What does effective, ethical supervision look like when working with adults in crisis — not kids? In this episode, Dr. Ashley Fiorilli, PhD, BCBA, Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist, and Founder of Be Still Be Connected, LLC, joins us to unpack the unique challenges and opportunities of supervising RBTs in adult residential and crisis care settings.

Together, we explore why the traditional ABA playbook — rooted in discrete trial training, compliance, and early intervention models — often fails to serve adults with complex trauma histories, psychiatric diagnoses, and co-occurring medical needs. Dr. Fiorilli shares how she integrates ACT, trauma-informed care, and relational frameworks to help RBTs build flexibility, read the room, and respond compassionately in high-stakes environments where safety and dignity must come first.

We discuss the real-world gaps in RBT training when applied to adults, including navigating medical and psychiatric systems, medication management, and how to identify essential vs. non-essential demands in the moment. From recognizing a client’s “window of willingness” to letting go of power struggles in favor of trust-building, this conversation is packed with actionable strategies to help supervisors and technicians alike rethink their role through a more compassionate, human-centered lens.

Whether you work in residential care, forensic settings, or anywhere adults with complex needs are served, this episode will challenge you to rethink your approach to behavior change, progress, and supervision.

Listen out for the two code words to earn your free 1.0 Ethics CEU.