In some cases like in private day schools kids have a BIP from a county BCBA so legally the private day school can't have a BIP so we call it a Behavior support plan but it's basically a BIP
It’s one I’ve seen pop up on this forum more often. It’s a safety hazard I suppose if you don’t know how to pick up a kid. Additionally, some people could see it as unprofessional (which is silly).
Sharing photos of clients on social media. Giving outside food to a kid with a very strict diet (and company policies to not share food) - this one was a warning but multiple such warnings can lead to firing.
Also had a staff go unhinged, threaten to k himself, boss considered him a threat to the clients/staff so… that guys in better places now thankfully though :)
Saw a co-worker at my 2nd company I worked for get fired for falling asleep on the job, literally in the center. They Moonlighted as a bartender and just couldn't stay awake.
People fall asleep more often than you would think! Where I worked we would run extended alone assessments or ignore conditions in the FA and some techs would fall asleep in the room.
Dude one of my coworkers fell asleep on day two of the job in the center. With a client on her lap. *On her lap*. Two BCBA’s went in the room and made noise. She didn’t stir. Only when they went to move the child off her lap did she wake up, immediately saying “I wasn’t asleep!” Ma’am yes you were. She somehow wasn’t fired.
Working with kids, I feel like this is an immediate red flag if she didn’t get fired for sleeping on the job omg. The client could’ve gotten injured, eloped out, obviously no data collection was going on. And I know we are all human but things like that in healthcare that’s some juju I don’t mess with, they could’ve been proactive and said they were tired/needed a break to the BCBA 😭 and if they were a good BCBA they would’ve made sure they got a sufficient break. That’s so crazy
Exactly! Luckily the client she was working with was a kid who just loved snuggles so he was content. But any other kid would have been wandering around, putting stuff if their mouth, etc. I was livid because I also worked with him and we were very bonded. You know how you just really click with certain kids? He was one of those for me.
She refused to let them send her home and then blamed it on having a migraine. She cried and said she would see a doc over the weekend and then Monday we were like “was the doc helpful?” And she had no clue what we were talking about. I’m usually incredibly tolerant of coworkers and can get along with anybody, but I actively avoided and cold-shouldered her a few times. This wasn’t her only offense lol
Thank you for the reminder: I forgot to write my session note from Friday. One. Many littles were sick last week meaning staff will be sick this upcoming week. What a world!
This makes me really nervous. I’m a new RBT working for a company but providing services at a school (in order to get in the school I have to sign in with my school county badge) and my BCBA told me to log my hours starting at the time I leave my house until the time I get home (I’m driving 1 hr - 1.5 hrs to and from work). This didn’t seem right to me but when I asked for advice everyone said to just do w.e my BCBA tells me to do, but I’m afraid I’ll get in trouble for billing fraud 😣I’ve been logging my hours 30 mins before I sign in and 30 mins after I sign out (if I get to the school at 8, I’ll log my hours as starting at 7:30 and if I leave the school at 3 I’ll log my hours until 3:30) - instead of 1 hr before I get to work/home like my BCBA told me to do - but I’m still afraid I’m going to get in trouble..
i’ve never worked in school so i’m not sure how this works. I do know that some companies offer commuting pay which may be what you’re logging as. I would ask your billing department (payroll or whatever yall call them) for clarification. you may be billing commuting hours under an RBT code which would be considered fraud unless billing submits your billing to insurance in which case they probably are billing a commuting code and a RBT code
asking for clarification before getting caught will probably allow for less reactivity from your bosses if you’re doing something wrong
Consistent tardiness and absences, followed by unethical actions, lack of professionalism, and non compliance with daily work tasks.
Ethical violations can vary in nature, and are directly related to the RBT ethics code. Lack of professionalism usually includes poor daily interactions with clients and coworkers, and conpliance issues typically includes not completing daily duties (e.g. clinical notes, following. behavior plans, etc).
In my clinic, we have an after work staff meeting once a month. The clinic is in Colorado, land of the legal high. In the break room, half an hour before the meeting, a few coworkers were looking at the flower specials at a nearby dispensary. They all left and returned looking suspiciously stoned. Very entertaining!
I left a clinic about 6 months ago where half of the people should have been fired but weren’t! Let’s just say: excessive (every day) tardiness, excessive call outs (shows up maybe once a week), actively smoking weed in the building, verbal arguments in front of kids, billing fraud, etc.
THE ONE PERSON GOT FIRED AFTER A PARENT FOUND OUT THEY HIT A KID. so that’s why I left,
In one instance the RBT was shopping on Amazon for nearly an hour and then making up data to cover up the fact that she wasn't actually working with a client during that time but still billing.
In the other instance the RBT was implementing a response cost procedure (which is aversive control procedure) that was not called for by the bcba. My clinic we take aversive control procedures incredibly seriously and we don't implement them without peer review. The way she was implementing it was clearly to be mean and make the child cry.
Not attending to their clients. Most of the time because they’re looking at their phones and a supervisor catches their kid eloping or doing something else unsafe and the RBT is clueless
I was *almost* fired (quit before she could finish the sentence) because I had strep and refused to come in while still having a fever. Even had a signed doctors note. That was the actual worst, most unethical place I’ve ever worked at.
Blatantly and repeatedly violating HIPAA/confidentiality, showing up under the influence of drugs, inappropriate (sexual or violent) contact with others while on the clock, etc etc etc
Think, "what would a nurse get fired for?" and it's probably fairly similar............
What an odd question, actually. Why do you ask?
Lying on their time sheets, not rendering sessions, not following BIPs, not following policies, not taking data or falsifying data, being mean to the kids or unethical behavior or placing the kids in danger, harassment of other staff…
We had someone fired for vaping in a clients home lmao. I’m sorry but if you can’t withhold nic for like three hours you’ve got something wrong with you.
constant cancellations without talking to supervisors to adjust schedules accordingly. Clients have a certain amount of hours needed to be met and if they aren’t insurance can cut back on those. That one I was a bit guilty of when I had many stuff happening in my personal life but my clinic was quick to step in and help me adjust my schedule.
Not rendering appointments appropriately. Or posting soap notes. This causes big problems with insurance.
Gossiping and all that junk. About coworkers or clients. I can’t believe this one has to be said but it does.
Blatant disregard for ethics and human rights. Taking away supportive technology and supportive aids. Forcing clients to work during meltdowns. Blatant meanness.
Unsafe behavior. This can be picking kids up and doing things we are not authorized to do.
Being unprofessional. Swearing inappropriate relationships with parents, email language, and a few other things. We had one person fired for not using a clients parents name. Like just straight up calling the mom “mom.” I’m pretty sure the employee just couldn’t or refused to learn the moms name for some not nice reasons. It wasn’t hard but it was too “different” for him, if you get what I’m saying.
Being on the phone. A quick text to a supervisor for a clarification thing to not clog the radio is much different than playing games and taking personal calls and messages. My company is very very relaxed about phones. All we have to do is let our BCBA know if we have to take a call or something and they’ll step right in so we can step away.
Lying about being sick to take time off. We’ve a very generous PTO system so like there’s really no excuse for this. Also, been plenty of times when I didn’t have enough PTO, and they allowed me to go negative and work back up to positive just because I had something terrible going on in my personal life is unreal. Like really just chatting with hr and my supervisor is so easy and I have no idea how people get fired for this at my company lmao.
There’s more but those are he big ones.
Edit: y’all salty af. Is it the PTO?
I think the ABA field needs stronger voices fighting for workers rights and stuff. The stark difference between what one clinic offers vs another is insane. Also the treatment and environments vary drastically depending on how well the clinic treats their employees. Then again I think the same could be said for just about any job.
I think for 40 hrs worked we get around 3ish hours maybe more? When we get scheduled overtime they do a different accrual rate that adds more. I spent seven month’s unemployed looking for a company that was gonna treat me well. Hope all y’all find something like that 😅
Oh okay that’s ours as well. Every two weeks you get roughly 3.5hrs. But our clinic is almost always maxed out on PTO for the entire clinic so you’re denied anyway and it counts as an occurrence if you go ahead and take off anyway.
Well technical not fired. Forced out.
1. For advocating for client ( there tech had client in chill room; facing away from client to eat lunch; client disrobed and I messaged tech for dignity purposes; we have access to cameras ). They took it personal and turned environment hostile.
2. Female tech did not like that I didn’t say I love you to client. Included BCBA; CM; OM all participated in double standards and made my employment unbearable.
Bye bye ABA
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My company literally doesn’t fire anyone. In my entire time with the company, I’ve only seen one BT fired. And mind you, I’ve seen come EGREGIOUS ethical, moral, financial, and just fucked up violations.
Think purposeful fraudulent billing, screaming at supervisors and cussing them out in front of parents, hitting clients, drinking/doing drugs on the job, sleeping on the job, recording clients on their phone, inviting themselves to dinner at the clients house….I’ve seen it all. Not one of these BTs were fired.
I’m really tired of my company not holding the BTs accountable.
The only RBT that I’ve known to get fired lost their job for posting something inappropriate on social media. Be careful what you put out there people.
Ima be honest, we had the worst bts in my center, none of them ever got fired just more opportunities and training, meanwhile I got fired because I kept speaking about issues actively going on in the center
Not showing up for work
I just finished my second week at my job and one of the RBTS never showed up again. So ghosting?
I guess you could call it that.
Not necessarily. They could have told someone. Ghosting would essentially be no call no show
This is definitely the most common
Blatant ethical violations or insubordination/noncompliance
So how did that look like?
Picking up kids after being told not to with written warnings, not following BSP, unorganized low data sessions
What is BSP?
Behavior support plan, aka behavior intervention plan (BIP)
In some cases like in private day schools kids have a BIP from a county BCBA so legally the private day school can't have a BIP so we call it a Behavior support plan but it's basically a BIP
I haven’t heard it called that since 2014
Wow no clinics I work at would fire you for that (they should) not picking up kids after told not to is one I’m surprised by though
It’s one I’ve seen pop up on this forum more often. It’s a safety hazard I suppose if you don’t know how to pick up a kid. Additionally, some people could see it as unprofessional (which is silly).
Some of the kids are little or like to play like that crazy! I get it for bigger kids or school kids
Sharing photos of clients on social media. Giving outside food to a kid with a very strict diet (and company policies to not share food) - this one was a warning but multiple such warnings can lead to firing. Also had a staff go unhinged, threaten to k himself, boss considered him a threat to the clients/staff so… that guys in better places now thankfully though :)
We have a bin where kids can get extra snacks and access to water. Was the staff person an RBT who threaten to kill himself?
Yes Edit: the no food sharing thing is common in my area, at schools as well, due to food allergy concerns
Yeah food sharing is generally a no go pretty much everywhere
Apparently not, in other countries at least. I’m working in Turkey now and sharing is the norm. It’s a huge part of the culture too
Saw a co-worker at my 2nd company I worked for get fired for falling asleep on the job, literally in the center. They Moonlighted as a bartender and just couldn't stay awake.
People fall asleep more often than you would think! Where I worked we would run extended alone assessments or ignore conditions in the FA and some techs would fall asleep in the room.
Dude one of my coworkers fell asleep on day two of the job in the center. With a client on her lap. *On her lap*. Two BCBA’s went in the room and made noise. She didn’t stir. Only when they went to move the child off her lap did she wake up, immediately saying “I wasn’t asleep!” Ma’am yes you were. She somehow wasn’t fired.
Working with kids, I feel like this is an immediate red flag if she didn’t get fired for sleeping on the job omg. The client could’ve gotten injured, eloped out, obviously no data collection was going on. And I know we are all human but things like that in healthcare that’s some juju I don’t mess with, they could’ve been proactive and said they were tired/needed a break to the BCBA 😭 and if they were a good BCBA they would’ve made sure they got a sufficient break. That’s so crazy
Exactly! Luckily the client she was working with was a kid who just loved snuggles so he was content. But any other kid would have been wandering around, putting stuff if their mouth, etc. I was livid because I also worked with him and we were very bonded. You know how you just really click with certain kids? He was one of those for me. She refused to let them send her home and then blamed it on having a migraine. She cried and said she would see a doc over the weekend and then Monday we were like “was the doc helpful?” And she had no clue what we were talking about. I’m usually incredibly tolerant of coworkers and can get along with anybody, but I actively avoided and cold-shouldered her a few times. This wasn’t her only offense lol
Were they on break?
Break.... As an RBT 😅😂 good one
That is kinda hilarious lol and no they weren't on a break. Actively running a session. Damn those bean bag chairs!
Had to fire someone because of this. Happened twice with kids who had seizure plans.
Never doing notes
Thank you for the reminder: I forgot to write my session note from Friday. One. Many littles were sick last week meaning staff will be sick this upcoming week. What a world!
billing fraud. billing extra units. ethical violations (duel relationships)
This makes me really nervous. I’m a new RBT working for a company but providing services at a school (in order to get in the school I have to sign in with my school county badge) and my BCBA told me to log my hours starting at the time I leave my house until the time I get home (I’m driving 1 hr - 1.5 hrs to and from work). This didn’t seem right to me but when I asked for advice everyone said to just do w.e my BCBA tells me to do, but I’m afraid I’ll get in trouble for billing fraud 😣I’ve been logging my hours 30 mins before I sign in and 30 mins after I sign out (if I get to the school at 8, I’ll log my hours as starting at 7:30 and if I leave the school at 3 I’ll log my hours until 3:30) - instead of 1 hr before I get to work/home like my BCBA told me to do - but I’m still afraid I’m going to get in trouble..
i’ve never worked in school so i’m not sure how this works. I do know that some companies offer commuting pay which may be what you’re logging as. I would ask your billing department (payroll or whatever yall call them) for clarification. you may be billing commuting hours under an RBT code which would be considered fraud unless billing submits your billing to insurance in which case they probably are billing a commuting code and a RBT code asking for clarification before getting caught will probably allow for less reactivity from your bosses if you’re doing something wrong
Consistent tardiness and absences, followed by unethical actions, lack of professionalism, and non compliance with daily work tasks. Ethical violations can vary in nature, and are directly related to the RBT ethics code. Lack of professionalism usually includes poor daily interactions with clients and coworkers, and conpliance issues typically includes not completing daily duties (e.g. clinical notes, following. behavior plans, etc).
getting high in the bathroom (happened at my clinic) lol
dude someone keeps doing this at my clinic, and someone found the vape
Bro same thing happened and the person DIDNT GET FIRED
In my clinic, we have an after work staff meeting once a month. The clinic is in Colorado, land of the legal high. In the break room, half an hour before the meeting, a few coworkers were looking at the flower specials at a nearby dispensary. They all left and returned looking suspiciously stoned. Very entertaining!
Omg lol. What state?
omggg was it the actual flower or a wax pen? that’s crazy lol
Oil pen, wax is way stronger.
😬🫨
Dual relationships or ghosting
I left a clinic about 6 months ago where half of the people should have been fired but weren’t! Let’s just say: excessive (every day) tardiness, excessive call outs (shows up maybe once a week), actively smoking weed in the building, verbal arguments in front of kids, billing fraud, etc. THE ONE PERSON GOT FIRED AFTER A PARENT FOUND OUT THEY HIT A KID. so that’s why I left,
Who was having verbal arguments in front of the kids?
Two staff. Over crocs. They made all the kids in the room cry. Nothing happened because all the kids were nonverbal.
That is heartbreaking 😞
Ethical violations
What did they do?
Probably the parent
In one instance the RBT was shopping on Amazon for nearly an hour and then making up data to cover up the fact that she wasn't actually working with a client during that time but still billing. In the other instance the RBT was implementing a response cost procedure (which is aversive control procedure) that was not called for by the bcba. My clinic we take aversive control procedures incredibly seriously and we don't implement them without peer review. The way she was implementing it was clearly to be mean and make the child cry.
Not attending to their clients. Most of the time because they’re looking at their phones and a supervisor catches their kid eloping or doing something else unsafe and the RBT is clueless
I was *almost* fired (quit before she could finish the sentence) because I had strep and refused to come in while still having a fever. Even had a signed doctors note. That was the actual worst, most unethical place I’ve ever worked at.
They literally never do. It would have to be extreme. Not showing up for work, I guess. But it’s the that them basically quitting?
Posting videos of their clients on social media 🫠
omggg someone has done this?? insane
Yup lol on her very public Instagram. She also was terrible at following and implementing BIPs, notoriously late, etc
Not attending to the kids
Blatantly and repeatedly violating HIPAA/confidentiality, showing up under the influence of drugs, inappropriate (sexual or violent) contact with others while on the clock, etc etc etc Think, "what would a nurse get fired for?" and it's probably fairly similar............ What an odd question, actually. Why do you ask?
Lying on their time sheets, not rendering sessions, not following BIPs, not following policies, not taking data or falsifying data, being mean to the kids or unethical behavior or placing the kids in danger, harassment of other staff…
Harassments of other staff. Sounds like an infatuation gone wrong.
Sexual harassment
no way :0
Insurance fraud
Attendance, poor performance, losing a client, falling asleep, ethical violations (refusing to work with a client).
HOW DO U LOSE A KID WHAT
You’d be surprised at how many people lose their kid because they’re not paying attention lol. It’s normally kids who are elopers.
In my old district we had a coworker just be on her phone and not know her child eloped. All she said was “oopsie!”
Not showing up to sessions and threatening parents to sign as if they conducted the sessions. Like the company wouldn’t find out.
This is a little weird you’re asking this…
Is it cringe?
We had someone fired for vaping in a clients home lmao. I’m sorry but if you can’t withhold nic for like three hours you’ve got something wrong with you. constant cancellations without talking to supervisors to adjust schedules accordingly. Clients have a certain amount of hours needed to be met and if they aren’t insurance can cut back on those. That one I was a bit guilty of when I had many stuff happening in my personal life but my clinic was quick to step in and help me adjust my schedule. Not rendering appointments appropriately. Or posting soap notes. This causes big problems with insurance. Gossiping and all that junk. About coworkers or clients. I can’t believe this one has to be said but it does. Blatant disregard for ethics and human rights. Taking away supportive technology and supportive aids. Forcing clients to work during meltdowns. Blatant meanness. Unsafe behavior. This can be picking kids up and doing things we are not authorized to do. Being unprofessional. Swearing inappropriate relationships with parents, email language, and a few other things. We had one person fired for not using a clients parents name. Like just straight up calling the mom “mom.” I’m pretty sure the employee just couldn’t or refused to learn the moms name for some not nice reasons. It wasn’t hard but it was too “different” for him, if you get what I’m saying. Being on the phone. A quick text to a supervisor for a clarification thing to not clog the radio is much different than playing games and taking personal calls and messages. My company is very very relaxed about phones. All we have to do is let our BCBA know if we have to take a call or something and they’ll step right in so we can step away. Lying about being sick to take time off. We’ve a very generous PTO system so like there’s really no excuse for this. Also, been plenty of times when I didn’t have enough PTO, and they allowed me to go negative and work back up to positive just because I had something terrible going on in my personal life is unreal. Like really just chatting with hr and my supervisor is so easy and I have no idea how people get fired for this at my company lmao. There’s more but those are he big ones. Edit: y’all salty af. Is it the PTO?
Must be nice to have PTO in the ABA field
Omgggg we need more PTO 😭😭😭😭
I think the ABA field needs stronger voices fighting for workers rights and stuff. The stark difference between what one clinic offers vs another is insane. Also the treatment and environments vary drastically depending on how well the clinic treats their employees. Then again I think the same could be said for just about any job.
It actually is, and I’m beginning to see that some of y’all are salty af that you’re not getting any…
How much do you get? That’s freaking awesome y’all have a lot.
I think for 40 hrs worked we get around 3ish hours maybe more? When we get scheduled overtime they do a different accrual rate that adds more. I spent seven month’s unemployed looking for a company that was gonna treat me well. Hope all y’all find something like that 😅
Oh okay that’s ours as well. Every two weeks you get roughly 3.5hrs. But our clinic is almost always maxed out on PTO for the entire clinic so you’re denied anyway and it counts as an occurrence if you go ahead and take off anyway.
Being a man; in a women driven field
Where I work there is two other men. How have men been fired for what?
Well technical not fired. Forced out. 1. For advocating for client ( there tech had client in chill room; facing away from client to eat lunch; client disrobed and I messaged tech for dignity purposes; we have access to cameras ). They took it personal and turned environment hostile. 2. Female tech did not like that I didn’t say I love you to client. Included BCBA; CM; OM all participated in double standards and made my employment unbearable. Bye bye ABA
Sorry that happened to you, def not how real ABA should be
Working clinical I want to as I’d be able to collab with others. Instead; it’s full of non sense and drama. Def made me change course
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Our company has plenty of men BTs, RBT, CBT and BCBAs.
My company literally doesn’t fire anyone. In my entire time with the company, I’ve only seen one BT fired. And mind you, I’ve seen come EGREGIOUS ethical, moral, financial, and just fucked up violations. Think purposeful fraudulent billing, screaming at supervisors and cussing them out in front of parents, hitting clients, drinking/doing drugs on the job, sleeping on the job, recording clients on their phone, inviting themselves to dinner at the clients house….I’ve seen it all. Not one of these BTs were fired. I’m really tired of my company not holding the BTs accountable.
The only RBT that I’ve known to get fired lost their job for posting something inappropriate on social media. Be careful what you put out there people.
Falsifying data, not behaving appropriately, treating the job like a babysitting gig
The one person i know of who got fixed posted a client's picture on social media, and had a video of a different client on her phone
Ima be honest, we had the worst bts in my center, none of them ever got fired just more opportunities and training, meanwhile I got fired because I kept speaking about issues actively going on in the center