2011 Arizona Revised Statutes
Title 32 Professions and Occupations
32-2091.03 Educational and training qualifications for licensure

32-2091.03. Educational and training qualifications for licensure

A. An applicant for licensure as a behavior analyst must:

1. Have a graduate degree, master's degree or doctoral degree from an accredited college or university or institution of higher learning accredited by a recognized accrediting agency.

2. Complete a minimum of one thousand five hundred hours of supervised work experience or independent fieldwork, university practicum or intensive university practicum which shall follow appropriate academic preparation and may run concurrently with coursework, if the applicant completes a degree and coursework requirements in the practice of behavior analysis after January 1, 2000. The supervised work experience, independent fieldwork, university practicum or intensive university practicum shall include supervision once every two weeks for five per cent of the total hours the applicant spends in the supervised work experience, independent fieldwork, university practicum or intensive university practicum. The total hours spent in supervised work experience, independent fieldwork, university practicum or intensive university practicum shall not be more than thirty hours per week. The total supervision hours must be at least seventy-five hours.

3. Have as part of or in addition to the coursework required for the graduate degree at least two hundred twenty-five classroom hours of specific graduate level instruction that meet nationally recognized standards for behavior analysts as determined by the board.

4. Have the supervised work experience, independent fieldwork, practicum or intensive practicum pursuant to paragraph 2 of this subsection, as a behavior analyst engaged in tasks that meet nationally recognized standards for behavior analysts as determined by the board.

B. The supervised work experience, independent fieldwork, practicum or intensive practicum required pursuant to subsection A, paragraph 4 must include the following:

1. Conducting behavioral assessments and assessment activities related to the need for behavioral interventions.

2. Designing, implementing and monitoring behavior analysis programs for clients.

3. Overseeing the implementation of behavior analysis programs by others.

4. Other activities normally performed by a behavior analyst that are directly related to behavior analysis, such as attending planning meetings regarding the behavior analysis program, researching the literature related to the program, talking to individuals about the program and any additional activities related to oversight of behavioral programming such as behavior analyst supervision issues or evaluation of behavior analysts' performance.

C. The following activities are not considered supervised work experience, independent fieldwork, practicum or intensive practicum required pursuant to subsection A, paragraph 4:

1. Attending meetings with little or no behavior analytic content.

2. Providing interventions that are not based in behavior analysis.

3. Doing nonbehavior analytic administrative activities.

4. Any other activities that are not directly related to behavior analysis.

D. For supervised work experience, independent fieldwork, practicum or intensive practicum required pursuant to subsection A, paragraph 4, the supervisor must observe the applicant engaging in behavior analytic activities in the natural environment. This observation may be conducted by web cameras, videotape, videoconferencing or similar means instead of the supervisor being physically present. Supervision may be conducted in small groups of ten or fewer participants for not more than half of the total supervised hours in each supervisory period. The remainder of the total supervision hours in each supervisory period must consist of direct one-to-one contact. Supervision hours may be counted toward the total number of experience hours required.

E. A supervisor conducting the supervised work experience, independent fieldwork, practicum or intensive practicum pursuant to subsection D shall not be the applicant's relative, subordinate or employee during the experience period. The supervisor is not an employee of the applicant if the only compensation received by the supervisor from the applicant consists of payment for supervision. For any applicant who obtained supervised experience pursuant to subsection A, paragraph 2 after January 1, 2011, the supervisor must be a licensed behavior analyst who meets requirements for licensure pursuant to subsection A.

F. An applicant may submit a written request to the board for an exemption from the requirement prescribed in subsection E. The request must include the name of the behavior analyst proposed by the applicant to act as the clinical supervisor, a copy of the proposed clinical supervisor's transcript and curriculum vitae and any additional documentation requested by the board. The board shall review the supervision exemption request to determine if the proposed supervisor has the necessary education, training and experience to provide supervision acceptable for behavior analyst licensure. If the proposed supervisor has the necessary education, training and experience, the board shall grant the supervision exemption request. The board shall not grant an exemption request for an unlicensed clinical supervisor providing clinical supervision in this state after July 1, 2011, except that an exemption may be granted by the board if the clinical supervisor holds a current national certification from a nationally recognized behavior analyst certification board as determined by the board and the applicant received the supervised work experience, independent fieldwork, practicum or intensive practicum in a state that did not license behavior analysts during the period in which the supervision was obtained.

G. An individual who completed the degree, coursework or experience before January 1, 2000 may have supervised work experience or core specified coursework that was accrued in a setting outside of a college or university program if the following conditions are met:

1. The acquired coursework or supervised work experience was acquired after the graduate degree and before January 1, 2000.

2. The applicant has met the requirements for and received the certification credential from a nationally recognized behavior analyst certification board as determined by the board.

H. The board may prescribe by rule additional requirements relating to education and training.