Special Learning — Free Resource

New RBT Onboarding Checklist

First 30 / 60 / 90 Days — for newly hired RBTs and the agencies welcoming them

How to use this checklist: Print it, share it with your supervisor, and work through each phase together. Items marked (agency) are primarily for the hiring organization; all others are for the incoming RBT. This checklist covers credential basics, supervision, documentation habits, ethics essentials, and professional-development tracking — everything you need to start strong and stay compliant.

Before Day 1

Credential & Paperwork Readiness

RBT Credential Verification

Confirm your RBT credential is active on the BACB website at bacb.com and your certificate expiration date is recorded.

Log in to your BACB certificant account and note your 2-year renewal window. Your renewal period runs 2 years from your initial certification date. Under the current BACB requirement (effective January 1, 2026), you must earn 12 Professional Development (PD) units within each 2-year cycle.

Record your next renewal deadline and add a calendar reminder 6 months before it. If you were certified on or after January 1, 2026, your first 12-PDU deadline falls within your initial 2-year window. The universal first deadline for the new requirement is January 2028.

(Agency) Collect a copy of the new hire's RBT certificate and store it in the personnel file.

Background Check & Paperwork

Background check completed and results on file with the agency. (Agency) Requirements vary by state and by client-funding source (Medicaid, private pay). Confirm you have met the applicable standard.

HIPAA acknowledgment / privacy training completed and signed.

Employment paperwork complete: I-9, W-4, direct deposit, and any state-specific forms.

(Agency) Mandated-reporter training completed per applicable state law.

Days 1–14

Supervision Structure & Expectations

Know Your Supervisor

Identify your assigned BACB-credentialed supervisor (BCBA or BCaBA) by name, credential, and contact information.

Confirm your supervision schedule: days, times, format (in-person, telehealth, or both). The BACB RBT Requirements specify the minimum ongoing supervision percentage for your caseload hours. Your supervisor is responsible for tracking this — confirm with them how it is documented at your agency.

Obtain and review the agency's supervision contact log / template. Know where and how each supervision session is recorded.

Understand the process for reaching your supervisor in urgent clinical situations (client safety, behavioral emergency, crisis response).

Supervision Logistics

First scheduled supervision observation completed — supervisor observed you with a client and provided written or verbal performance feedback.

Know how to report a supervision scheduling conflict or cancellation — and the procedure if the minimum supervision percentage is at risk of not being met.

Reviewed the RBT Ethics Code with your supervisor and understand that the RBT Ethics Code (2.0) governs your professional conduct.

Supervision tip: Your supervisor is your primary resource — not a compliance formality. Bring client questions, data-collection uncertainties, and skill-acquisition concerns to supervision proactively. Document those conversations; they are part of your professional record.

First 30 Days

Data Collection & Documentation Habits

Session Preparation

Reviewed each assigned client's current behavior intervention plan (BIP) and skill acquisition program before your first session with that client.

Know the target behaviors and skill programs for each client: what you are measuring, how (frequency, duration, interval, trial-by-trial), and on what data sheet or system.

Confirmed the agency's data system (paper, electronic health record, or practice management software) and have login credentials / materials ready before Day 1 sessions.

During & After Sessions

Record data in real time (or immediately after the session) — never reconstruct from memory hours later.

Document session start/end times accurately. Billing and compliance audits depend on accurate time records.

Document any significant behavioral incidents, unexpected client responses, or deviations from the program — and notify your supervisor the same day.

Understand the agency's policy on electronic device use, session notes, and client privacy when using any app or software during sessions.

Client Records & Confidentiality

Never share client information (names, photos, session details) via personal email, text, or social media — use only agency-approved, HIPAA-compliant channels.

Know the agency's data-breach / accidental-disclosure reporting procedure.

First 60 Days

Ethics Essentials

Core Ethics Obligations

Read the full RBT Ethics Code (2.0) available at bacb.com. This is the enforceable standard for your professional conduct — not optional background reading.

Understand the obligation to implement interventions exactly as designed and programmed by the supervising BCBA/BCaBA. Unauthorized modifications to programs are an ethics violation.

Understand dual-relationship boundaries: do not accept gifts, enter into personal relationships, or engage in financial transactions with clients or their families outside the professional scope.

Know your obligation to report ethical concerns. If you observe a practice that appears to harm a client or violates ethical standards, you have a duty to raise it — start with your supervisor, then agency leadership if needed.

Social Media & Public Conduct

Never post client-related content, even without using names. Indirect identifiers (age, diagnosis, setting, quirky behavior descriptions) can constitute a HIPAA breach and an ethics violation.

Review the agency's social-media policy and confirm you understand the rules before your first session.

Completed agency-specific ethics orientation or reviewed any additional internal code of conduct.

      Ethics resource: The BACB publishes the RBT Ethics Code (2.0) as a free
      PDF at bacb.com. Download it, keep it accessible, and bring specific questions to supervision.
      Ethics decisions in the moment are much easier when you have already read and discussed the code.
    

Days 30–60

Program Implementation & Client Skill-Building

Skill Acquisition

For each active client: received training from the supervising BCBA/BCaBA on each skill-acquisition program before running it independently.

Demonstrated procedural competence (role-play or in-vivo observation) for any new discrete trial, natural environment teaching, or functional communication training procedure before implementing alone.

Know each client's reinforcer menu and how to deliver reinforcers at the correct rate, timing, and quality per the program instructions.

Behavior Intervention

Reviewed each client's BIP, including antecedent strategies, replacement behaviors, and response procedures for problem behavior.

Know the function(s) of the target problem behavior for each client — and understand why the BIP prescribes the specific consequence strategy it does.

Reviewed safe-crisis management / physical management procedures (if applicable to your agency) and hold any required training certifications.

Completed 30-day check-in with supervisor: reviewed data trends for each client, identified any barriers to implementation fidelity, and updated goals if needed.

Days 60–90 & Ongoing

Professional Development (PD) Tracking

RBT PD requirement (effective January 1, 2026): RBTs must earn 12 Professional Development (PD) units within each 2-year renewal cycle. The first universal deadline under this requirement is January 2028. Start tracking PD from day one — waiting until the last few months creates unnecessary pressure. PD units are tracked through your BACB certificant account.

Set Up Your PD Tracker

Created a personal PD log — a simple spreadsheet or dedicated folder works fine. Record: activity name, provider/source, date, PD units earned, and your BACB account confirmation or certificate of completion.

Logged your current PD unit count in your BACB certificant account and confirmed the balance matches your records.

Set a calendar reminder every 6 months to review PD progress and plan upcoming activities to stay on pace for 12 PD units within your 2-year cycle.

Earning PD Units

Reviewed the BACB's current list of approved PD activity types. Confirm with your supervisor which activity types your agency prefers or subsidizes.

Identified at least 2–3 upcoming PD opportunities (e.g., trainings, workshops, self-study programs) that fit your schedule and interest areas.

Asked your supervisor or agency HR what PD resources (internal trainings, reimbursement, subscriptions) are available to you as an employee.

Explored whether your agency provides access to professional-development libraries or on-demand training resources (such as Special Learning's All Access library of 576+ practical tools and trainings).

Annual & Cycle Review

At 12 months: completed a mid-cycle PD audit — confirmed PD unit balance and planned the remaining activities needed to reach 12 by the renewal date.

At renewal time: submitted renewal application in BACB account, verified all 12 PD units are logged and accepted, and confirmed credential status after renewal is processed.

      Why track from day one? Twelve PD units over two years averages
      to 6 per year — roughly one substantive training every two months. That is a manageable
      pace when planned in advance. Supervisors and agencies that build PD into regular
      workflow (not a scramble before renewal) report higher staff retention and better
      implementation fidelity.
    

Days 60–90

Professional Growth & Next Steps

Performance & Feedback

Completed 60-day performance check-in with supervisor: identified specific strengths and areas targeted for skill development.

Completed 90-day performance review. Received written feedback and have a copy in your personnel file and your own records.

Identified one or two areas of clinical interest (e.g., verbal behavior, early intensive intervention, challenging behavior, parent training) to guide upcoming PD and professional focus.

Long-Range Planning

Discussed long-term career goals with your supervisor — whether pursuing BCBA/BCaBA credentialing, specialization, or leadership within direct care.

If pursuing advanced credentialing (BCBA or BCaBA): checked current BACB eligibility requirements for supervised fieldwork hours and confirmed the agency can provide the required supervision type for that pathway.

Updated professional bio / resume to reflect current role, agency, and any completed PD activities.

Notes

Supervisor & Agency Notes

Notes from initial orientation / additional items

Upcoming PD activities planned

RBT Name (print)	Supervising BCBA / BCaBA Name (print)
RBT Signature & Date	Supervisor Signature & Date

Key Resources for New RBTs

BACB Certificant Account: bacb.com — manage your credential, log PD units, and check renewal deadlines
RBT Ethics Code (2.0): Free PDF at bacb.com — the governing ethics standard for all RBTs
RBT Task List (2nd Edition): The BACB's competency framework that defines the skills expected of every RBT
Special Learning — All Access Library: 576+ practical tools, job aids, and trainings for behavior technicians and direct-care staff. Ask your agency whether they provide access.
special-learning.com: Free resources, on-demand trainings, and professional-development materials developed by Special Learning — a BACB Authorized Continuing Education (ACE) Provider (OP-14-2437). Authorization as an ACE Provider does not imply endorsement or approval of the ACE event content by the BACB.

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