Association for Behavior Analysis International

Behavior analysis has been applied broadly and has been part of clinical psychology since the 1950’s. Behavior analysts have worked with a wide variety of clinical populations and several contemporary behavior therapies are deeply rooted in functional analytic thinking. This is the second of two symposiums aimed at introducing behavior analysts to clinical behavior analysis for common outpatient mental health presentations. In the service of workforce development, it is important that behavior analysts stay informed on the broad applications of behavioral principles in a wide variety of practice areas. This symposium covers Behavioral Activation (BA), exposure therapies, Integrative Behavioral Couples Therapy (IBCT), and Contingency Management (CM). Each presentation will describe a therapy—its aims, techniques, and methods in functional terms. Outcome data for the treatments will be briefly reviewed. Finally, regulatory frameworks and professional training pathways will be discussed to inform behavior analysts of the training needed for these treatments to fall within their ethical scope of practice.

Graduate students in behavior analysis and graduates from graduate programs in behavior analysis.

Exposure therapy is an early behavioral intervention for anxiety disorders that continues to play a key role in a number of existing psychotherapies. Of note, it provides a powerful treatment method for phobias and panic (exposure therapy/graduated exposure), obsessive compulsive disorder (Exposure and Response Prevention [ERP]), and posttraumatic stress disorder (Prolonged Exposure [PE]). The method of exposure therapy involves repeated presentation of stimuli that are typically feared or avoided, while not allowing the individual to escape or avoid them. This presentation will discuss the current state of exposure therapy, including theoretical debates that highlight the behavioral principles underlying the treatment. Various models for conducting exposure therapy for a diverse array of presenting problems will be discussed, including recent advances in the area of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET). Data regarding efficacy and effectiveness will also be presented. Future directions and current trends in exposure therapy will be elaborated, as will the steps and resources available to individual providers in learning the techniques, nuances, and technicalities of exposure therapy.

In the face of a nationwide opioid epidemic, there is an increased need for behavioral interventions for substance use disorders (SUD). Contingency Management (CM) is an efficacious, non-pharmacological, cost effective treatment for SUD. CM therapists provide individuals with monetary rewards or vouchers, which are then exchanged for tangible rewards upon verified negative drug or alcohol screenings on varying schedules of reinforcement. By increasing the response cost for using and providing competing reinforcers, the rate of substance decreases. CM has been shown to yield positive treatment outcomes across a number of substances, including cocaine, opioids, nicotine, and alcohol (Higgins, Heil, & Sigon, 2013). This presentation will first provide an overview of CM as an application of the differential reinforcement of other behavior and the matching law. A review the evidence base for CM and the contextual considerations for its use will be provided. Finally, the clinical settings and professional training required for using CM clinically will be characterized to identify how behavior analysts can include CM in their scope of practice.