REGISTERED BEHAVIOR TECHNICIAN (RBT)
In the Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) service delivery system, the Board Certified Behavior Analyst® (BCBA®) and the Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analysts® (BCaBA®) assess clients and develop plans, procedures, and strategies to effect behavioral change. Under their close supervision, the Registered Behavior Technician® (RBT®) puts those plans into practice.
In school-based Registered Behavior Technician jobs, RBTs work one-on-one or in small group settings with students ages 3-21. These students are most often on the autism spectrum or have another developmental disorder for which ABA therapy proves effective. RBTs help them learn and master the behaviors needed to access their education and succeed in the learning environment.
Behavioral health technicians:
- Instruct students in acquiring specific skills targeted in the behavioral intervention plan (BIP).
- Observe and collect accurate data about students’ behaviors, monitoring students’ progress and the plan’s efficacy.
- Nurture students’ social skills through focused interactions.
- Update the BCBA or BCaBA, teachers, administrators, and parents or other caregivers on a regular basis, in verbal and written form on students’ progress.
- Train students’ families in ways to reinforce treatment plans outside the school.
At Pediatric Therapeutic Services (PTS), we value the RBT’s key role in translating a well-developed behavior plan into concrete, positive changes in students’ lives. Our RBTs are making a meaningful difference for kids in public school districts and private schools across the Greater Delaware Valley.
Will you be the next RBT to join our team?
Training and Testing Requirements for Landing RBT Jobs
Registered Behavior Technician jobs offer a great entry-level pathway into the behavioral and mental health fields.
To be certified so you qualify for an RBT job, you must:
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Hold a high school diploma or the equivalent.
- Pass a background check within 180 days of your certification application.
- Complete at least 40 hours of qualified training, in person or online.
- Complete your RBT initial competency assessment no sooner than 90 days before your certification application.
Your 40 hours’ training must be based on the RBT Task List (2nd ed.). This list specifies six areas of primary tasks you will likely need to perform in your work:
- Measurement
This includes continuous and discontinuous procedures, updating graphs, and describing behavior and environment in observable and measurable terms. - Assessment
This encompasses preference assessments and individualized and functional assessment procedures. - Skill Acquisition
Centers on preparation for sessions as written skill acquisition plans require and implementing various teaching procedures (discrete trial training, incidental, stimulus control, prompting and fading, token economies, and others). - Behavior Reduction
This involves the interpretation of a written behavior reduction plan and implementing differential reinforcement, extinction, and emergency procedures according to protocol. - Documentation and Reporting
This includes effective communication with a supervisor, generating objective session notes, and regulatory compliance. - Professional Conduct and Scope of Practice
This focuses on authorized communications with stakeholders, maintenance of professional boundaries, and attention to client dignity.
The RBT Initial Competency Assessment evaluates your readiness to perform 20 common behavioral health technician tasks. You must complete the tasks with a client, in a role play, or in an interview (based on the instructions in each section of the assessment). You may complete your assessment in person, live online, or through observation of recorded videos created specifically for the purpose.
Passing the RBT Exam is the final step in your certification process. It contains 85 multiple-choice questions covering the same six areas as your 40-hour training.
Help Students Now and Build Your Behavioral Health Career with PTS
Clinicians in Registered Behavior Technician jobs make between $23,000 and $44,000 a year. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn’t currently specify how much it expects RBT jobs to grow. But, it forecasts 12% growth through 2029 for psychiatric (or mental health) technicians and aides, who also help people who have cognitive and developmental disabilities and disorders.
If you feel drawn to help children and adolescents who are living with these challenges and have a desire to understand more about human behavior, entering the applied behavior analysis field as an RBT could be the right move for you.
PTS invites you to explore joining our team as an Independent Contractor. Browse our currently available Registered Behavior Technician jobs below, then send us your resume.
We can help you find the perfect placement for helping students as you build a strong foundation for your future in behavioral and mental health.