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Council Rock moves to train staff as registered behavior technicians to reduce reliance on contractors
Summary
Administration proposed partnering with the Bucks County Intermediate Unit to certify about 11 district staff as registered behavior technicians (RBTs) at an initial cost the transcript lists as $5,250 for 11 participants; district officials said the move would speed response times and reduce outside-contract costs.
Dr. Overman presented a proposal to train district staff as registered behavior technicians (RBTs) through the Bucks County Intermediate Unit (BCIU). The IU training includes two days in-person plus 40 hours of online coursework; the presenter said RBT certification requires roughly 40 hours of training plus supervised practice, and ongoing supervision by board-certified behavior analysts (BCBAs) is required after certification.
Dr. Overman told the committee he has 11 staff who expressed interest and that the initial training cost for the set of participants and the district's six BCBAs was stated in the meeting as $5,250. Administration framed the proposal as a way to reduce wait times for behavioral supports: "with at least 11 people trained in the district... we have a lot more flexibility where we can probably get support that same day," the presenter said, contrasting in-district capacity with contracting external RBTs that can take a week or more to deploy.
Board members asked whether the district was hiring new staff (it is not) and whether trained personnel would be pulled from existing duties; presenters said trainees are existing staff and administrators would work with building leaders to manage coverage. Board members also asked about cost offsets; presenters said contracting for outside RBT services cost the district roughly $25,000 this year and that using trained district staff could reduce duplication of supervisory costs (outside RBTs and associated supervision fees).
Officials noted supervision by BCBAs is ongoing (100+ hours of supervised practice was discussed as part of certification and maintenance) and that the district could return to the IU for additional training if turnover requires more RBTs in future years. The committee discussion recommended follow-up to finalize numbers, scheduling and the contractual arrangement with the IU before full-board approval.
