Begin identifying potential supervisors or sites for placement. We encourage you to use the resources available to you, including the Purdue Global partnership map  and the BACB website. The practicum application is a tentative list of potential supervisors, so it is not necessary to contact sites prior to adding them to your application.

•   Identify 10 potential BCBA supervisors that meet the requirements of the BACB as you previously researched and list them on your application to submit for approval.

•   Important components to consider when looking at potential sites:

–   Size of the organization

–   Expectations for travel

–   Client type (e.g., private or public sector)

–   Required certifications or other requirements (e.g., security clearance, CPR certifications, TB testing, required drug screen).

Another thing to consider as you secure your site is the supervisor you will need.  Qualified ABA fieldwork supervisors must be a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) or Board Certified Behavior Analyst- Doctoral (BCBA-D) in good standing. They must have had the 8-hours supervision course, and also must be willing to supervise BCBA candidates. The supervisor may not be related to, subordinate to, or employed by you during the experience period.

Review the BACB website for potential qualified supervisors in your area.

•        Find/contact certificants.

•        Qualified supervisors must have the Supervision Course on their credential listing, and must be willing to host BCBA candidates.

•        Potential supervisors must come directly from this website.

Once you have located the facilities and supervisors you are interested in you will submit your application for clinical placement.  The form is in CORE ELMs.  Your application MUST be approved before you begin to contact facilities.

Contacting supervisors is essential to your ability to secure them for placement. While it is tempting to look online and apply for vacant internship positions, please follow the guidelines as set forth in the Step by Step Instructions. You may find that supervisors have a position or can create a fieldwork position for you, even if they do not have one listed online. When contacting one of our partners, please be sure to let them know you are from Purdue University Global. Additionally, contacting supervisors directly will give the person your name and information, which will make you more memorable than just another application online. Please note that you will need to follow up with sites, and the steps below are not completely linear.

After you have received approval of your application it is time to begin contacting sites.  Securing a supervisor and site can be a long process. It will take consistent effort, probably over an extended period, to ensure a supervisor and site is finalized. Remember, every interaction you have with the supervisor and site is an “interview,” so all communication should be professional. The steps listed below are not linear, but provide an outline of a process to follow. Please remember that the first 10 potential placement sites/supervisors must be approved on your application before you contact them, and all contacts must come directly from the BACB website.

Here is an outline of how to approach the process of contacting sites:

–      On the initial call introduce yourself, and explain the reason for your call.

–      Request to speak to an individual who is involved in the oversight of practicum/internship students. If there is no one at the facility designated to supervise students, ask to speak to Human Resources or a supervisor.

–      Explain your program requirements and field work needs.

–      If the site is interested, provide the contact with appropriate program documents as outlined in your Step by Step instructions.

•  Be sure to get the contact person’s full name and direct contact information.

–      Contact site (usually within 3–5 days) to follow up with information sent.

•  If possible, set an appointment for the follow-up during your initial conversation.

Each site that is interested will have a different expectation of the process.  If a site communicates they are interested in hosting you, ask them if they have a preferred process for the next steps.   work with the site to determine the next steps.  If they do not have a preferred process, provide the site with the Facility Handbook, Purdue Global Affiliation Agreement, and contacts form.  These must be signed to secure the site.  Ask the site to review the documents and ask when you should follow up with them.  If they do not suggest a specific time frame for the follow up, reach out to the site once per week to check on how things are progressing.

DO NOT count on a specific site until the signed Affiliation Agreement has been approved.  Continue to contact sites until there is a signed agreement in place.

Once the affiliation agreement has been signed, submit the approved and signed agreement to CORE ELMS in the requirements section, under Affiliation Agreement.

The next steps to finalizing your site are to:

–      Submit the contacts form to CORE ELMS in the requirements section, under contact form

–      Submit a copy of your supervisor’s credentials to CORE ELMS in the requirements section, under supervisor credentials

• You will find the supervisor credentials on the individual’s listing on the BACB website

–      If the site is or will be your employer, you must submit the paid addendum, found in the document library

–      Submit the emergency contacts form to CORE ELMS in the requirements section

–      Submit the BACB Pre-Experience Checklist

Once your documents are submitted they will be reviewed by your Clinical Student Manager.   If the document(s) need revision that will be noted in CORE and you will be asked to resubmit the document.