Can I ask for a different RBT?

Yes, you can ask. Tell your child's BCBA what is not working and why. The BCBA can sometimes solve the problem with coaching or a change in how sessions run, and can talk with you about a staff change if that is the better fit. If the BCBA cannot resolve it, the assistant clinical director is the next step.

Do I have to put my concern in writing?

No. You can raise a concern by phone, text or email. Writing it down, even in a short email to office@hopecenteraba.com, gives everyone the same record of what happened and what you asked for, which can help if the concern needs to move to the next step.

Can I report a concern to the BACB without talking to Hope Center first?

Yes. Anyone can report an alleged ethics violation by a BACB certificant to the BACB's Ethics Department. The BACB does not take complaints against companies. See how to raise a concern about an ABA provider for how each outside option works.

Sharing Feedback or a Concern at Hope Center

Every family who works with us will, at some point, have something to say about their child's care. Most of it is small: a schedule that is not working, a strategy that feels off at home, a question about a note. Sometimes it is bigger. Either way, we want to hear it. This page explains how to share feedback or raise a concern at Hope Center for Behavior Change, who handles it at each step, and the outside options every Florida family has.

Who should I talk to first?

For day-to-day feedback, you can text or call your child's RBT, your BCBA or our front desk at any time. Many small issues are solved in one conversation: a session time, a reward that has stopped working, a change at home the RBT should know about.

When you have a concern about your child's care, the first person to contact is your child's BCBA. The BCBA writes and reviews your child's plan, supervises your child's RBT every week, and can change how sessions run. RBTs are also expected to pass questions and concerns about their services to their supervisor (RBT Ethics Code 2.06), so a concern you raise with the RBT should reach the BCBA too.

What if the BCBA does not resolve it?

Hope Center has a three-step path for concerns:

Your child's BCBA. Start here for anything about sessions, the plan, goals, staff or progress.
The assistant clinical director. If you are not satisfied with the BCBA's response, the concern goes to the assistant clinical director.
The executive director. If it is still not resolved, the executive director reviews it.

You do not have to work out who holds each role. Call the front desk at 561-337-8865 or email office@hopecenteraba.com, say that you want to raise a concern and at which step, and we will make sure it reaches the right person.

How quickly you hear back can depend on the concern and on who is handling it. If timing matters to you, ask when you raise the concern, or ask on your first call how concerns are followed up.

What should I include when I raise a concern?

Clear details help us act faster. Whether you call, text or email, try to include:

Your child's name and your contact details.
What happened, and when. Dates, times and the setting (home, school, daycare, community or center).
Who was involved. The RBT, BCBA or other staff member, if you know.
What you saw or heard. Stick to what happened; you can add how it affected your child and your family.
What you would like to happen. A change in strategy, a meeting with the BCBA, a different session time, a change of staff, or simply an explanation.

It also helps to keep a short note of who you spoke with and when, and what was agreed. That makes it easier to follow up if you need to take the concern to the next step.

What kinds of feedback are worth sharing?

All of it. Some examples of things families raise:

A strategy that works in sessions but not at bedtime or in the car
A goal that does not feel important to your family
Your child seeming upset before or after sessions
Communication: not hearing back, or not understanding a report or graph
Scheduling, late starts or cancellations
Insurance or billing questions
Something staff said or did that did not sit right with you

Our approach is trauma-informed and assent-based, we present tasks in a fun, non-forceful way, and we do not use restraint. If something you see does not match that, tell your BCBA. You know your child best, and the BACB Ethics Code expects behavior analysts to involve families throughout services, including in choosing goals and monitoring progress (Code 2.09). Positive feedback is welcome too; it tells us what to keep doing.

What if I am worried about my child's safety?

If your child is in immediate danger, call 911.

If you suspect abuse or neglect by anyone, Florida law requires every person to report it right away to the Florida Abuse Hotline (Fla. Stat. 39.201). You can call 1-800-96-ABUSE (1-800-962-2873); TTY users can dial 711 or 1-800-955-8771. The Department of Children and Families says its online reporting should not be used for situations that need immediate attention. You do not need our permission, and you do not need to raise it with us first. Our guide on child abuse reporting in Florida explains how reports work.

For any other safety concern, such as how a hard moment was handled in a session, contact your BCBA the same day. Our page on how Hope Center keeps children safe without restraint explains our safety approach.

Can I complain to someone outside Hope Center?

Yes. You can raise a concern with us, with an outside body, or both. The main outside options are:

Outside options for a concern about ABA care in Florida
Where	What it covers	Good to know
Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) Ethics Department	Alleged ethics violations by an individual BCBA, BCaBA or RBT	The BACB certifies people, not companies, so it cannot take a complaint against an organization. Some RBT matters are referred to the RBT's supervisor.
Florida Department of Health	Complaints about practitioners licensed by the state, such as a licensed clinical social worker	Complaints must be signed and cannot be filed by phone. The time limit is generally six years from the last date of treatment.
Florida Abuse Hotline (DCF)	Suspected abuse, abandonment or neglect of a child	Call 1-800-96-ABUSE. Reporting is required by law.
Your health plan	Coverage, authorization and claims problems, and concerns about a network provider	Use the member services number on your insurance card and ask about the plan's grievance process.

Florida does not license behavior analysts; the credential is BACB certification, which is why behavior-analyst ethics complaints go to the BACB. Our clinical director, Aisha Albright-Jourdan, MSW, LCSW, BCBA, also holds a Florida LCSW license, which the Department of Health oversees. For a full walk-through of every option, see how to raise a concern or file a complaint about an ABA provider and what the behavior analyst ethics code says providers owe your family.

Will raising a concern change my child's care?

A concern should lead to a conversation and, where it is needed, a change in the plan or how sessions run. If you are worried about how raising an issue might be received, say so when you call. If your concern is about your child's BCBA and you would rather not start there, tell the front desk and ask how it will be handled.

Have a question before you start?

If you are choosing a provider, ask every one of them how complaints are handled. At Hope Center the answer is simple: your BCBA, then the assistant clinical director, then the executive director, and you can reach your RBT, BCBA or front desk by text or call at any time. To talk to us, request a free consultation or call 561-337-8865. Our new families page explains how services begin.

This guide is general information for Florida families, not medical, legal or financial advice for your child. Laws, plan rules and program amounts change; check with your plan, the agency named, or a Florida attorney before you act.