request for CSG input on a MOL research study

At the adolescent residential treatment center, where I work as a Clinical
Director, we have a process called Post-Critical Incident Counseling(PCIC).
A critical incident is written every time a resident violates one of the
rules of the status/point system if the penalty received exceeds a certain
amount. A resident can eliminate up to 60% of the penalty by talking about
the critical incident with his Psychologist.

The PCIC has followed the format suggested by Ed Ford: Describe the
incident; Evaluate the good and bad outcomes of the incident; Make a
committment; Plan an alternative to do if the incident was going to be
replayed.

I am thinking of focusing on the first phase of the PCIC, which I believe is
the MOL part. I am thinking of tape recording the session, after permission
from the resident is granted. The session will be scored for evidence of
"going up a level." Each resident does several PCIC during the one year stay
at the center. My main question is: Is there evidence that a resident's
abiltiy to "go up a level" improves with practice? And is the ability to "go
up a level" predictive of the progress a resident makes at the center as
indicated by the type of discharge, the total number of points per week
earned, etc..

I am thinking that a MOL Learning Measure can be created which would allow
the division of residents into at least a few categories, maybe,
high/medium/low. This would allow me to address the questions raised in the
above paragraph.

Thanks for listening. Any suggestions, comments, etc.., are invited.

···

From: David Goldstein, Ph.D.
Subject: MOL Research Study
Date: 12/24/99

[From Bill Powers (991225/0346 MDT)]

From: David Goldstein, Ph.D.
Subject: MOL Research Study
Date: 12/24/99

I am thinking of focusing on the first phase of the PCIC, which I believe is
the MOL part. I am thinking of tape recording the session, after permission
from the resident is granted. The session will be scored for evidence of
"going up a level." Each resident does several PCIC during the one year stay
at the center. My main question is: Is there evidence that a resident's
abiltiy to "go up a level" improves with practice? And is the ability to "go
up a level" predictive of the progress a resident makes at the center as
indicated by the type of discharge, the total number of points per week
earned, etc..

This sounds really good. The research questions bear directly on whether
the MOL is actually effective in producing change. However, the evaluations
of the resident's are heavily weighted by the cultural value system of
those in charge, so it would also be useful to find out how the residents
evaluate their own progress within their own value systems, whether or not
the staff considers the changes to be progress. A staff member might give a
positive weight to a variable such as "Obeys the orders of those in
authority," while a resident might consider an increase on that dimension
to represent a personal defeat and a worsening of the quality of life.

Best,

Bill P.

···

I am thinking that a MOL Learning Measure can be created which would allow
the division of residents into at least a few categories, maybe,
high/medium/low. This would allow me to address the questions raised in the
above paragraph.

Thanks for listening. Any suggestions, comments, etc.., are invited.

[From Dick Roberton,991225.0707CST]

David Goldstein wrote:

From: David Goldstein, Ph.D.
Subject: MOL Research Study
Date: 12/24/99

I am thinking of focusing on the first phase of the PCIC, which I believe is
the MOL part. I am thinking of tape recording the session, after permission
from the resident is granted. The session will be scored for evidence of
"going up a level." Each resident does several PCIC during the one year stay
at the center. My main question is: Is there evidence that a resident's
abiltiy to "go up a level" improves with practice? And is the ability to "go
up a level" predictive of the progress a resident makes at the center as
indicated by the type of discharge, the total number of points per week
earned, etc..

I am thinking that a MOL Learning Measure can be created which would allow
the division of residents into at least a few categories, maybe,
high/medium/low. This would allow me to address the questions raised in the
above paragraph.

This sounds like the start of a great piece of clinical research. I believe the
tape recordings of the sessions would be invaluable for themselves if nothing
else came of it. In order to measure "improvement with practice" I suppose you
would need a measure of improvement composed of several parts, that is, what
about the resident's own view? That could be different from an external rater
like a clinical judge. The second question ought to be fairly straight forward
once you get a satisfactory instrument for the first.

Keep us posted.

Best, Dick R.

···

[From Rick Marken (991225.0815)]

David Goldstein, (12/24/99) --

I am thinking of focusing on the first phase of the PCIC, which
I believe is the MOL part. I am thinking of tape recording the
session, after permission from the resident is granted

This is a great idea, David. It would be really nice if you
could get permission to videotape rather than just audio tape.
The tapes themselves will be valuable data.

Best

Rick

···

--
Richard S. Marken Phone or Fax: 310 474-0313
Life Learning Associates e-mail: rmarken@earthlink.net
http://home.earthlink.net/~rmarken/