Credentialing: Practical Functional Assessment (PFA) and Skill-Based Treatment (SBT) of Severe Problem Behavior

Why should I become credentialed?

FTF’s credentialing provides professionals with an opportunity to verify their experiences with respect to the PFA and SBT process and receive recognition for their education, application and implementation experience, and supervision.

As a credentialed professional, you will:

• Receive independent verification of training and experience (consistent with requirements of Code 1.05; Behavior Analyst Certification Board®, 2020)
• Obtain a certificate and a wallet card verifying completion of requirements for your credential level
• Be featured on the FTF Credential Directory which will allow potential clients to connect with you
• Be invited to FTF’s Big Ideas and New Discoveries, an advanced topics interactive seminar organized exclusively for credentialed professionals

Ask our experts

If you have additional questions that we have not yet answered, we’d love to hear from you. Please submit the following form, and we’ll be in touch shortly.

View the FTF Credentialing Directory

Our directory includes interactive maps and comprehensive lists of professionals credentialed in the PFA-SBT of Severe Problem behavior in your area.

FTF’s Big Ideas and New Discoveries

FTF is excited to host a series of free events, Big Ideas and New Discoveries, organized exclusively for professionals credentialed in Practical Functional Assessment (PFA) and Skill Based Treatment (SBT) of severe problem behavior.

Monthly, via Zoom, an FTF consultant will host a 60-minute interactive presentation of advanced topics with respect to the PFA and SBT process. Topics will range from new tactics and process updates to common implementation suggestions and considerations. Previous topics include:

• How to Respond to Problem Behavior in Kind and Effective Ways by Dr. Gregory P. Hanley
• A review of FTF’s updated PFA-SBT workbook by Dr. Mahshid Ghaemmaghami.

Access FTF’s Comprehensive Calendar for a series of events to level up your credentials and view the next Big Ideas and New Discoveries event.

Policies and Procedures

Applying for Credentialing

When submitting your application, the following fields are requested:

• Name
• Company name
• Address
• Phone number
• Email
• Credential level for which you are applying
• Education/Occupation (select all that apply):
  • BCBA, BCBA-D, BCaBA, RBT, Teacher, Paraprofessional/Educational Assistant/Behavior Tech, Psychologist, Psychiatrist, SLP, OT, Social Worker
• Context in which you work (select all that apply):
  • Public school, Specialized school for autism or related disabilities, Hospital, Inpatient clinic, Outpatient clinic, Residential facility, Habilitative/Day Program, Home-Based
• Consent to display your name on ftfbc.com
• Application fee
• Requested documentation (see eligibility requirements for more information)
  • If your credential level requires a verification letter, please download a verification form, complete the requested fields, and submit it with your application:
    • For Levels 3 and 4
    • For Level 6

Initial Application Fee	$60 US dollars
Renewal Fee	$10 US dollars
Level up Fee	$10 US dollars

Application for Credentialing in Practical Functional Assessment (PFA) and Skill-Based Treatment (SBT) of severe problem behavior is managed by FTF Behavioral Consulting.  You may find the application form here. Once your application is submitted, you will receive a confirmation email.  Keep in mind that it may take 4 weeks to process your application.  Please ensure all requested fields and documentation are thoroughly completed in a single submission to ensure the quickest processing time. Missing documentation may result in longer processing time.

After your application is approved

Following expert evaluation (i.e., document review, direct observation) and approval, FTF provides PDF certificates for each credential level.  An example certificate is below.

 

• First and Last Name: Displayed as it appears on your application.

• Credentialing Number: An 8-digit number unique to your credentials.

• Issue Date: Day in which your certification officializes.
• Expiration Date: Day in which your certification expires. To maintain a credential level or level up, you must apply for Renewal at least once per calendar year
• Credentialing Level: Level for which you have completed the requirements for.

After your credentialing application is approved, you will receive an email with a copy of your certificate and a wallet card, and FTF’s Addressing Severe Problem Behavior with Today’s ABA Pledge. Credential holders will be listed in FTF’s Credentialing Directory within three weeks of receiving their credentials.  Please note, only applicants who provide consent during the application process will be displayed.

Renew or Level Up your Credentials

The purpose of FTF’s renewal requirement is to acknowledge the importance of continued education with respect to the Practical Functional Assessment and Skill-Based Treatment as we continue to refine the elements of the process.

You must apply for renewal at least once per calendar year, with a maximum of 30 days before the expiration date.  Refer to the chart below for renewal options.

	Purpose	Documentation	Fee
Renew	To encourage certificants to stay up to date on developments in PFA and SBT within their current credential level.	Learn Dash CEU Certificates of Completion	$10
Level Up	To encourage certificants to expand their PFA and SBT skills beyond requirements of their current credential level.	Requested documentation for next level (see Eligibility Chart)	$10

Renewal for Credentialing in Practical Functional Assessment (PFA) and Skill-Based Treatment (SBT) of severe problem behavior is managed by FTF Behavioral Consulting. Once your application is submitted, you will receive a confirmation email.  Keep in mind that it may take 4 weeks to process your application.  Please ensure all requested fields and documentation are thoroughly completed in a single submission to ensure the quickest processing time.

Access FTF’s Comprehensive Calendar for a series of events to level up your credentials and view the next Big Ideas and New Discoveries event.

FAQs

Q 1. What is the value for becoming a credentialed professional?

• FTF’s credentialing provides professionals with an opportunity to verify their experiences with respect to the PFA and SBT process and receive recognition for their training, implementation experience, and supervision.

As a credentialed professional, you will:

• Receive independent verification of training and experience (consistent with requirements of Code 1.05; Behavior Analyst Certification Board®, 2020);
• Obtain a certificate and wallet card verifying completion of requirements for your credential level.
• Be featured on the FTF Credential Directory which will allow potential clients to connect with you.
• Be invited to FTF’s Big Ideas and New Discoveries, an advanced topics interactive seminar organized exclusively for credentialed professionals

Q2. Why should I credential professionals within my organization?

• Grow with confidence by ensuring the integrity of PFA and SBT implementation within your organization through expert evaluation (i.e., document review, direct observation) consistent with FTF’s credentialing process requirements
• Ensure recognition of expertise within your organization
• Obtain and retain stakeholder interest
• Increase consumer confidence and influence within your community
• Improve the services you provide while safeguarding the individuals you serve
• Promote and maintain continued education and professional development

Q3. If I am implementing or providing supervision on PFA and SBT, do I need to stop until I am credentialed? Do I have to be credentialed to implement the PFA and SBT process?

• No, you do not need credentials to implement PFA and SBT. You do need credentials to provide supervision to those implementing the process. Anyone can do and can continue to do PFA and SBT without credentialing, and we respect the implementer’s capability to discern what is within their scope of competence. The voluntary credentialing program is offered via FTF to serve a growing international demand for training, implementation support, and supervision regarding the PFA and SBT process. By providing professionals with an opportunity to verify their competency-based experiences and featuring them in FTF’s Credential Directory, FTF can help increase consumer confidence in a given professional competence (i.e., Education , Application, Implementation, Advanced Knowledge, Supervision) and connect professionals and supervisors with potential clients and supervisees, globally.

Q4. Do I have to receive supervision from an FTF consultant?

• No, you are not required to receive supervision from an FTF consultant to implement PFA and SBT. Anyone can do and can continue to do PFA and SBT without credentialing, and we respect the implementer’s capability to discern what is within their scope of competence. FTF’s credentialing program allows those who have completed competency-based supervisory training via FTF to be recognized for their experience and featured on the FTF Credentialing Directory, allowing potential clients and supervisees to connect with them.

Q 5. I attended a two-day live workshop before January 1, 2019, may I still apply for credentialing?

• The purpose of FTF’s credentialing in PFA and SBT of severe problem behavior is to acknowledge the importance of continued training in the process even as its elements are refined. Therefore, only workshops, live trainings and courses delivered on, or after, January 1, 2019, will be accepted.

Q6. Can I apply to level up more than once per year?

• As you acquire new skills and meet new eligibility requirements with respect to credentialing in PFA and SBT, we strongly encourage leveling up.

Q7. How do I get started?

• First, review the requirements to ensure that you meet the eligibility qualifications for the level for which you are applying. Then, complete an application.  Please ensure all requested fields and documentation are thoroughly completed in a single submission to ensure the quickest processing time.  You may find the application form here.

Q8. Do I need master’s degree to apply?

• No, you do not need a master’s degree to apply for credentialing.

Q9. Do I need to be a BCBA to apply?

• No; however, levels 6 and 7 require an independent practitioner’s credential such as BCBA, SLP, Licensed Special Ed Teacher, or LCSW/LMSW.

Q10. I’m new to the PFA/SBT process, can I still apply? 

• If you are new to the process, we recommend enrolling in the 10-hr on-demand course to complete your Level 1 requirement in the eligibility chart. Please find the 10 hour on-demand course: Practical Functional Assessment and Skill-Based Treatment here.

Q11. Do you accept international applicants? Is the credentialing program International? 

• Yes, FTF accepts applications from professionals regardless of residence. In other words, it’s an international credentialing system.

Q12: Why are FTF’s Big Ideas and New Discoveries events for credentialed professionals only?

• The series of events will include advanced topics and interactive seminars for which it would be first necessary for a professional to have received up-to-date education and training with respect to the PFA-SBT process (i.e., completion of an updated [2019, or later] PFA-SBT course/workshop). FTF’s credentialing process verifies the completion of necessary prerequisites.

Q13. Where can I find a verification letter template to submit with my application?

• Please download a copy of the template for verification of implementation credentials:
  • For Levels 3 and 4
  • For Level 6