A Review of Board Standards Across Behavioral Health Professions: Where Does the BCBA Credential Stand?

The increasing demand for behavior analytic services and the number of individuals pursuing credentials to provide these services evoke questions regarding certification and how the requirements for becoming a Board Certified Behavior Analyst® (BCBA®) compare with those for other professions. In this paper, we compared licensure and board certification requirements across similar behavioral health professions (i.e., behavior analysis, clinical social work, educational psychology, marriage and family therapy, and clinical psychology) and found that the minimum requirements for certification of behavior analysts were commensurate. We discuss the implications of our comparisons for practitioners, consumers, and the field and offer some recommendations for future consideration.