Could today be the day that the stars and the moon have aligned, and you are ready to take the plunge into business ownership? After weighing the pros and cons, you are determined to become the founder of your very own ABA clinic. Congratulations! First step, don’t quit your day job, just yet. Before you fully jump in, let’s make sure you have checked most of the boxes to be ready for self-employment.
Legal entity, business name and structure The type of corporate structure determines your liability, business registration requirements, and how you will file taxes.
Registration, federal and state tax ID, licenses and / or permits LLCs, non-profit entities,or corporations will need to file with the federal government. An Employee Identification Number (EIN) allows you to pay federal taxes and state income, along with employment taxes. Be sure to apply for any required permits or licenses, hire employees, and set up a business bank account.
Determine which type(s) of business insurance you need to start operating General liability insurance vs. property insurance vs. income insurance vs. worker’s comp vs. data breach coverage should be considered depending on the business model, scope, and size of the organization.
Choose a bank and set up a business account Separate business and personal funds, whether for spending or receivables, protect your interests. Be sure to consider personal relationships, potential lines of credit, credit cards, and small business support when choosing your banking institution.
Set up an accounting system Consult with a professional if you do not have the knowledge and experience to be organized and compliant with federal and state tax laws.It is important to establish a system for filing financial statements and reports, as well as tracking profits and losses, based on an annual budget and projections.
Determine which tools, equipment, technology, and electronic platforms are needed to operate the business Whether home-based or center-based, certain technologies and platforms will be necessary to operate the business. Are you a Mac or PC fan? Microsoft vs. Apple platforms will determine, by design, options for business tools and technology resources. Clinical data gathering, billing platforms, monitoring KPIs, HRIS, ATS, and more influence how to document, bill claims, make data-driven business decisions, recruit, select, hire, and document and retain team member information. Don’t be overwhelmed… Remember, start small, think big.
These steps may not seem glamorous or fun, however, it is essential to check the boxes to ensure you are set up to succeed and to protect your personal and professional interests for the long term.
These resources are neither endorsed nor supported by J2Jacobson Consulting, LLC or Raven Health and are simply provided to assist in expediting your research for starting an ABA provider company. We invite you to demo Raven Health ABA EHR and associated tools ABA Data Collection & Practice Management Software | Raven Health and to reach out to J2Jacobson Consulting Home (j2jacobsonconsulting.com) as you launch your journey into entrepreneurship.
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The four (4) C’s: cash, credentialing, contracting, clinical model
Data-driven decision-making is at the core of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Technology advancements continue to shape how behavior analysts and other ABA professionals approach client care. Traditional pen-and-paper documentation is steadily giving way to innovative digital solutions. Using technology for data collection improves accuracy and efficiency and allows behavior analysts to more rapidly make data-driven decisions to improve client outcomes.
Importance of Data Collection for Children with Autism
The vast majority of ABA clinicians, over 70%, work within the autism population (BACB). Each child is unique and requires individualized, data-driven care. As such, ABA clinicians know the importance of accurate and efficient data collection for driving the best possible outcomes. Data enables behavior analysts to develop tailored interventions based on a client’s needs, track progress, analyze trends, and make data-informed modifications about their progress on an ongoing basis. Data is crucial for assessing the effectiveness of interventions and ensuring clients progress toward their long-term goals.
How to Improve Data Collection with Technology
While many options exist for collecting ABA data, technology-based methods have emerged during the current digital age. Utilizing technology for data collection comes with many advantages. By using a data collection software that is tailored to the unique needs of ABA professionals, organizations can improve client and staff outcomes, resulting in improved quality of life for clients and higher job satisfaction for staff.
ABA organizations can improve their data collection methods by adopting digital-based data solutions. Some of the benefits of transitioning to a technology-based data collection method include:
Reduced chances of human error – Improved accuracy is one of the primary benefits of digital data. When using paper data, technicians may be unable to immediately enter data, resulting in data entry several minutes after the observation, reducing accuracy. Digital data collection allows staff to seamlessly enter data in real-time, which reduces the chances of staff forgetting the correct information and thus entering inaccurate data. Entering data only once, rather than transferring paper data to another system, also reduces the likelihood of human error.
Increased efficiency – Digtal data platforms allow technicians to enter data immediately upon observation, saving time and allowing technicians to focus more of their attention directly on their clients rather than being bogged down with paperwork. Digital data also makes session note writing effortless, allowing technicians to end each session with a well-written, concise note.
Streamlined data analysis – With real-time data submitted electronically, behavior analysts can readily analyze data, allowing them to make well-informed, data-driven treatment decisions. This all leads to more effective and individualized interventions.
Enhanced security and privacy – Digital ABA data also enhances the security and privacy of client data when using a HIPAA-compliant platform. All client data and session notes are housed in one secure location rather than on numerous data sheets that can be lost or misplaced.
Ease of use – In a fast-paced therapy session, carrying around a clunky clipboard or binder and scrambling through data sheets can be a challenge. Using a phone, tablet, or other compatible device, a technician can efficiently move about the session and seamlessly enter data as the session progresses without missing anything. Whether chasing clients around their homes or working out in the community, digital data makes this much more manageable.
Increased compliance – Maintaining records in one secure location increases compliance with laws, funding requirements, and regulatory bodies.
Why Are Some ABA Professionals Still Using Paper?
Despite the countless benefits of technology-driven data collection, some ABA clinicians still cling to paper-based and other disintegrated methods. This reluctance to transition to digital data collection often stems from a pre-existing comfort with using one’s current system. While paper data collection is less efficient and comes with other challenges, such as increased proneness to error and risk of non-compliance, change can be difficult to accept. Some behavior analysts may continue to use paper data because they feel it has worked well enough for them thus far. Likely, many are simply unaware of the available ABA data collection solutions and their benefits.
Other reasons ABA professionals may avoid adapting to digital data collection may be concerns regarding technology complexity, a lack of time to learn new methods, and the costs associated with digital platforms.
At Raven Health, we recognize the concerns many ABA clinicians have with transitioning to digital data collection. As such, we are committed to making the switch as seamless as possible.
Raven Health’s Mission to Equip the ABA Industry
Raven Health enables behavior analysts to harness the power of data collection effectively. With innovative software tailored for ABA, clinicians can improve client outcomes while improving staff satisfaction.
Schedule a demo today to see our platform in action and learn more about how we’re improving care through technology.
ReferencesCooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2019). Applied Behavior Analysis (3rd Edition). Hoboken, NJ: Pearson Education.
Board-certified behavior analysts (BCBAs) play a vital role in creating and implementing applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy programs, supporting the growth and development of their learners. However, BCBAs and other ABA professionals are known to experience high levels of burnout. Burnout encompasses the physical, emotional, and psychological exhaustion resulting from ongoing workplace stress. This phenomenon has significant implications for the ABA field.
Burnout is a pervasive issue that affects individuals across various domains of life, from the workplace to academia and personal life. Finding effective strategies to rejuvenate and restore balance becomes crucial when faced with burnout. This article explores the intersection of burnout and ABA.
What are the symptoms of burnout in ABA providers?
With the unprecedented cultural phenomenon of COVID-19 and the added stresses that came along with this, the rate of burnout in the ABA industry has reached an all-time high.
Unfortunately, this is not surprising, given the nature of the work. Social work, healthcare, and other “helping fields” have been known to have a higher-than-average burnout rate.
Before we can consider strategies for beating and avoiding burnout, we must first be able to identify the symptoms of it in ourselves and our supervisees. Burnout can manifest in different ways for everyone. However, there are many common signs. So, what does burnout in ABA look like?
You may be experiencing burnout if you identify with more than a few of the following:
● Consistently calling in or arriving late
● Constantly feeling overwhelmed at work
● Reduced motivation and enthusiasm for work
● Having a difficult time focusing or getting work done without procrastinating
● Feeling like your job does not matter or you are not effective (i.e., imposter syndrome)
● Frequently getting frustrated with coworkers, clients, or organizational processes
● Feeling emotionally and physically drained
● Increased irritability or other unpleasant emotions, such as sadness or hopelessness
● Physical symptoms, such as headaches or chronic stomachaches
● Insomnia or sleeping more than usual
What are the Factors that Contribute to BCBA Burnout?
Burnout is a complicated and multifaceted experience. While additional stressors that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic have exacerbated feelings of burnout in ABA professionals, burnout is not new to this field. BCBAs tend to experience burnout due to a combination of factors related to their work responsibilities and personal lives.
burnout due to a combination of factors related to their work responsibilities and personal lives.
Some of the primary factors that contribute to burnout in the ABA industry include:
A heavy workload–BCBAs tend to wear multiple hats, balancing heavy caseloads and endless administrative duties. Long working hours and a constant balancing of expectations can create burnout. As the demand for behavior analysts continues to rise, some ABA organizations take on more clients than they can handle. This can result in assigning large caseloads or requiring staff to work with clients whose needs are beyond their scope of competence.
A lack of resources and support–When a heavy workload is a factor of burnout, it is often paired with a lack of resources and support. Poor training or insufficient or inadequate ongoing guidance is one contributing factor. In addition to a lack of support, a lack of resources, such as streamlined data technology, scheduling, and billing resources, can make a BCBA’s job significantly more challenging, enhancing feelings of burnout.
Unrealistic work demands–Going hand-in-hand with a heavy workload, unrealistic work demands can make a behavior analyst feel ineffective, resulting in imposter syndrome. Most BCBAs go into this line of work to help others. Feeling ineffective due to unrealistic demands and heavy caseloads can be incredibly defeating.
Emotionally taxing work–Those working in helping professions tend to experience higher rates of burnout due to the emotionally taxing work that they do. Supporting individuals with intense behavioral needs and working through complex family dynamics can create emotional exhaustion in BCBAs.
Workplace conflict–ABA therapy settings with high levels of conflict can increase the likelihood of burnout. Conflict may arise with clients and caregivers as a BCBA navigates sensitive situations. Conflict may also arise with coworkers, supervisees, or supervisors. Research has found that conflict in the workplace is less likely to result in burnout when one has access to supportive co-workers or supervisors (Leiter & Maslach, 1998).
What Can Be Done to Beat BCBA Burnout?
Beating BCBA burnout requires a combination of organizational support and individual self-care strategies. The following list outlines several antecedent strategies organizations can employ that may reduce the likelihood of burnout in ABA practitioners.
Implement streamlined data collection practices:
Paper and pen data systems can create unnecessary busy work for behavior analysts, making their jobs more complex and taking vital time away from client care. As such, organizations can support their staff by utilizing electronic data collection that allows for seamless data collection, analysis of data, and report writing integration.
Enhance Training Procedures:
Improving your training and onboarding procedures is another strategy for reducing burnout. Organizations should regularly seek the feedback of their employees regarding training practices and enhance training protocols to meet the evolving needs of their teams. The onboarding process is essential for ensuring new staff adapt to the organization’s procedures and are well-prepared for their new role. However, training does not end after onboarding. Ongoing training and professional development should be a key focus for maintaining high-quality work and reducing the likelihood of BCBA burnout. Think outside the box. Consider pieces of training and resources for stress management, self-care, and burnout prevention, in addition to clinical training.
Supervision and Support: Ensure your BCBAs have access to regular supervision and support. Providing case support and organizational tools can help your BCBAs avoid overextending themselves, resulting in a lower likelihood of burnout. Find a healthy balance in supporting your team without micromanaging them.
Invest in technology and tools that make it easier for your BCBAs to do their job well–From practice management and data collection technologies to assessments and stimuli. Again, seek feedback from your team on what resources are the most essential for them.
Offer recognition and appreciation:
Don’t forget to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of your employees. As any ABA professional knows, positive reinforcement can make a significant impact on morale and work-related behaviors.
Raven Health offers ABA organizations a comprehensive solution to many of the factors that impact BCBA burnout. With a mobile platform, streamlined scheduling, and secure data collection, we aim to make the job of ABA professionals more enjoyable and less likely to evoke burnout. Allow your team to focus on enhanced client care by providing them with software that streamlines multiple aspects of their role.
Working as a behavior analyst can be both tremendously rewarding and emotionally draining.
Compassion fatigue, the experience of physical, emotional, and psychological exhaustion that results from helping others, is quite common in ABA clinicians. This can be a cause of and further exacerbate feelings of burnout.
Establishing a healthy work-life balance is crucial to reduce the impact of compassion fatigue and minimize the likelihood of burnout. Consider the following recommendations for maintaining a work-life balance and avoiding burnout.
Set boundaries: Establish clear boundaries regarding your work and personal life.
For example, set specified working hours and avoid taking on tasks outside of work hours, including phone calls and emails.
Communicate these boundaries with your employer, staff, and clients at the start of a new role, and continue to communicate new boundaries as they arise.
Advocate for support: When feeling overwhelmed, communicate a need for support before you reach the point of burnout.
Pay attention to precursor signs that may indicate you’re reaching your limit.
Advocate for assistance with workload management, additional supervision, organizational tools, or whatever else would make your job easier and more manageable.
Take breaks:
Constantly working can quickly bring on physical and emotional exhaustion, resulting in burnout.
Take time off to refresh and rejuvenate, whether a week-long vacation or a long weekend lazying around the home. Even short breaks during your workday can help you recharge.
Make self-care a priority: Prioritize self-care to reduce the impact that job-related stressors have on you. Incorporate relaxation techniques, exercise, mindfulness, and hobbies into your routines. Be sure to allocate time in your daily schedule for activities that bring you joy and reduce stress.
Reflect and adjust: Achieving and maintaining a work-life balance is an ongoing process. It’s easy to get into a rut as you go about your weekly routines, and before you know it, you’ve lost sight of your priorities.
Periodically evaluate your work-life balance and make modifications as necessary. Be flexible, as life can be unpredictable. However, be sure you are continuing to prioritize your personal needs and advocating for yourself.
Raven Health’s Mission to Equip the ABA Industry
At Raven Health, we are passionate about improving outcomes for both clients and ABA professionals.
To achieve the best possible outcomes for clients, the well-being of BCBAs and other ABA clinicians must be a top priority. We take this need seriously, tailoring our solutions to match the current and evolving needs of the ABA industry.
Raven Health is equipping the ABA industry with technology that actually makes client sessions easier. Improve your team’s job satisfaction and reduce BCBA burnout with our seamless and intuitive ABA data collection platform.
If you find this information helpful, please share it with another BCBA.
References
Maslach, C., & Goldberg, J. (1998). Prevention of burnout: New perspectives. Applied and Preventive Psychology, 7(1), 63–74.
Morse, G., Salyers, M. P., Rollins, A. L., Monroe-DeVita, M., & Pfahler, C. (2012). Burnout in mental health services: a review of the problem and its remediation. Administration and policy in mental health, 39(5), 341–352. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-011-0352-1
Novack, M. & Dixon, D. (2019). Predictors of burnout, job satisfaction, and turnover in behavior technicians working with individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Rev J Autism Dev Disord6, 413–421. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40489-019-00171-0
Plantiveau, C., Dounavi, K., & Virués-Ortega, J. (2018) High levels of burnout among early-career board-certified behavior analysts with low collegial support in the work environment. European Journal of Behavior Analysis, 19:2, 195-207, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15021149.2018.1438339
Schaufeli, W., & Enzmann, D. (1998). The burnout companion to study and practice: A critical analysis. CRC press.
Slowiak, J. M., & DeLongchamp, A. C. (2022). Self-care strategies and job-crafting practices among behavior analysts: Do they predict perceptions of work–life balance, work engagement, and burnout? Behavior Analysis in Practice, 15(2), 414–432. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-021-00570-y
WebMD. (n.d.). Compassion fatigue: Symptoms to look for. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/signs-compassion-fatigue
As an ABA clinic director, managing your clinic can be a challenging task. From scheduling appointments to tracking client progress, there’s a lot to keep track of. Fortunately, Raven Health offers a mobile-first platform that is designed to make your life easier.
Five reasons why ABA clinic directors love Raven Health
Mobile-first platform
Raven Health’s software is designed for use on mobile devices, making it easy to manage your clinic from anywhere. Whether you’re working from home or on-the-go, you can access all of your clinic’s data and manage your schedule with ease. This flexibility is essential for clinic directors who are always on the move.
Scheduling made easy
With Raven Health, scheduling appointments is a breeze. You can easily view your team’s availability, schedule new appointments, and send reminders to clients and staff. This makes it easy to stay organized and ensure that everyone is on the same page.
Intuitive interface
Raven Health’s interface is designed to be user-friendly and intuitive. You can quickly find the information you need, customize your dashboard, and easily navigate the software. This makes it easy for new users to get started and for experienced users to quickly find what they need.
Security and compliance
Raven Health takes security and compliance seriously. Their software is HIPAA-compliant, and they use advanced security measures to protect your clinic’s data. This ensures that your clients’ information is protected and that your clinic is in compliance with all relevant regulations.
Reliable data collection
Raven Health’s data collection tools are reliable and easy to use. You can easily record and track client progress, generate reports, and share data with your team. This makes it easy to stay on top of your clients’ progress and to make informed decisions about their treatment.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Raven Health provides ABA clinic directors with a comprehensive solution that offers a mobile-first platform, easy scheduling, intuitive interface, and secure data collection. By choosing Raven Health, you can simplify your workflow, manage your clinic more efficiently, and provide top-quality autism behavior therapy for your clients. With its user-friendly interface, reliable data collection tools, and advanced security measures, Raven Health is an excellent choice for any ABA clinic director who wants to streamline their clinic’s operations and improve their bottom line. Give Raven Health a try today and experience the benefits for yourself.
Billing shouldn’t be complicated, but with so many options out there it can be. Managing billing needs to be straightforward and streamlined, which is why we created Raven+ and Raven Enterprise. Our comprehensive solution is designed to help you maximize efficiency and increase your profitability without all of the hassle. With a streamlined process, independent auditing services, and accurate reporting, you can rest easy knowing that your billing needs are being met.
Launching Your ABA Startup
As a BCBA working in the ABA community, your day-in and day-out goal is to provide the highest quality and ethically sound care you can. The years spent training and studying have prepared you to do just that.
For some, the desire to have a greater impact on the community they work with leads them to make the brave decision to go out on their own, hang up a shingle, and open their own ABA company.
For most, it is not an easy decision to arrive at. It can be a scary road to take, as there are many things to consider beyond just the delivery of high-quality clinical care.
Avoiding Audits, Claim Denials, and Other ABA Hurdles
The transition into being a new business owner after working as a BCBA, Clinical Director, or even in a senior clinical leadership role, can feel overwhelming.
There are so many areas of running a successful business that you may not have been exposed to in your previous role. Just to get your business started, there are myriad legal steps to complete, specific types of insurance to acquire, and financial relationships to develop.
Once you have taken the initial steps to establish your business, you must contract and credential with the funding sources you plan to work with. This can be a complicated and timely process that, if not done correctly, can lead to delays in starting treatment with clients, delays in claims payment, and even claims denials.
It is imperative that this process is done correctly, to ensure timely access for clients and ease of payment for you.
Maximizing the Right Tools: Raven’s Managed Billing Solution
When it comes to the claims process, you have a few options: you can attempt to do it yourself, hire someone to come in and do it for you, or you can outsource this process to experts that will work on your behalf to ensure you get the payments you are entitled to, as well as keep you safe from audits. With Raven’s managed billing solution, our network of specialists can take care of the details and eliminate the hassle, so you can focus on what really matters.
Raven+ and Raven Enterprise offer solutions to fit your needs. Let the Raven team handle to the complicated process of contracting, credentialing, authorization submission and management, benefits verification, claims scrubbing, and claim submission.
Raven allows you to focus on what you do best as a clinical team, and we handle the rest.
At Raven, one of our guiding principles is active listening. Our company culture is built around the idea that everyone has a voice that deserves to be heard, and we all have something of value to contribute. Serving the autism community has taught us that voices from diverse backgrounds add insight and nuance to our collective knowledge.
Without actively listening to new perspectives, we close ourselves off from creativity and positive change. That is why we extend our core value of listening to our user base. Our product was built for behavior technicians, and we recognize that we have so much to learn from the people in a position to use Raven every day.
Incorporating feedback, requests, and insights from the people we aim to serve ensures that we stay on track and deliver a best-in-class product that is tailor-made to meet our users’ needs.
The Raven Health User Feedback Portal
Our app was designed to save time and add convenience for autism behavior analysts as they track the behaviors and skill development of their clients. In addition to the features you know and love, we are proud to operate and maintain a user feedback portal that is integral to the process of learning, using, and updating the Raven Health app.
On the feedback portal, Raven users can request new features, and enhancements to existing features, as well as upvote other users’ requests. Every two weeks, the topmost upvoted requests are directly analyzed by our product team for inclusion into our roadmap for new developments and updates to the platform. All you need is Raven Health log-in credentials to begin contributing to the conversation and helping us further develop the app.
In addition to the Roadmap View and the ability to give feedback, the user feedback portal also has a changelog where you can read about all of the updates we have made to the product thus far. Our goal is to keep our users in the know about the changes they can expect to see from Raven and keep ourselves accountable to our goal of continuously improving the platform.
Why User Feedback Matters
Prioritizing user feedback ensures that Raven stays true to the needs of our user base and incorporates the latest trends and advancements in the ABA therapy field. We can identify commonalities in user needs across a variety of settings and push those features to the forefront of our development. Raven incorporates feedback from users based in a wide array of settings including clinic-based ABA therapy providers, school-based BCBAs, and adult residential programs, ensuring that user experience always drives our product development.
As we navigate the landscape of an underserved client base, Raven prioritizes listening to our users to continuously improve our product. Doing so helps us make sure that ABA providers are benefiting from using the best technology out there. These benefits are wide-reaching, as every part of the behavior therapy business depends on diligent and seamless ABA data collection for billing insurance, measuring progress, and planning future care.
Our product development has always been informed and guided by BCBAs. Whether you deliver clinic-based care, school-based care, or operate a private practice, we want to hear from you as you use Raven to fulfill your ABA data collection needs. Our commitment to listening and incorporating user feedback is central to our vision of success: delivering an ABA technology solution that makes life easier for our users.
