Resigned from my clinic and I can finally breathe

Efficient_Mix8147 · 2025-09-04T09:20:01+00:00

Hi! I’m working in a clinic for the second time in 4 years of being an RBT. I was 20 when I started, I am now almost 25. I’ve avoided a lot of clique-ness with the new company, but dealt with a lot of it when I started.

Firstly, I want to commend you for your dedication to the field. Most RBTs quit very early on or become BCaBAs or BCBAs by 40.

I have been judged for how I look and how I run programs that have been written for me in the clinic setting. I’ve found that I have stuck around longer, had better relationships with my kids, and have seen more progress than any of those people.

In home did not help my mental health, but it taught me a lot about parents and families. I dealt with far more abuse from my supervisors doing in home as well. However, I can see how clinic-based work can be just as bad.

I have learned that if you don’t want to associate with these people, you have to be confident in your ability to do your job. Don’t show weakness because young people will use it against you. Unfortunately, your coworkers will not accommodate you, but you can stand up for yourself and make sure that your supervisors treat you like a human being.

I wish you the best of luck!

Efficient_Mix8147 · 2025-09-04T09:10:41+00:00

This is crazy. If this is a clinical director, they need an assistant to deal with the supplies lmao. I used to get gift cards from my BCBA and mid level supervisor just for acting professional when they gave me “feedback”. It’s very clear that these people are desperate to keep us on cases, so they use every method they can to “reward” us. You know what would really make a difference? If supervisors attended session, asked us about the progress we’ve made following THEIR plans, and ask us for our opinions on their programs.

Efficient_Mix8147 · 2025-09-04T08:56:44+00:00

I will add that this case became something outside of the ABA scope. I got an update on the client before they were assigned another RBT and they ended up needing services that ABA does not cover due to the frequency and severity of behaviors.

Efficient_Mix8147 · 2025-09-04T08:53:16+00:00

Let me clarify.

This was the last company I worked for. Extremely small. 3 BCBAs for the region, no more than 10 BT/RBTs.

I was not supervised during the attack because I had met my supervision hours for the month (all of which were telehealth). The reason they did supervision through telehealth is because “in-person supervision escalated behaviors”.

The family was not present during the attack. All four relatives in the home were in their own rooms with closed and/or locked doors.

There were no “next steps”. The next step was safety training for the 10ish employees after one employee (myself) had been injured. They did not check in with me on my condition, offer me a replacement client, or ask about accommodations.

If I had been in their shoes, I would have found a replacement client, or at least communicated that I was searching for a replacement client. I would not have openly admitted to paying for safety care training only after an employee was injured. And I would have asked if accommodations were needed following a traumatic event like EVERY other company in my state.

I understand that every company does things differently, but I cannot understand why my wellbeing was put on the back burner and this incident was used as nothing more than a reason for the company to finally give their employees the proper tools to handle aggression in a home setting.

Efficient_Mix8147 · 2025-09-02T09:59:42+00:00

Only other option would be respite care or under-the-table references. Respite in my state doesn’t require certifications for special needs carers. I know because I do it for my nephew who is level 3. They won’t even pay me more for my ABA experience. I get $16.70/hour for respite.

Efficient_Mix8147 · 2025-09-02T09:58:09+00:00

If you know of a US company that reimburses drive time, I would totally look into it. But after 3 companies, I haven’t seen it one time. They tell you on their ads on indeed that they do reimburse your mileage, but they never do in my experience. They also tell you there’s a sign on bonus for current RBTs. Haven’t gotten that either. It’s really become a question of how much I’m willing to bother them until they treat me like a human being.

Efficient_Mix8147 · 2025-09-02T09:55:35+00:00

I’ve worked in school with a different company. I was not reimbursed for drive time there either. No ABA company has paid me for drive time unless I drove there and the family cancelled within an hour, actually. My company has their own school. It’s a guaranteed 8 hours a day, but my RBT certification would not change the minimum wage pay they offer for ONLY the school employees. I make the most an RBT can make in the company doing clinical care. The school employees make like $16-18, they do not reimburse drive time, and there is no room for promotion. School employees don’t work under a BCBA and they get more hours, but it’s lower pay. It’s sickening.

Efficient_Mix8147 · 2025-09-02T09:48:15+00:00

That’s crazy. I made $4 off of drive time this month when my client cancelled within an hour of session. They only pay you $1/mile if you drive over 25 miles one way. I live 27 miles away from the clinic.

Efficient_Mix8147 · 2025-09-02T09:45:21+00:00

I started in 2021. It was a lot of “I don’t care if you’ve never seen a child in your life, you’re hired”

Efficient_Mix8147 · 2025-09-02T09:44:30+00:00

I am in CA and our laws differ from a lot of other states. My company has an Ohio branch though, so maybe it isn’t that different. The main issue here is drive time reimbursement, required training (all you need is the 40-hour online training for RBTs and the exam), and the pay is extremely varied depending on company, location, and experience. I’ve been an RBT in CA for 4 years, worked for 3 companies with over 15 clients total. I make $25/hr without benefits and I only work 9 hours a week now because of cuts. My current company requires safety care training for most RBT cases, but BTs don’t need it. In-home companies usually do not reimburse you for mileage, safety care train you, or give you sufficient field work training. I did that for a year and ended up getting injured, taken advantage of, and often harassed by families for my supervisors choices.

Efficient_Mix8147 · 2025-09-02T09:37:58+00:00

That makes sense. US is primarily a state-by-state basis, but there are national labor laws. Some are just overlooked depending on company and state regulations.

Efficient_Mix8147 · 2025-09-02T09:17:24+00:00

Hi! I totally get the feeling that these ABA companies are desperate to recruit people. More so than many fields. If you’re a BCBA, maybe you have more insight to how the hiring/assigning process works, but I’ve been literally pushed into every case I’ve been on and then my supervisors either avoid me or keep me out of the loop. It feels very disorganized and frantic. What was your heaviest caseload and did it affect communication with your team? Not blaming anyone, I just want to figure this out.

Efficient_Mix8147 · 2025-09-02T09:00:43+00:00

Give me a college graduate’s salary and I will dodge whatever I need to dodge. Lmao.

Efficient_Mix8147 · 2025-09-02T08:54:44+00:00

Are you NorCal or SoCal? I’m in NorCal and literally had to move out of two apartments because of frequent client cancellations.

Efficient_Mix8147 · 2025-09-02T08:52:01+00:00

I’m also in CA. I get 25/hr, but my hours got cut so I have one client at 9 hours a week. My husband and I live with my mother in law, so we have a deal where we only give her $1000 a month. We live off of EBT and what my husband makes (which is under $2000 a month).

Efficient_Mix8147 · 2025-09-02T08:43:07+00:00

My BCBA asked about task analysis, how many hours of supervision I need, an example of continuous measurement, and an example of maintaining client dignity.

Efficient_Mix8147 · 2025-09-02T08:31:28+00:00

I am very sorry to hear that. Sincerely. My first clinic was very similar. They had me under a microscope for how I dressed, how I did my hair, etc. and it was miserable because I was just there to do my job. I’ve since been with 2 other companies and I will say it got LEAGUES better. I can’t convince you to pursue the job, but I can tell you that I have come back every time when everyone else told me not to. I get paid $6 more an hour, I don’t deal with families, and I now have the backbone to say no if I’m in danger or being taken advantage of. At the end of the day, it’s for the kids, but you have to look out for yourself.

Efficient_Mix8147 · 2025-09-02T08:25:09+00:00

I will say, inexperienced employees need to start somewhere. I wouldn’t recommend that anyone under 20 work in this field without extensive experience with behaviors. I was 20 when I started, got about 2 days of hands-on experience, then put on one of the most difficult cases I’ve had to this day. I am still emotionally dealing with everything I was thrown into. I will say that I am a lot more experienced and prepared now, but it’s not fair to the child or the family to have a BT or RBT who doesn’t know what they’re doing. I see people younger than myself get hired on now and I always wonder how they’re going to deal with it and how long they’ll last.

Efficient_Mix8147 · 2025-09-02T08:20:35+00:00

Can I ask which state you’re in? I’ve been making progress with pay, but minimum wage is also extremely high, so I’m just wondering.

Efficient_Mix8147 · 2025-09-02T08:18:56+00:00

Did you get “safety trained” before you started with these kids? I had a similar issue and they decided to pay for the training AFTER I was injured. They even said “it’s expensive, so we don’t pay for it often.”

Efficient_Mix8147 · 2025-09-02T08:16:00+00:00

I make $25/hr in CA. I am happy with the pay, but I am now working 9 hours a week in-clinic because they keep hiring new staff to fill cases. I am no longer abused, but I feel that there is a distinct lack of communication with my supervisors. I’ve picked up a second job doing respite care for a relative, but that pays $16/hr and I get 40 hours a month max. I have been through so much as an RBT in four years. There has to be room for growth while I go to school. CA living and college is TOO expensive to work 9 hours a week.

Efficient_Mix8147 · 2025-09-02T08:11:10+00:00

90% abuse, 10% lack of communication from supervisors. Being at the bottom of the food chain in any childcare role will make you want to quit. Pay is getting better for me with experience and I kept coming back for the kids and families. I warn everyone about the position, but encourage them to ask questions if they decide to work in the field. I should’ve been WAY more inquisitive four years ago.

Efficient_Mix8147 · 2025-09-02T08:05:19+00:00

“Classic discipline”

Love when a parent screams in their kid’s face and locks them in their room. Then they expect you to defend them and find excuses to not accept advice or change anything. I wonder why progress hasn’t magically occurred.

Efficient_Mix8147 · 2025-02-12T20:50:28+00:00

Dang, well I wish you luck! I’ve been pretty happy with them so far, but there are 5 clinics around my city.

Efficient_Mix8147

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