What is a behavior data sheet? A behavior data sheet is a form that is used by habilitation technicians (including SEI and AFL providers) to record daily data about specific behavior support needs a person may exhibit. The sheets are not all alike but should contain some of the same information. Most behavior data sheets are paper and some are in Therap, but we are working to move them all to Therap eventually.
Where does a behavior data sheet come from? Most behavior data sheets are related to a formal behavior support plan (BSP,) but some of them are put in place to track specific behaviors that may lead to the development of a formal behavior plan. Data sheets that are related to a formal BSP are provided by the psychologist or behavior specialist who writes and monitors the plan.
The Clinical team is responsible for creating any behavior data sheets that are not related to a formal BSP and may base it on one of the existing sheets. The Program Manager is responsible for printing copies for you to use. Some data sheets run for the whole month, some run for 15 or 16 days, and others are used until they are filled up and then others are provided. The Program Manager collects all behavior data sheets at the end of the month and provide new data sheets at the beginning of the month and as needed.
Where are behavior data sheets kept? Day Support behavior data sheets are kept locked in the Med Room when not in use and with the habilitation technician while in use within the city. You will be shown where the behavior data sheet is kept for the person or people you support. You must return the data sheet to that spot when not in use and at the end of your shift. If you are providing residential services, you must keep the behavior data sheet under double lock the same way you keep all confidential paperwork and information when it is not actively in use.
What’s on a behavior data sheet? You will be trained on how to use the behavior data sheet for any person with whom you assigned to work. Each sheet will be different. Some will have the person’s name and other information already printed, and others will require you to record that information. The data sheet may have specific (target) behaviors already printed, or you may have to write them in. All sheets should have a way for you to record the date, time, and perhaps duration of the specific behavior being documented. They may ask you to describe what happened before, during, and after the behavioral episode. Some behavior data sheets ask you to record pro-active training activities that you are working on with the person as a part of the formal BSP. Most sheets will have a place for you to write and/or sign your name and may ask you to initial your entries.
What happens when a behavior data sheet is completed? Program Manager will review behavior the data sheets at certain intervals. They will collect the behavior data sheets at the end of the month when they put out the new ones. The Clinical Director and her team reviews behavior data for inclusion in quarterly progress report. They will scan the sheets each month and forward them to the psychologist or behavior specialist who wrote and is monitoring the plan, or to the care coordinator if the person doesn’t have a formal BSP. Those behavior data sheets that are in Therap are printed and forwarded to the psychologist or behavior specialist by the Clinical team.
Why are behavior data sheets important? The services that people receive are regularly reviewed to make sure that they are getting no more or no less than exactly the services they need. The people who make the decisions about what services are approved rely on providers to provide them with information about the kind of support the people need. If the person requires a lot of support to maintain behavioral control, that support needs to be reflected on those behavior data sheets or the person might lose his/her services.
Anything else I need to know? For paper behavior data sheets, only use Black Ink to complete them and make sure not to use ink that bleeds through to the other side as it can make the data difficult if not impossible to read, especially on the scans. Ask questions every time you need clarification on how to complete a data sheet, whether or not to record specific information, or if you have any questions at all about the form. If you feel that there is important information about the person’s behavior support needs that is not being captured on the data sheet, talk to your Program Coordinator to find out what the best way is to make sure that information gets recorded and passed along. Remember that the behavior data sheets are not a way to keep a record of all the bad things a person is doing. They are to demonstrate when, where, how, and why a person is demonstrated the need for behavior support, how the support was provided, and its effectiveness. You are spending more time with the person than anyone else who will read those behavior data sheets, so you need to make sure that what you are observing is accurately reflected in the data. It might seem like a good idea to make copies of the behavior data sheet ahead of time so you know you won’t run out. The problem with that idea, though, is that behavior data sheets may be updated at any time, and all the copies you made would become obsolete. You need to get all of your sheets from the Program Manager to make sure you always have the most recent version.