Dear UK-SBA Members and Supporters,

As promised, the UK-SBA board held an emergency meeting of the Board of Directors on 14 January 2020 to discuss the BACB’s announcement regarding changes to its international focus.

Also as promised, the UK-SBA has liaised directly with the BACB to discuss next steps for supporting UK BCBAs/BCaBAs and behaviour analysts in training.  Dr Jim Carr, CEO of the BACB, has expressed his support for the UK-SBA’s efforts toward professional recognition and noted that our voluntary register is a positive development.

Given the UK-SBA’s work over the past five years, we are in a strong position to develop a UK-based solution to certification, and we will be working closely with the BACB to support us in this process. However, there is still much to do with regard to developing a fully-functioning UK-based credentialing system.  As a potential bridge to this transition, the UK-SBA will be applying for the BACB’s country-specific certification.  However, please be advised that the outcome of this application is by no means guaranteed.  Further, it will in no way alter our efforts to develop a UK-based certification for behaviour analysts. We will shortly be applying for Professional Standards Authority (PSA) accreditation of our register and forming working groups to develop UK-based standards for behaviour analytic training.  Given the number of established and successful university courses we have available, and the number of home-grown CEU providers, the UK-SBA views the coming years as an exciting opportunity to shape the future of behaviour analysis in the UK.  As we move forward, we will be consulting with our members, our consumers, our universities offering behaviour analytic training, and our colleagues and friends across all areas of behaviour analytic practice.

We remain committed to protecting our UK behaviour analysts, students, and consumers.  Existing and up-and-coming BACB certificants can be assured that the BCBA, BCaBA and RBT qualifications will always be valued in the UK and will certainly map across to any UK system we later develop.

We urge you to support our efforts by joining the UK-SBA register, as a well-populated register will strengthen our application to the PSA.  We thank those who have already registered.  The practice of ABA is stronger when we all stand together, unified in the high standards of professional and ethical practice required of our registrants.

Yours sincerely,

UK-SBA Board of Directors