1.1 Defining Your Practice

Last updated: July 23, 2026

Define Your Practice Model

Define Your Practice Model

Your “practice model” is the blueprint for how your ABA practice will operate — the structure of your team, the settings where services happen, the populations you serve, and the intensity of treatment you provide. Getting clarity now helps you build a business that fits your lifestyle, your clinical vision, and your growth goals.

Step 1: Choose Your Service Delivery Structure

Option 1: One-Tier Model

  • You (as the BCBA) provide all direct services and supervision yourself.

  • Pros: Low overhead, full control over quality, simpler scheduling.

  • Cons: Limits capacity to your personal caseload, no delegation of tasks.

Option 2: Two-Tier Model

  • You hire Behavior Technicians (BTs) or Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) to deliver direct services under your supervision.

  • Pros: Can serve more clients, more scalable, more flexibility in your schedule.

  • Cons: Requires training, supervision, payroll management, and staff retention strategies.

Step 2: Service Location

In-Home/Community-Based (Recommended starting point)

  • Lower startup cost (no facility lease).

  • Easier to expand geographically if starting small.

  • Best fit for early-stage practices who want to be flexible.

In-Center Services

  • Higher startup cost (lease, utilities, furnishings, staffing).

  • Best for highly structured programs, groups, or clients without home service options.

  • If your long-term goal is a center, stay geographically concentrated from day one so your client base can transition to the center later.

Note: If you want to open a center now, talk to Michael first so we can review the financial model and staffing plan together.

Step 3: Age Range Preferences

  • Serving only older children/teens often means after-school and weekend hours, which can make it harder to fill staff schedules and reach full-time staff thresholds.

  • Serving younger children allows for more daytime sessions, which helps staff reach consistent hours.

  • Consider whether you’ll accept adult clients if payers allow.

Step 4: Staffing Model

  • Do you enjoy training and developing new staff?

    • If yes: You can hire entry-level BTs and train them to become RBTs.

    • If no: Plan to hire only credentialed RBTs to reduce training load.

  • Compliance note: Colorado Medicaid and TriCare require RBTs for direct care, so plan your hiring accordingly.

Step 5: Caseload Size

  • Define your ideal number of active clients.

  • Consider supervision workload if you’re in a two-tier model.

  • Align caseload size with your personal work-life goals and financial targets.

Step 6: Travel Radius (For In-Home Services)

  • Decide how far you or your staff are willing to travel.

  • Smaller service areas reduce drive time and increase billable hours.

  • Larger service areas can open up more clients but may cause burnout if not carefully managed.

Step 7: Specialty Services

  • Will you offer specialized programs such as:

    • Feeding therapy

    • Social skills groups

    • Parent/caregiver training programs

    • School-based services

  • Specialty offerings can differentiate your practice but may require additional training, materials, and payer approvals.

Step 8: Growth Path

  • Will you remain a small, single-BCBA practice or scale to multiple BCBAs and locations?