From Diagnosis to Discharge

An Ethical and Solution-Focused Discussion About TRICARE Policy Pain Points

Original Air Date: August 25, 2022

Short Title: TRICARE Policy - An Ethical and Solution Focused Discussion

CEU offered: 1.5 Ethics CEU

Webinar Duration: 90 minutes

CE Instructor:

  • Rebecca Womack, MS, BCBA, LBA


Learning Objectives:

  1. Attendees will learn about important ethics standards applicable to providers delivering ABA services under the TRICARE ACD policy;
  2. Attendees will understand common ABA provider mistakes made with respect to the TRICARE ACD policy for ABA services;
  3. Attendees will learn about the solutions identified for common mistakes made by ABA providers adhering to the TRICARE ACD policy for ABA services.


Abstract:

There were several changes made to the TRICARE Autism Care Demonstration (ACD) policy specific to applied behavior analysis (ABA) services for military families with autistic children occurred in March 2021. Since then, ABA providers have been required to deliver services in accordance with the policy located in the TRICARE Operations Manual (TOM), Chapter 18, Section 4. There have been challenges with ABA providers submitting work products that accurately reflect the necessary components to begin, maintain, and discharge an autistic beneficiary from services. The webinar will begin with some of the ethics standards from the Behavior Analyst’s Certification Board (BACB) Ethics for Behavior Analysts (the Code) that are applicable to delivering ABA services. It will then touch on the process of obtaining information for a diagnosis, as well as all the other phases of ABA service delivery. There will also be a section that reviews session note documentation. The webinar will review some of the policy requirements in each phase of service, common mistakes, and recommendations for solutions. All of this information will be related to the Code to highlight the various ethical considerations for each section. Attendees will learn about some of the areas ABA providers have difficulty with and alternative ways to ensure compliance with the TRICARE ACD policy. By ensuring this information is connected to the Code, the focus will be on ensuring the continuity of each client’s care.



Instructor(s)

Rebecca Womack, MS, BCBA, LBA

Rebecca has been privileged to serve adults and children using applied behavior analysis (ABA) in settings such as facility-based care, group homes, day centers, clinics, and family homes both across the United States and overseas. In addition to her clinical experience, Rebecca is passionate about ABA service delivery aligning with generally accepted standards of care. With an expertise in applying health care documentation requirements and systems of compliance, she recently was the author of a chapter on documentation guidelines for ABA services. Rebecca is co-chair of the Documentation Special Interest Group (SIG) for the Council of Autism Service Providers (CASP), a co-leader for the AI/ML Workgroup, an appointed Subject Matter Expert for the Association of Professional Behavior Analysts, and a Member of the Board of Directors for the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB). Rebecca also has extensive experience with public policy work. Not only is she an experienced presenter at national conferences, she has also won national awards for her role as an advocate and work to support ABA organizations in delivering quality services. Rebecca formed RAW Consulting Solutions as a way to provide education and consultation services to ABA organizations, professionals, and providers of ABA services. Whatever the role, her ultimate goal is to make a significant impact through effective and efficient services utilizing the science of behavior analysis.