Behavior Analysis SIG on Supervision

By Lina Slim

ABAI approved the Behavior Analysis SIG on Supervision (BASIGS) on November 23, 2020.
The mission of the Behavior Analysis SIG on Supervision (BASIGS) is to support our members by developing, promoting, and advocating for exemplary training of behavior analysts as supervisors. We promote best practices in the supervision of behavior analysts to ensure effective and ethical service provision by developing systems and disseminating standards of supervision practices. We seek to uphold supervisory competence in cultural humility and responsiveness.

BASIGS vision is to transform the provision of supervision through education, mentorship, and coaching to promote the professional and personal development of Behavior Analysts achieving elevated standards of performance and execution in the field.

BASIGS current executive committee includes:

Lina Slim, Ph.D., BCBA-D, CCC-SLP (Chief Communication Officer Liaison to ABAI SIG)
Kasey Gerhart, MA, LBA, BCBA (Co-Chair)
Susan Ainsleigh, Ph.D., BCBA-D (Co-Chair)
Jane Carlson, Secretary
Cheryl Davis, Treasurer
Karrie Lindemand, Membership Coordinator
Laura Rojeski, Student Membership Coordinator
Jen Klapatch, Communications Coordinator
Lillith Reuter-Yuill, Research and Grant Competition Coordinator
Nathania Wong, Social Media Coordinator
Anabel Garza and Clara J. Thorn, Student Member Representative

BASIGS has been meeting virtually monthly throughout the year. We have increased our membership from 16 to 34 members. Our membership and executive and Task Force leaders have been actively involved on several initiatives developing a pathway to seek and achieve the highest standards and competency in supervision and supervisory behaviors, and systems for supervisory/supervision quality oversight and maintenance. Activities achieved and ongoing:

Developed by-Laws – Achieved
Developed membership guidelines, fees, and processes – Achieved
Developing a supervision task list & curriculum: Goals are to develop and design a standardized curriculum for supervision and collaborate with other SIGs and behavior analytic organizations for integrity measures and dissemination efforts – Ongoing
Developing a survey regarding supervisory practices, analyzing outcome data, and engaging in dissemination for best practices – Ongoing
Established Social Media presence: Achieved – Created a BASIGS Logo (design by Albert Topdjian)
Invited presenters for the ABAI 48th annual convention in Boston: 1 symposium, 2 panels, 1 paper presentation – Achieved

BASIGS Executive Committee has assigned SIG Officer positions roles and responsibilities as follows:

Co-Chairs: Co-chairs shall preside at all SIG and member meetings. Co-chairs are also responsible for counting ballots in any referenda submitted to the voting membership and shall exercise general supervision over the affairs of the SIG.
Chief Communication Officer Liaison to ABAI: Responsible for communicating, collaborating with and disseminating to ABAI SIGs, Chapters and Boards on issues pertaining to advancing the standards for supervisory practices. Building partnerships with behavior analytic networks within and outside ABAI, and ABA organizations that share values and ethical principles for achieve the highest standards and competency in supervision and supervisory behavior.
Secretary: Responsible for maintaining minutes of meetings and distributing to the
Treasurer: Responsible for maintaining minutes of meetings and distributing to the Communications Coordinator. This person is also responsible for maintaining the SIG calendar of events and coordinating with others in the Executive Committee and all Task Force leaders for dates and other needed information.
Communications Coordinator: This person will work directly with the Membership Coordinators and the Secretary. This person is responsible for collecting information from the Secretary, creating newsletters and other promotional items, and dispersing to members as needed. This person is additionally responsible for receiving incoming emails and distributing to the appropriate Task Force lead or Executive Committee member.
Membership Coordinator: Responsible for maintaining and organizing the membership directory. This person will work directly with the Treasurer (membership fees) and Communications Coordinator (distribution of notices) on a regular basis. The Membership Coordinator is also responsible for aiding in the recruitment process of members of the SIG through partnerships with other organizations or outreach via a virtual platform.
Student Membership Coordinator: Responsible for organizing, maintaining, and recruiting current trainees in the field who are accruing their hours towards certification. This person should connect with university VCS coordinators as outreach or other organizations. This person is additionally responsible for providing the student members connections to the Mentor and Supervisor Directory Task Force or Resource Repository Task Force as needed.
Research and Grant Competition Coordinator: Responsible for sending out announcements for grant applications, accepting applications, and providing the detailed lists of people to the Executive Committee for review. This person will also be responsible for coordinating appropriate dates for dissemination and review, notifying winners, and notifying others.
Student Member Representative: This person should be an active trainee in the field of ABA accruing their hours towards certification. They are responsible for representing the climate of trainees in the field. This should be done through outreach and working in conjunction with the Research and Surveys Task Force, social media, and other dissemination projects.
Social Media Coordinator: Responsible for maintaining social media networks via Facebook and other social media platforms. Additionally, this person will be responsible for developing ethical and professional conduct for social media, and monitoring conversations to meet communication guidelines. The Social Media Coordinator will have an interest and skill set to design communication posts and “blurbs”.

BASIGS Executive Committee is currently working on several projects:

Membership guidelines, fees and processes
Established Social Media presence: created a BASIGS Logo (design by Albert Topdjian, Chief Design Officer of TalkMeUp https://talkmeup.co/#/about-us)
Task Force Initiatives:
- Resource Repository
- Task List and Curriculum
- Mentor and Supervisor Directory
- Surveys and Research
- ABAI Supervision Theme Track for ABAI Conference
- Collaborative and Dissemination Efforts
- Social Media Dissemination

In our 2021–2022 membership cycle, we will be increasing our membership to 60 members. Discussion regarding dissemination, practice and research grants will take place in the next year cycle, when we will discuss ways to seek grant funding to support dissemination efforts and fund BASIGS grants.

The SIG, and our members, are committed to actively engage in the coming year in conducting research, disseminating information regarding evidence-based practice in supervision, publishing scholarly articles, speaking and conducting workshops at professional conventions, presenting posters at professional conferences and teaching and/or mentoring students, and creating a social media presence.

BASIGS will plan to offer at least one grant annually contingent on grant funding and membership fees received, in empirical research and/or in application or dissemination. The grant is available to ABAI members who, as students or practicing clinicians, conduct empirical research or raise awareness about behavior analysis on supervision. Research projects should advance the evidence base for behavior analytic conceptualization or application of supervisory skills. Application or dissemination projects should involve effective application of the science-based principles of behavior on supervision across trainees and environments.

The BASIGS executive committee is looking forward to expanding our membership through various initiatives and increasing member participation on the executive and within our committees and task forces. We continue our efforts to complete several projects over the year to support our members through the following task Forces, and welcome new members to participate.

BASIGS Executive Committee developed active Task Forces addressing several initiatives relevant to supervision:

Resource Repository (articles AND materials)
Task List and Curriculum Development
Mentor and Supervisor Directory
ABAI Supervision Theme Track – Approved by ABAI for 2022 ABAI Convention (February 3, 2022)
Publications – Survey for Research/ research papers /white papers and resources documents
Collaboration – OBM SIG and TBA SIG on joint programs and initiatives
Dissemination efforts through social media platforms, networking activities and email

The identified initiatives are successfully achieved and disseminated with increased commitment, volunteerism, and financial support from our members. Please consider donating your expertise/services in-kind, making financial contributions, or providing committee support so that we may meet the needs of our membership and complete our mission and goals.