DBT Pros/Cons are different from mainstream Pros & Cons in that DBT Pros/Cons looks at the Pros and Cons of tolerating vs. not tolerating distress.
Thank you for your interest in training to becoming a Certified Behavioral Health Technician (CBHT). As a CBHT you will most often assist counselors and therapists by providing critical support services to clients who are receiving drug rehab, substance abuse or mental health treatment in a variety of treatment settings. Next, examine the pros and cons of the crisis behavior or acting on your urges. Then examine the advantages & disadvantages (or pros and cons) for each of the viable options. Before a crisis behavior occurs, it is helpful to write out the pros and cons and carry them with you so that you can be reminded and rehearse the skill over and over. Psychiatric or Mental Health Nurse Practitioner – A registered nurse practitioner with a graduate degree and specialized training in the diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional illness. Additionally, your Primary Care Physician, Physician’s Assistant or Nurse Practitioner (depending on your state) are often qualified to provide.
Accept Pro Condialectical Behavioral Training Programs
Tolerating Distress | Not Tolerating Distress | ||
Pros | Cons | Pros | Cons |
In otherwords, it's the pros and cons of tolerating the DISTRESS of a situation and the pros and cons of not tolerating THE DISTRESS of a situation.
When examining the pros and cons, you are looking at the consequences of potential actions. For example, one time, when I was in a yoga class, the instructor said something to me that reminded me of something my father used to say to me in a negative way. I knew she didn't mean what my father meant but I still reacted emotionally and felt those old sensations of betrayal and invalidation. Many times in the past, when I experienced a 'trigger' situation like this, I would let it overwhelm me and I would never even stop to think about the fact that my life was different now. I would let it build up. In the past, I might have tolerated the feelings throughout the yoga class so I wouldn't make a disruption, but by the time I went home, I would be out of control.
I knew I wanted to live my life differently and use the skills to help me. I thought about some ideas about what I might do to tolerate this distress:
On the other hand, I thought about what I would do if I didn't tolerate the distress.
Next, I began to think about the consequences of tolerating versus not tolerating this distress
Tolerating Distress | Not Tolerating Distress | ||
Pros | Cons | Pros | Cons |
Feeling of success that I was able to use my skills | I would have to put effort into self control | I would be able to continue to feel what I was used to feeling, which sometimes brings comfort | My instructor might not let me come back to class or at least, there would be tension between us |
I might be able to change my state of mind and continue my life normally without using up my energy | I wouldn't get that high feeling of creating drama and making others pay attention to me. | I could experience a temporary satisfaction of having punished myself | I would experience regret, pain and shame the next day or maybe even right after acting out |
When I look at this from a distant point of view, the correct thing seems obvious. But when I was 'mired' in the emotion, all options seemed equally possible.
Ultimately, I decided to ride the wave of emotion. Nevertheless, it turned out that my instructor had sensed that something was wrong and asked me about it after class. I told her that I was experiencing an emotional trigger from my past and that I needed to go through these emotions and work it out by myself.
By the time I got home, my emotions were less intense. I turned on the TV and found a show I wanted to watch. I allowed myself to get caught up in it and when it was over, I realized I had actually forgotten about the incident.
Since it's best to practice in less intense situations, when you're not emotionally invested, write out some pros and cons for things you don't care about as much. Like right now, I could stomp on the floors or throw my cats in the bathtub. I have no reason to do these things. They really are ridiculous, but by practicing writing it down, I know I'll be better at it when I'm done.
Think about a situation from your recent past. Don't go for the big, heavy things like when you were attacked or something. Think about something like an argument you got in or when you were in your car and yelling at people around you. You already know what you did, but imagine you were still back at that time and the prompting event just happened. Use the pros and cons to think of some other ways you might have behaved. Ask yourself if the same thing happened in the future, would you act differently? There's no right or wrong. You're just practicing thinking in a way that is different.
The Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) is one of the credentials extended by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board to paraprofessionals who execute interventions for promoting socially acceptable behaviors. RBTs are taught the basics of applied behavior analysis to support developmentally disabled individuals, but they must function under the supervision of a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). Rather than designing and assessing program plans, RBTs introduce the chosen behavioral interventions in clients’ home or school life. They’ll merely assist analysts with conducting behavior reduction, nurturing social skills, creating session notes, collecting progress data, and training clients’ caregivers. Registered Behavior Technicians follow the BCBA’s therapeutic protocols for positively reinforcing desirable actions for clients’ skill improvement.
Kinds of Jobs Held by Registered Behavior Technicians
Virtually anyone working with special needs children or adults can benefit from practicing as a Registered Behavior Technician under a BCBA’s watchful eye. Although ABA programs are frequently associated with Autism, these behavioral tactics are effective with several disabilities, including Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, emotional disturbances, and more. The National Autism Network even reports that ABA has been adapted for treating drug and gambling addictions. Established by Ivar Lovaas and Robert Koegel in the 1970s, ABA has a 90 percent success rate! Not only is the Registered Behavior Technician credential often required by employers working with people displaying problematic behaviors, but it’s also useful for parents and guardians of developmentally challenged children.
In educational settings, RBTs could function as general or special education teachers, childcare administrators, reading specialists, occupational therapists, school psychologists, or speech-language pathologists. These paraprofessionals will work with ABA therapists to coordinate the delivery of skill acquisition plans for youth from birth to age 21. Some Registered Behavior Technicians are employed in residential group homes as special needs staff, nurses, case managers, and administrators. Health care facilities might also prefer hiring clinical social workers, pediatric nurses, emergency medical technicians, home health aides, mental health counselors, and psychiatric aides with RBT credentialing. Joining the RBT Registry certifies your abilities for aiding the applied behavior analysis plan in diverse settings with sound judgment.
Salary Potential for Registered Behavior Technicians
According to PayScale, Registered Behavior Technicians report a median yearly salary of $30,927, or $15.68 per hour. Average total pay for RBTs ranges from $24,624 to $45,155 with bonuses. Entry-level Registered Behavior Technicians make considerably less than behavior analysts who snag $60,175 on average. However, it’s important to remember that RBTs can hold multiple paraprofessional roles. Registered Behavior Technicians who work as school nurses foremost make a median wage of $47,804 yearly. Yet those employed as speech therapists and occupational therapists bring home average salaries of $78,210 and $83,730 respectively. Even some hospital administrators are on the RBT Registry with their mean annual wage of $109,370.
Registered Behavior Technician Hiring Outlook
Reports from Burning Glass Technologies display that U.S. job creation in applied behavior analysis nearly tripled from 1,414 openings in 2012 to 3,083 openings in 2014. California, Massachusetts, and New Jersey currently have the highest employment of BCBAs. Registered Behavior Technicians can work in various sectors seeing faster-than-average growth though. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that education jobs will blossom by 8 percent for 697,000 total openings by 2024. For the same time frame, health care positions will skyrocket by 19 percent for nearly 2.4 million new postings. RBTs in the social assistance sector, including school counselors, will find 10 percent job growth for 257,700 openings through 2024.
Steps to Becoming a Registered Behavior Technician
Requirements for becoming an RBT via the Behavior Analyst Certification Board are actually quite minimal. Prospective applicants simply must be high school graduates who’ve passed their 18th birthday and a criminal background check. Interested adults get the ball rolling by signing up for Registered Behavior Technician training classes of 40+ hours. Several colleges, including the University of South Florida, University of Kansas, California State University-Los Angeles, and University of Michigan-Dearborn, have RBT training in their continuing education divisions. Private companies like the Verbal Behavior Institute and Child Enrichment Center are also available. Most programs will incorporate around 10 on-campus or online modules on topics like behavior reduction, positive reinforcement, ABA assessment, and professional ethics within 180 days.
Resources:
- Online RBT Training Providers
- RBT Training Providers
After earning the Certificate of Completion, RBT candidates must find BCBA supervisors to sponsor them. The certificant registry allows you to search by zip code, state/province, country, and last name for sorting through viable contacts nearby. They’ll assess whether you pass the Registered Behavior Technician Competency Assessment with skills like behavioral reporting. Testing doesn’t finish there because sitting for the RBT exam is next. Individuals can take this 85-question, 90-minute exam only in English at 400 Pearson VUE centers globally. Application fees currently cost $50 and the exam appointment itself charges $45. If you fail the entry-level exam, retakes are permitted within one year. Successful test-takers will maintain RBT credentials with a 12-task direct observation annually.
Benefits of Becoming a Registered Behavior Technician
Even if you’re already certified in other fields like teaching, the additional RBT acronym after your name could prove invaluable. Registered Behavior Technicians can improve their self-confidence using ABA principles to support clients with behavioral issues. Added skill development with function-based ABA interventions can help advance your career. Clients and parents will be better assured of your qualifications for handling the complexities of autism and other disabilities. Taking the time to complete the 40-hour RBT training proves your determination and passion to potential employers for marketability. Becoming a Registered Behavior Technician automatically comes with beneficial BCBA mentorship and continuing education credits. The RBT credential is also much more cost-effective than the $230 BCBA exam and its requisite master’s degree.
Accept Pro Condialectical Behavioral Training Program
Related Resources:
Top 25 Best Applied Behavior Analysis Programs
Accept Pro Condialectical Behavioral Training Center
Getting the Registered Behavior Technician credential is a big step for learning the behavior analytic theories applied for treating developmental delays. However, it won’t provide autonomy. RBTs must meet face-to-face at least twice monthly with Board Certified Behavior Analysts while delivering ABA services. Having a responsible certificant with BCBA licensing will ensure compliance with professional protocols, especially client confidentiality. The RBT is an ideal extra for other educational, health, and social services staff who only dabble in ABA with certain challenged pupils or patients. If you seek more independence in behavior analysis, your best bet is pursuing an undergrad or master’s degree specifically for BCBA certification.
More ABA Certifications:
- Certification Overview
- BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst)
- BCaBA (Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst)
- CAS (Certified Autism Specialist)
- AC (Autism Certificate)