Membership

• Be truthful and share only within the scope of your competence.
• Remain in compliance with the Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts and the RBT Ethics Code 2.0.
• Engage with others from a place of unconditional respect and compassionate curiosity towards others.
• Communicate using clear and inclusive language.
• Invite new and diverse perspectives and ideas. Make space for a bit of discomfort, that’s where learning occurs.
• Call out the good that you see — if someone shared something great or was helpful or kind, let them know!
• Have fun – while we are a professional community we value and encourage opportunities for connection and laughter.
• Ask for permission before you share and give proper credit.
• Take responsibility for your actions.
• Engage in dialogue focused on collaboration not conflict (e.g., “What can we do to come to a common understanding or agreeable conclusion to this discussion?”)
• Challenge ideas, not people, their identities, or characteristics.
• Reach out individually when you have concerns and give people an opportunity to pleasantly surprise you. If they don’t, reach out to a COABA board member for support.
• Respect and follow through with another’s request to end an interaction.
• Respect the privacy and confidentiality of members and others (particularly clients, caregivers, students, supervisees, and trainees) and obtain explicit permission before sharing personal or confidential information.

• Sharing the comments or posts of others (within the COABA online platform or in outside forums) without permission.
• Commenting, posting, or sharing defamatory, abusive, profane, threatening, offensive, or illegal language or material directed at another person or posted in a group.
• Discriminatory or harassing jokes, language, images, or other comments or posts, especially directed at a person’s race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, social or economic class, educational level, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, expression, age, size, family status, political belief, religion, or mental or physical ability.
• Personal insults, particularly those related to gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, or disability.
• Violating intellectual property rights or plagiarizing others’ work.
• Deliberate intimidation, stalking or unwanted following (online or in person).
• Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behavior.
• Soliciting, advertising, or marketing for a business, product, or service via COABA’s social media platforms.

Unacceptable behavior from any COABA member, including sponsors and those with decision-making authority (i.e., COABA Board Members or Committee Members), will not be tolerated.

Any member who is asked to stop unacceptable behavior is expected to comply immediately and cease all unacceptable behavior.

If a COABA member engages in unacceptable behavior, the COABA Board may take any individual or combination of the following actions:

• Written warning
• Temporary ban from COABA events
• Permanent expulsion from the community without warning
• Termination of COABA Membership

If you experience unacceptable behavior, or have any other concerns, please notify an COABA executive board member as soon as possible by completing this form.

Members are prohibited from posting any information or other material that is protected by copyright without express permission. A member posting material is taken as warranty and representation by the posting party that they own the copyright with respect to such material or have received express permission from the copyright owner to post.

COABA is not responsible for opinions and information posted within the COABA online community. COABA does monitor content but does not moderate posts. COABA reserves the right to take appropriate action, as outlined in the Consequences for Unacceptable Behavior section should any member be found to have engaged in behavior that violates this code of conduct.

As a member of Colorado Association for Behavior Analysis we want to inform you about the tax treatment of your membership dues for the current year. Under federal tax law, your dues are not deductible as a business expense because it is allocated to lobbying activities. For the year 2025, 100% of your dues were used for lobbying and political activities and therefore cannot be deducted. Please consult your tax advisor for guidance.

This Code of Conduct is subject to periodic review and updates by the COABA Executive Board to ensure its effectiveness and relevance.

*** Some language adapted from resources shared from the Association of Professional Behavior
Analysts(APBA).