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BCBA licensing has passed!

The Minnesota Legislature has passed the BCBA Licensing Bill and has been signed into law by the Governor. It will take effect on January 1, 2025. Minnesota will be the 38th state to license Applied Behavior Analysis.

This new law will require anyone who wishes to practice applied behavior analysis and use the title of Behavior Analyst, to be licensed by the Minnesota Board of Psychology, unless they are exempt for the reasons listed below. Their title in Minnesota would become "Licensed Behavior Analyst."

To qualify for licensure as a behavior analyst, the individual must have a current and active national certification as a board certified behavior analyst, and pass a background check.

The practice of Applied Behavior Analysis means the design, implementation, and evaluation of social, instructional, and environmental modifications to produce socially significant improvements in human behavior. The practice of applied behavior analysis includes the empirical identification of functional relations between behavior and environmental factors, known as a functional behavioral assessment and analysis. Applied behavior analysis interventions are based on scientific research, direct and indirect observation, and measurement of behavior and environment and utilize contextual factors, motivating operations, antecedent stimuli, positive reinforcement, and other procedures to help individuals develop new behaviors, increase or decrease existing behaviors, and emit behaviors under specific social, instructional, and environmental conditions.

The following is a list of exceptions to the licensing requirement:

  • An individual who is providing behavior analysis services under the authority and direction of a licensed behavior analyst.

  • An individual who is licensed to practice psychology.

  • An individual who is practicing under the supervision of a licensed psychologist.

  • An individual who is licensed, certified, or registered by the state to practice within their own scope of practice.

  • An employee of a school district who is employed to provide behavior analysis services.

  • An employee of a program that is licensed under chapter 245D and is employed to provide behavioral support services.

  • An individual who is teaching behavior analysis or conducting behavior analysis research in an accredited school.

  • A family member of the recipient of behavior analysis services.

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Click here for the detailed law passed by the legislature.

Click here to see the HF 5247, the big overall bill that the BCBA license is part of. You can find the record of the vote and governor's signature here.

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  • I am showing up as "not registered" for the workshop I'm attending, what should I do?
    If you are showing as "not registered" for your workshop, find our conference director or email our conference director here: conference@mnaba.org. This will need to be manually adjusted.
  • What email address and password do I use to log in with Behavior Live?
    By default, your log in for Behavior Live is the email address and password you used to check out when purchasing your MNABA 2024 conference registration.
  • What should I do if I want to use a different email for my Behavior Live account?
    If you would like to use a different email address for your Behavior Live account than the email address you registered for the conference with, contact the conference director or the website director. Contact our conference director at: conference@mnaba.org Contact our website director at: website@mnaba.org
  • What should I do if my email is correct but my password does not work to log into Behavior Live?
    Select "Forgot Password" on the Behavior Live login page if you know your are logging into Behavior Live with the correct email address (the email you registered for the conference with), but your password is not working. You should then receive an email at the login email address to reset your password. Click on the link in the email, reset your password, and log in with your new password.
  • How do I document my CEUs if I do not have a smartphone to scan the QR code with?
    If you are not able to document your CEUs using your smart phone, visit or email our conference director to receive credit for the CEUs you attend. Email our conference director here: conference@mnaba.org
  • How do I check in and check out on behavior live?
    Check in for your CEU on Behavior Live using these steps: Log into Behavior Live. Select the "CEU scan" option on the bottom of your screen, circled in the picture. Scan the check-in QR code. QR codes are posted on the main door to enter your CEU and in select spaces around the room. To check in, you must scan the check-in code within 10 minutes of the start time. You will not be able to scan after 10 minutes. Attend your CEU. At the end of your CEU, re-open the "CEU scan" button on the bottom of your screen. Scan the check out code.
  • Where do I find check-in/check-out codes?
    QR codes to check in and out with are posted on the main doors to the talk and on select tables throughout the CEU event you attending.

Licensure

MNABA, as an organization, is working to support bills that will establish licensure for behavior analysts in Minnesota.

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Why is licensure important to Minnesotans?

A bill that licenses behavior analysts will create protections for members of the public who receive behavior analytic services by creating more oversight and establishing state-level credentials for the minimum level of competency required to deliver behavior analytic services. Currently, there are no such standards in the state of Minnesota that guarantee all members of the public a basic level of service quality. MNABA is working to change that. 

 

A bill that licenses behavior analysts will also ensure that more people have access to behavior analytic services, while still maintaining the quality of services as the field grows. MNABA believes and supports that all people deserve to have access to high quality behavior analytic services, for those that choose to receive ABA therapy. Currently, there is a large deficit in the number of individuals who need and desire behavior analytic services and the number of service providers who are currently eligible to provide those services. 

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