programs.
(a) The Board will accept the following Doctoral Degree Programs:
1. For applicants who received their degree prior to January 1, 2015, a Doctoral Degree Program as defined under 262 CMR 10.02 which includes 60 graduate credit hours in the following content areas and for the number of graduate credit hours specified:
a. one graduate credit hour of ethical considerations;
b. three graduate credit hours of definition and characteristics and principles, processes, and concepts;
c. two graduate credit hours of behavioral assessment and selecting intervention outcomes and strategies;
d. one graduate credit hour of evaluation of interventions;
e. one graduate credit hour of measurement of behavior and displaying and interpreting behavior data;
f. three graduate credit hours of behavioral change procedures and systems support; and
g. 49 graduate credit hours of discretionary coursework related to the study of applied behavior analysis acceptable to the Board.
2. For applicants who received their degree on or after January 1, 2015, a Doctoral Degree Program as defined under 262 CMR 10.02 which includes 60 graduate credit hours in the following content areas and for the number of graduate credit hours specified:
a. three graduate credit hours of ethical and professional conduct;
b. three graduate credit hours of concepts and principles of behavior analysis;
c. three graduate credit hours of research methods in behavior analysis;
d. seven graduate credit hours of applied behavior analysis including:
i. three graduate credit hours of fundamental elements of behavior change and specific behavior change procedures;
ii. two graduate credit hours of Identification of the problem and assessment;
iii. two graduate credit hours consisting of intervention and behavior change considerations, behavior change systems, and implementation, management and supervision; and
d. 44 graduate credit hours of discretionary coursework related to the study of applied behavior analysis acceptable to the Board.
(b) The Board will accept the following Master's Degree Programs.
1. For applicants who received their degree prior to January 1, 2015, a Master's Degree Program as defined under 262 CMR 10.02 which includes 30 graduate credit hours in the following content areas and for the number of graduate credit hours specified:
a. one graduate credit hour of ethical considerations;
b. three graduate credit hours of definition and characteristics and principles, processes, and concepts;
c. two graduate credit hours of behavioral assessment and selecting intervention outcomes and strategies;
d. one graduate credit hour of evaluation of interventions;
e. one graduate credit hour of measurement of behavior and displaying and interpreting behavior data;
f. three graduate credit hours of behavioral change procedures and systems support; and
g. 19 graduate credit hours of discretionary coursework related to the study of applied behavior analysis acceptable to the Board.
2. For applicants who received their degree on or after to January 1, 2015, a Master's Degree Program as defined under 262 CMR 10.02 which includes 30 graduate credit hours in the following content areas and for the number of graduate credit hours specified.
a. three graduate credit hours of ethical and professional conduct
b. three graduate credit hours of concepts and principles of behavior Analysis;
c. three graduate credit hours of research methods in behavior analysis;
d. seven graduate credit hours of applied behavior analysis including:
i. three graduate credit hours of fundamental elements of behavior change and specific behavior change procedures;
ii. two graduate credit hours of identification of the problem and assessment;
iii. two graduate credit hours consisting of intervention and behavior change considerations, behavior change systems, and implementation, management and supervision; and
e. 14 graduate credit hours of discretionary coursework related to the study of behavior analysis acceptable to the Board.
(4) Acceptability of Doctoral or Master's Degree in Another Field of Human Services.
(a) For applicants with a doctoral degree that does not meet the requirements of a Doctoral Degree Program under 262 CMR 10.03(3), the Board will accept applicants who can demonstrate the successful completion of:
1. a doctoral degree in another field of human services; and
2. the successful completion of a board-approved certificate program in behavior analysis with an approved course sequence formally approved by the Board.
(b) For applicants with a master's degree that does not meet the requirements of a Master's Degree Program under 262 CMR 10.03(3), the Board will accept applicants who can demonstrate the successful completion of:
1. a master's degree in another field of human services; and
2. the successful completion of a board-approved certificate program in behavior analysis with an approved course sequence formally approved by the Board.
(5) Acceptability of Practicum and Supervised Experience.
(a) The Board will accept as satisfying the requirements of 262 CMR 10.03(2)(d), the successful completion of one or a combination of one or more of the following experience categories:
1. Independent Fieldwork; Supervisees must:
a. complete 1500 hours of independent fieldwork in behavior analysis, at least 75 hours of which must be supervised;
b. accrue no fewer than ten hours but no more than 30 hours per week of independent fieldwork experience; and
c. be supervised at least once during two week periods for no less than 5% of the total hours spent in independent fieldwork experience during each two week period.
2. Practicum; Supervisees must:
a. complete, with a passing grade, 1000 hours of Practicum experience in behavior analysis within a Recognized Educational Institution Practicum program taken for graduate academic credit, at least 75 hours of which must be supervised;
b. accrue no fewer than ten hours but no more than 30 hours per week of Practicum experience; and
c. be supervised at least once during each week for no less than 7.5% of the total hours spent in Practicum for each week.
3. Intensive Practicum; Supervisees must:
a. complete, with a passing grade, 750 hours of intensive Practicum experience in behavior analysis within a Recognized Educational Institution Practicum program taken for graduate academic credit, at least 75 hours of which must be supervised;
b. accrue no fewer than ten hours but no more than 30 hours per week of intensive Practicum experience; and
c. be supervised at least once during each week for no less than 10% of the total hours spent in intensive Practicum for each week.
(b)
Combined Experience. Supervisees may elect to combine any of the three experience categories listed under 262 CMR 10.03(5)(a).
(c) Supervisees may accrue experience in only one of the three experience categories at a time.
(d) Supervisees may not begin accumulating Supervised Independent Fieldwork, Practicum, or Intensive Practicum hours until they have started attending courses required to meet the applied behavior analysis licensure coursework requirements.
(e) Supervision received in Massachusetts:
1. prior to January 1, 2015 must be provided by a licensed applied behavior analyst or BCBA;
2. after January 1, 2015 but prior to January 1, 2018 must be provided by a licensed applied behavior analyst or a BCBA qualified to supervise by the BACB; and
3. after January 1, 2018 must be provided only by a licensed applied behavior analyst who is qualified to supervise by the BACB.
(f) Supervision received outside of Massachusetts:
1. prior to January 1, 2015 must be provided by an applied behavior analyst licensed in the state where the supervision occurs or, if the state does not provide licensure for applied behavior analysts, a BCBA; and
2. after January 1, 2015 must be provided by an applied behavior analyst licensed in the state where the supervision occurs or, if the state does not provide licensure for applied behavior analysts, a BCBA qualified to supervise by the BACB.
(g) The supervisor may not be related to, subordinate to, or employed by the supervisee during the Supervised Experience period. Provided however that 262 CMR 10.03(5)(g) shall not prohibit compensation paid to the supervisor from the supervisee for supervision services.
(6) Notwithstanding 262 CMR 10.03(2), applicants for licensure as an applied behavior analyst whose applications are received prior to June 5, 2017 as provided for by St. 2012, c. 429, may qualify for licensure if the applicant is of good moral character and:
(a) is a BCBA; or
(b) completed a Doctoral Degree Program as defined under 262 CMR 10.02; or
(c) completed a Master's Degree Program as defined under 262 CMR 10.02; or
(d) completed a masters or doctoral degree in another field of human services and has successfully completed a certificate program in behavior analysis from a recognized educational institution, and can demonstrate that the applicant has practiced as an applied behavior analyst full-time or equivalent part-time for a minimum of five years.
(7) Licensure by Reciprocal Recognition. The Board, upon receipt of the required fee, as established by the Secretary of Administration and Finance pursuant to M.G.L. c. 7, § 3B, and a completed application on a form provided by the Board, may issue a license without examination and by reciprocal recognition to any person who holds a license, certification or registration as an applied behavior analyst, or the equivalent thereof as determined by the Board, issued by another state or jurisdiction, provided that the applicant is of good moral character and:
(a) the requirements and standards for that license, certificate or registration are substantially equivalent to or exceeds the standards of the Commonwealth as determined by the Board; and
(b) the applicant holds a current license in good standing with the licensing authority from the other state or jurisdiction.
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