Tip #104: How to Build Rapport with Support Staff (The Formal Caregiver)
Pastor Priscilla Shirer, an American author and motivational speaker, once said during an event that when faced with adversity, never focus on the problem. Instead, focus on the strategy. She emphasized asking God, “What is my strategy for this problem?”—trusting that clarity will come. Early in my career, when I faced ongoing resistance from support staff, I found myself asking a similar question. The answer was clear:
Build rapport.
Trust is the foundation of progress. Once people trust you, they’re more likely to be open to learning from you. Interestingly, this mirrors a fundamental principle in ABA: building rapport with the individuals you serve as a proactive strategy. Yet, as professionals, we may not always realize that rapport-building is just as essential when working with the team supporting those individuals.
Formal vs. Informal Caregivers
When supporting the adult population, it’s important to distinguish between two types of caregivers:
Informal Caregivers: These are family members or loved ones who provide daily care, often within the same household. Their responsibilities may include transportation, assistance with hygiene, meal preparation, and other daily needs. Some informal caregivers may even receive compensation through state-eligible programs.
Formal Caregivers: These are paid professionals, often referred to as support staff. They work for agencies or organizations and provide direct care in various settings, such as the service participant’s home, residential care facilities, day rehabilitation programs, or vocational support settings.
While it’s vital to build strong relationships with both families and individuals receiving services, prioritizing rapport with formal caregivers is equally, if not more, critical. Support staff are the ones implementing the BSP strategies day in and day out. They are your key resource for ensuring treatment fidelity.
Why Rapport Matters
Building rapport is essential for fostering collaboration and ensuring the success of interventions. Research shows that people are 4 times more likely to agree to requests from individuals they feel connected to (Cialdini, 2001). When rapport is strong, support staff are more likely to:
Be receptive to feedback.
Demonstrate treatment integrity.
Actively participate in interventions.
Conversely, a lack of rapport can result in resistance, aversion to feedback, and even escape or avoidance behaviors from staff—all of which negatively impact client outcomes.
The Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts (BACB, 2024) underscores the importance of collaboration in Code 2.10: Collaborating with Colleagues:
“Behavior analysts collaborate with colleagues from their own and other professions in the best interest of clients and stakeholders. Behavior analysts address conflicts by compromising when possible and always prioritizing the best interest of the client. Behavior analysts document all actions taken in these circumstances and their eventual outcomes.”
Three Recommendations to Build Rapport with Support Staff
1. Start with Leadership
Begin by building a relationship with the supervisor overseeing the support staff. Supervisors play a critical role in shaping their team’s approach and attitude. They can provide insights into staff dynamics, suggest optimal times for direct observations, and offer feedback on team needs.
Meet with the supervisor to ask about their priorities and the team’s needs.
Document all communications, especially if resistance persists.
If needed, seek guidance from your own supervisor to address ongoing challenges.
Starting with leadership not only builds trust but also demonstrates respect for the chain of command.
2. Be Present
Regular direct observations are essential. Use your visits to check in with both the individual being supported and the staff. Conduct interviews to identify barriers that may prevent staff from being effective. During this process:
Focus on active listening to show staff that their voices are heard.
Avoid corrective feedback unless there is evidence of abuse, neglect, or noncompliance with regulations. In such cases, use a “call-in” approach: ask questions to understand the situation before addressing the issue collaboratively, rather than using a punitive “call-out” approach.
Resist the urge to make immediate changes. Spend at least 2-3 months learning the organization’s culture and dynamics before proposing adjustments. Making changes too quickly can make you seem adversarial.
3. Identify Staff Priorities
Build trust by being curious about staff needs and priorities. Ask questions such as:
“What challenges are you facing when implementing the plan?”
“What areas do you think we should focus on together?”
Use their input to inform your recommendations. When staff see their concerns reflected in your actions, they are more likely to collaborate and implement strategies consistently. Additionally, model your responses during direct observations to demonstrate that your suggestions work in practice.
Recommended resources to assist with the rapport building process:
- Parry-Cruwys, “Episode 254 - Improving Your Parent Training Practices.” ABA Inside Track. Podcast Audio, October 11, 2023: This podcast discusses strategies for improving parent training, which can also be adapted to enhance rapport-building with adult support staff in behavior analysis settings.
- Anderson, B. M., Hall, C., & Maic, K. (2023). People Skills for Behavior Analysts. Routledge: This resource highlights essential interpersonal skills for behavior analysts, emphasizing the importance of empathy, active listening, and trust-building in fostering effective relationships with clients and colleagues.
- Leach, M. J. (2005). Rapport: A Key to Treatment Success. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 11(4), 262–265: Leach’s article explores how establishing strong rapport with clients significantly enhances treatment outcomes by fostering trust, cooperation, and effective communication.
Final Thoughts
Building rapport with support staff is not just a soft skill; it is a professional necessity. By investing time in relationship-building, you lay the groundwork for successful collaboration, improved treatment integrity, and ultimately, better outcomes for the individuals you serve. Remember, as Cialdini’s research and the BACB Ethics Code both highlight, trust and collaboration are the keys to progress.
Take a step back, connect, and let rapport be your strategy.
From the one and only... Shanda J Your BCBA
Resource:
Behavior Analyst Certification Board. (2024). Ethics Code For Behavior Analyst. [PDF]. Retrieved on https://www.bacb.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Ethics-Code-for-Behavior-Analysts-240830-a.pdf
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