Chapter 17: Delivering the Ethics Message Effectively

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Chapter 17 Delivering the Ethics Message
Effectively

• Presented by Kevin Pronovost

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Why is communication so essential to delivering
the ethics message?
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Importance of Communication Skills

• Know the Guidelines
• Know the Situation
• Immediate response
• Buy some time

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What do interpersonal skills have to do with
communication? What interpersonal skills do we
need to be effective as behavior analysts?
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Interpersonal Skills

• Initial Intake with the client
• Gain trust Establish respect
• Build rapport
• Good listener
• Show Confidence
• Caring attitude
• Friendly demeanor
• Good eye contact
• Read body language

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Provide your analysis

• Use plain (non-technical) language
• Good eye contact

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Provide your analysis

• Strong voice
• Signs of disagreement
• Receiving poor eye contact
• Shifting in their seat
• Ask to discuss concerns
• Do NOT point out behaviors that signal
  disagreement
• Present data but illustrate with stories,
  anecdotes, and analogies

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Preparation and training

• Adults
• Resistant to change
• Dont like being told what to do
• Behavior Analyst needs to be able to break down
  tasks into smaller elements - true task analysis
• Explain how you want something done
• Be patient
• Provide a proper model
• Role-play situations
• Set up observations

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Preparation and training

• Provide positive feedback
• Allow them to become confident
• Read body language (are they overwhelmed or
  bored)

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Communicating with Colleagues

• Do not gossip
• If someone starts to gossip say
• I dont really want to hear that
• Lets talk about Billys behavior plan

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Communicating with Colleagues

• If you do say somethingSpeak kindly about
  others. It shows
• You admire others
• You arent afraid to give credit to others
• Do not discuss salary or company benefits
• Causes unnecessary friction

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Any questions?
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Persuasion and influence

• Influence involves changing the attitudes and
  behaviors of other people without using any force
  or show of power. Bailey Burch
• Persuasion is a process for logically presenting
  your point of view to a group that is responsible
  for making an important decision. Bailey
  Burch
• Persuasion produces an effect without force,
  while influence involves changing an opinion by
  presenting your view, sometimes by using argument
  or debate

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Tactics For Using Influence

• Framing the issue your way presenting the
  discussion in a context with which you feel
  comfortable
• Using information for influence present relevant
  information and examples, dont necessarily rely
  on data alone
• Having influence through your technical
  expertise convince them that you not only
  understand their problem, but are uniquely
  trained to deal with it

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Elements of Persuasion

• Credibility
• If you are sincere, honest, reliable, and have
  integrity you develop credibility.
• Credibility Trust Experience
• Understand your audience
• Who are the professionals you are talking to
• What is their decision making process
• Does the leader have influence within the group
• Watch closely for reactions, body language, and
  pause for questions

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Elements of Persuasion

• Making a solid case
• Compelling story
• Paint a picture of what you want
• Present your evidence (graphs, charts, diagrams)
• Anticipate and answer any objections
• End with a clear statement of what you want done

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Elements of Persuasion

• Effectively communicating
• Begin with a dramatic or compelling story OR
  analyze the problem
• Present your plan and discuss how it will solve
  the problem
• Focus on how both individuals and the group will
  benefit

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Persuasion and influence

• Remember decisions are made by people with
  feelings
• Paint a picture, be descriptive
• Need to be able to tell a story, make it
  relevant, appeal to everyone, have a conclusion
  that is satisfying

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Delivering the Ethics Message to a Client

• Dont send mixed messages
• Dont lie
• Is there a Company policy

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Delivering the Ethics Message to a Parent or
Family Member

• You need to form a relationship built on trust
  and respect
• Possible Issues
• Not taking data
• Making up stories
• Not carrying out the program
• Discipline borders on abuse

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Delivering the Ethics Message to agencies,
supervisors, or administrators

• Issues
• Administrators have asked behavior analysts to
• Make up data or assessment results
• Say services were needed when they were not
• Working with a friends child who was not an
  official client

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Any questions?
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Scenario 1 Delivering the Message to a Client

•  
• What you say

•  
• What you do

• Use an autoclitic (secondary verbal operant in
  which the speakers own verbal behavior functions
  as a MO for additional verbal behavior)
• State the fact/situation
• Refer to the guidelines
• Tell what the guidelines say
• Summarize

• Dan, I like you as a friend
• But I work here and it is not appropriate for
  someone who works here to go out with a client
• I have something called a Code of Ethics
• It says I cant go out with clients
• It would not be appropriate.

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Scenario 2 Delivering the Message to parents and
family members

•  
• What you say

•  
• What you do

• Hi Mrs. M. I noticed your roses
• how has it been going?
• how are you feeling about taking the data?
• This has got to be tough for you
• this data doesnt make sense
• In my field, we have a Code of Ethics
• Cooper could lose his behavioral services.

• Establish rapport
• Ask questions/listen
• Be respectful/understanding of others
• State the facts/situation
• Refer to the guidelines
• Summarize describe what could happen if the
  Guidelines are not followed

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Scenario 3 Delivering the Message to agencies,
supervisors, or administrators

•  
• What you say

•  
• What you do

• So what is it you want me to do?
• I know you want the facility to do well on the
  review
• but I have never assessed the clients and this
  would not be right.I really love working here,
  I love the program
• and I appreciate how much you care about the
  clients.
• but I have a Code of Ethics to uphold and I
  cant fabricate assessment results
• How about this? I can schedule assessment
  dates

• Ask questions
• Be respectful/understanding of others
• Present your point of view
• Reinforce what others are doing right
• Refer to the guidelines
• Present a solution

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Scenario 4 Delivering the Message to non
behavioral professionals

•  
• What you say

•  
• What you do

• Ian was polite while Debbie (OT) gave her report.
• I agree with Debbie that Cassie has motor
  problems etc.
• I want to talk about the behavioral issues
• I would like to have tantrums on the plan as a
  target behavior
• Im bound by a Code of Ethics that says the next
  step is a functional analysis (FA)
• We need to put the FA and behavior program with
  data collection on her plan.

• Listen to others
• Be respectful of others
• Present your point of view
• State what you would like to happen
• Refer to the guidelines
• Present a solution

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Scenario 4 Delivering the Message to another
behavioral analyst

•  
• What you say

•  
• What you do

• I know you care about people
• Is there any chance you consult via phone?
• I dont want to see you get in trouble
• Have you looked at the Guidelines lately?
• You could hire BCBAs to work for you.

• Be respectful of others
• Ask questions
• Present your point of view
• Refer to the guidelines
• Present a solution

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Behavior Analyst certification board guidelines
vs. APA code of ethics

• BACB
• Guideline 2 The Behavior Analysts
  Responsibility to Clients
• Guideline 5 - The Behavior Analyst as Teacher or
  Supervisor
• Guideline 6 The Behavior Analyst and the
  Workplace
• Guideline 8 - The Behavior Analysts Ethical
  Responsibility to Colleagues
• Guideline 9 The Behavior Analyst s Responsibility
  to Society

• APA
• Standard 3 Human relations
• Standard 5 Advertising and Other Public
  Statements
• Standard 7 Education and Training

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References

• Bailey, J.S. Burch, M.R. (2010). 25 Essential
  skills Strategies for the professional
  behavior analyst. Routledge
• Bailey, J.S. Burch, M.R. (2011). Ethics for
  behavior analysts (2nd Expended Edition).
  Routledge