Extended Service Hours Authorization

Policy

Services provided before 7:00 AM, after 8:00 PM, on weekends, or during holidays are exceptions to standard scheduling practices. They may only be approved when supported by documented medical necessity and individualized clinical need. Requests for extended service hours must demonstrate that the identified target behaviors, safety concerns, functional routines, or treatment needs primarily occur during the requested time period and cannot be effectively addressed during standard service hours alone. Approval shall require objective supporting data, alignment with the current assessment and behavior intervention plan, and review by the supervising BCBA or designated clinical leadership.

Extended-hour services shall not be authorized solely for staffing convenience, caregiver preference, scheduling limitations, transportation issues, or administrative needs. All approved requests must remain time-limited, clinically monitored, and supported by documentation demonstrating ongoing medical necessity, treatment relevance, and expected clinical benefit consistent with payer requirements, BACB ethical standards, and applicable accreditation expectations.

Using the Rubric

The Extended Service Hours Request Rubric on the right walks the supervising analyst through each element required for approval: client and staff information, the requested schedule, clinical justification, functional relevance, data-based support, a review of whether standard hours were sufficient, caregiver participation, safety and clinical impact, and a compliance check. The rubric closes with the Analyst Attestation, signed by the supervising BCBA. A request cannot move forward until every section is complete and the attestation is signed.

The signed rubric is filed in the client’s record and revisited when the requested duration ends or when clinical circumstances change, whichever comes first. Continued extended hours require a new rubric, not an extension of the prior one.