Licensed behavior analyst

Abstract: To improve the interdisciplinary knowledge and understanding of diverse career paths for behavior analysts, this chapter provides an overview of the education, practical training, and licensure standards for several clinical professions. Medicine is reviewed as the profession which has set the standards for training and professional practice regulation in the United States. Clinical psychology, social work, counseling, school psychology, and licensed behavior analyst career paths are discussed in parallel formats highlighting their training and regulatory similarities and differences. Each profession’s relationship with evidence-based practice (e.g., whether compulsory within the profession’s ethical standards) and opportunities for coursework and supervised practice grounded in behavioral principles are reviewed. The chapter closes with a discussion of future directions in the licensure of master’s level practitioners in health services psychology, an area with a broad scope of practice emphasizing improving functioning in all areas of behavioral and mental health.