Research and Program Evaluation

How continued education builds a cohesive and focused ethical challenge to the mental health community of providers.

As clinicians build caseloads and join with other colleagues they find the problems, obstacles, and ideas presented and discussed help solidify the focus on evidenced-based materials and models of clinical adaptive work. Research is essential.

Without research available to clinicians, organizations tend to become lopsided and not regulated for accuracy, relevancy, and supportive measures. The objective in research is to define and describe successful modalities to increase helpful strategies to support a myriad of clients from various cultures, races, religions, and gender-related choices. Furthermore, the research also encourages program evaluation on several levels so the best possible solutions and focus can remain as organizations or agencies prune unhelpful products and styles of clinical work.

At Roger’s Behavioral Hospital, the Patients are provided with tools each week which assess their emotional symptoms, personality tests, cognitive functions, rates for resiliency factors, and barriers to treatment. The scales are then compiled to show the ratio of positive impacts of treatment across a wide platform of consistent programing. The research via Roger’s is scored from agencies across the United States, so collaboration within the same organization builds a cohesive and decisive focus in clinical treatment.

The consistent evaluation of the program contributes to the increase in positive outcomes for the majority of patients. In addition to providing evaluations for the program itself, engaging in clinical resources outside the program encourages community involvement. When an agency collaborates with other agencies they have a propensity to increase the well-being of clients and patients across the board. The referral services provide resources for clients who move from the agency at the end of treatment. The successful connection between organization helps the smooth transition from partial hospitalization to IOP (intensive outpatient program) and then to outside provider services.

For instance, at Roger’s Behavioral Hospital, the agencies are referred for aftercare are essential in promoting healthy outcomes. As the internship moved through the past year the construct of relationships outside of the actual hospital increased the overall success of the program. They fully connected with the ideas set forth by Nancy Calley who wrote the book, “Program Development in the 21st Century.”

“Ideally, community resource development should be guided by three key factors: utilization of current community resources to augment service array, coalition building with competitors and other invested stakeholders to increase advocacy strength, and development of strategic partners and supports for long-term program sustainability” (Calley, 2011, p. 17).

As research continues to provide solid evidence for positive client growth and recovery, the marketing director of the organization can use the statistics to validate the need for funding. Stakeholders invested in providing the top quality of materials and programing continue to support organizations and agencies, which demonstrate a positive return for the investment. Open communication as well as allowing outside sources to evaluate a program’s outcome also demonstrate a reliable source for growth within an organization.

In contemplation for future work endeavors, the concepts to include outside research as well as inside statistics to note what works and what does not eliminates guesswork. Counselors who interact with other counselors build strength and resiliency in the profession, but they also include concepts to build upon with other agencies.

In recent conversations, a counselor as an EAP (Employee Assistance Provider) stated she had not followed through with learning any methods other than a brief solutions focused treatment modality. Her reasons included how the past 20 years the same methodology was used by all providers in her field, so there was no need to change or gain anything new except in the world of brief treatment. As the conversation continued, she began to see how engaging in evidenced-based practice with continued education credits helps not only the clients, but the therapist as well. Growth outside of academia improves provider awareness of client’s needs as well as personal clinical advancement.

Within the confines a specific style of counseling, there remains a consistent pattern to allow flexibility. On further investigation, counselors are held to a higher standard and an ethical responsibility to improve their practice as well as seek continued growth throughout their journey as providers of mental health services. Therefore, to awaken to an understanding of the unintentional lack of ethical focus hinders the production of a clinically sound practice (Gino, 2015).

Research encourages counselors to seek the best possible resources and to stay current in the field. Often, counselors may choose not to participate in research or make an effort to explore research in their organization. However, as counselors, the priorities to remain exposed to the best practices encourages compliance within the states we reside as well as doing the least harm to clients. If we, as counselors do not engage in learning and collaborating within research circles, we do a disservice to the community and to our clients.

“One of the essential principles evidenced-based practice is that the professional counselor accepts the responsibility for being consciously and deliberately aware of the information in the research literature and applying that information in clinical practice (McNeece & Thyer, 2004)” (Erford, 2015, p.221).

Therefore, as an emerging clinician, my responsibility to remain consistent in my growth educationally, as well as professionally enhances my ability to remain focused on bringing the best possible materials to my clients. In addition, the growth I experience from the evaluation of my program materials, as I recently did, and the maturity to know what is not working and change to support the client’s growth.

For instance, as I did several trauma-focused trainings the language of the past curriculum for domestic violence education began to feel stifled and stiff. Instead of relevant topics to help engage the clients and provide a solid foundation to the ‘why’ of human behavior, they were force fed a concoction of views antiquated by little change since 1977. As a proponent to change, my job was to explore all avenues and provide solid evidence-based materials to support sustained remission of violent behaviors.

The new materials at my agency is producing clients who listen, are engaged, and taking accountability for their behaviors without me forcing them to comply. As I asked for feedback, I wanted them to tell me what I could do better, what they felt worked, and the overall impression of the materials. Every single client (7 in this one group) all stated they felt they learned more in five weeks than they did in 12 weeks of face-to-face group work. They feel they get their money’s worth and are not wasting time.

By stepping out of my comfort zone and meeting the needs of my clients, I am not just a tool to provide education, I am an advocate to build trust and demonstrate a willingness to take constructive feedback with grace and acceptance. The program evaluation, the consistent research-focused growth of program materials, and the willingness to collaborate and connect with colleagues continually helps this agency provide exceptional service while upholding the safety of the community as its main goal.

Written by Pamela J. Nikodem, M.S. Submitted to Concordia University, June 2020 for final exploration of topics and completion of the Master’s Internship program.

References

Calley, N.G. (2011). Program development in the 20th century: An evidenced-based approach to design, implementation, and evaluation. Los Angeles, CA: SAGE Publications

Erford, B. T. (2015). Clinical experiences in counseling. Boston, MA: Pearson

Gino, F. (2015). Understanding ordinary unethical behavior: Why people who value morality act immorally. Science Direct: Elsevier. Retrieved from:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cobeha.2015.03.001