Your help needed in fight for the right to practice and to license behavior analysts in Pa

[Guest guest]

Hello all,

As you maybe aware, I am currently the chair of the Practitioner Issues in

Behavior Analysis SIG and also a lifetime resident in the great state of

Pennsylvania. Over the summer, we completed a licensing bill for behavior

analysts.

We are driving this bill in several states across the US in an effort to

ensure that no matter what happens with APA's new model licensing act, behavior

analysts will be allowed to practice. Our bill does nothing to restrict the

practice of behavior analysis from other professions; it just allows behavior

analysts to continue to practice in Pa and restricts the title of licensed

behavior analyst (BCBAs who choose not to licensed will have no fall out to

their practice from this bill). It also opens the path to greater consumer

protection and third party insurance payments for behavior analysts.

Anyhow, I have been in discussion with Speaker O'Brien about sponsoring the

bill. We could use a letter of support from people in Pennsylvania. This bill is

good for

behavior analysts. It starts licensing behavior analysts who have taken and

passed the BCBA exam who have 48 credits of coursework in their masters

program for a brief period in the final version (although they are still

working on the wording for that) and then moves the number up to 60 (the

equivalent of other master level licenses in the state of Pa.).

I believe it will have an extraordinary effect on increasing the overall

number of

master's programs in behavior analysis, which means many more faculty

positions. It also contains a provision to license Ph.D. level behavior

analysts- so the overall impact on psychology could be a behavior analytic

revival.

The bill is excellent for families for it will increase university interest in

starting behavior analytic programs, as it did for counseling and clinical

social work. Increased, university interest means increase in the overall

number of behavior analytic programs, which means an increase in behavior

analysts. In addition, it will help families to secure affordable behavior

analytic

services because behavior analysts will be able to bill insurance companies

directly.

Please take a moment to support our efforts. To do so you need to take two

steps.

First e-mail:

" Piecuch, " mpiecuch@...

works for Speaker O'Brien who is championing the bill on behavior

analysis licensing.

After you have done this, please go to

http://sites.state.pa.us/PA_Exec/Governor/govmail.html and e-mail a copy

of your letter to the governor. It is important at this point to show the

governor

that we have popular support for this movement.

Please make sure to include information on:

1. That you live in Pa.

2. That you believe that the licensing of behavior analysis offers the public

increased protection.

3. That you believe that the overall benefit will be good for the citizens of

Pa.

Your personal stories in the above matter are certainly helpful.

I sincerely believe that this is good for behavior analysis both academics

and practitioners. More importantly, it will help families seeking behavior

analytic services to receive third party payment for such services. Your

assistance in this matter is greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Joe Cautilli, Ph.D., LPC, BCBA

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