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| Experimental Analysis of Organizational Strategies to Improve Service Delivery |
| Sunday, May 24, 2015 |
| 10:00 AM–10:50 AM |
| 202AB (CC) |
| Area: OBM/DDA; Domain: Applied Research |
| Chair: Allison Serra Tetreault (Community Living Opportunities ) |
| CE Instructor: Allison Serra Tetreault, Ph.D. |
| Abstract: Human services organizations are tasked with the job of continually providing high-quality services while decreasing costs and professional time invested in providing those services. The talks presented here analyze three different approaches for addressing these concerns. Our first speaker will discuss an analysis of best-practice data collection techniques for accurately representing the occurrence of behavior. This talk will be followed by an assessment of the effects of an electronic data collection system for increasing graphing by clinicians. Timeliness and cost-savings will also be discussed. The symposium will conclude with talk that describes a large-scale, performance-based bonus system for increasing the completion of job duties by management staff at three levels of service delivery for adults with I/DD. Effects on job satisfaction and on staff retention will be discussed. |
| Keyword(s): data collection, electronic graphing, organizational behavior, performance management |
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| Comparison of Discontinuous Time Sampling Methods in Residential Services for Students with Autism |
| WILLIAM H. AHEARN (New England Center for Children), Ashleigh Gilman (The New England Center for Children), Megan Lindsey (The New England Center for Children), Leslie Quiroz (The New England Center for Children) |
| Abstract: Time sampling procedures are often necessary for measuring behavior in applied settings. This study aimed to determine the relative accuracy of a variety of sampling procedures. Six student records of stereotypic and self-injurious behavior were collected and continuous measures were calculated. Then momentary time sampling (MTS) and partial interval recording (PIR) using intervals of 20 s , 5 min, 10 min, 15 min, and 30 min. Seven hours of video recording were collected for each student record analyzed. These videos were collected at the same hour during a regularly scheduled school day. The percentage of occurrences using each time sampling method was compared to the true level of occurrence. Percentage error for each interval size was also calculated. Results indicated that for some records all sampled intervals produced relatively accurate records. However, the smallest interval size, 20 s was the most accurate while MTS was generally more accurate than PIR. Interobserver agreement was collected across at least 33% of video samples across all participants and was above 87% for all samples. |
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| The Effects of Electronic Data Collection on Accuracy and Completeness of Clinician Graphs and Organizational Return on Investment |
| JOSHUA SLEEPER (Trumpet Behavioral Health), Linda A. LeBlanc (Trumpet Behavioral Health), Jonathan Mueller (Trumpet Behavioral Health), Amber Valentino (Trumpet Behavioral Health - Monterey Bay), Daniela Fazzio (Trumpet Behavioral Health), Paige Raetz (Trumpet Behavioral Health) |
| Abstract: Behavior analysts rely on frequent access to graphed data to facilitate data-based clinical decision making and enhance their programming. Several electronic data collection products have been created and marketed in the last several years. These products suggest that electronic data collection and analysis (e.g., graphing, comparison of performance to criterion) offer several advantages to manual data collection (i.e., paper and pencil) and analysis (e.g., entry into a spreadsheet and manual creation and updating of graphs). To date, there are few systematic evaluations of the impact of electronic data collection and analysis tools on the everyday efforts of practicing clinicians. Thus, potential product consumers do not have a clear idea of the potential return on the investment (ROI) of purchasing and implementing an electronic data collection tool. We evaluated the effects of the Catalyst data collection system on Clinician time and graph accuracy and completeness with three Clinicians employed in a large human services agency serving individuals with autism and/or developmental delays. For each clinician, a multiple baseline design across consumers was employed. Two of the three clinicians also had a constant series control consumer for each implementation (i.e., a dyad with one consumer who received Catalyst and one who never did). During baseline, graphs were seldom completely accurate and updated as of the designated time for the supervisor to examine the file. When Catalyst was implemented for a consumer, the accuracy metric increased to 100% at all checks for all consumers without any corresponding increase in clinician hours. No changes were observed for any consumers with whom Catalyst was not used (i.e., constant series control) (see sample graph for one Clinician below). A comprehensive index of return on investment was calculated using various costs of implementation (e.g., equipment, estimated license per consumer, time for creating the individual Catalyst user accounts and programs) and observed and estimated savings (e.g., clinician and administrative time, increased frequency of clinical decision-making). These results are discussed in terms of strategies for systematically evaluating the costs and benefits of organizational efforts to use technology to enhance staff performance in human service settings. |
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| A Performance-Based Bonus System for Increasing Completion of Essential Job Duties |
| Florence D. DiGennaro Reed (University of Kansas), ALLISON SERRA TETREAULT (Community Living Opportunities ), Michael Strouse (Community Living Opportunities), Yolanda Hargett (Community Living Opportunities), Kristen Carrigan (Community Living Opportunities), Jamie Price (Community Living Opportunities ) |
| Abstract: Community-based, residential services for adults with I/DD often require staff to perform a wide range of essential job duties including meeting basic safety requirements (e.g., acceptable water temperatures), completing staff training, and developing behavior and skill acquisition plans. Ensuring staff complete these job duties may lead to better services as well as improved quality-of-life and satisfaction outcomes for consumers. Even when organizations adopt an evidence-based training model, staff may not complete essential job duties in a timely manner or at all. Thus, the purpose of this study was to identify a post-training performance management procedure to address this issue. This study used a multiple baseline design to evaluate the effects of a monthly financial incentive (monetary bonus) contingent on staff completion of three sets of job duties. The percentage of essential job duties increased only when the contingent monetary bonus was available for the first two sets of job duties. Baseline data continue to be collected on the third set of duties. An archival analysis of permanent product information regarding staff turnover rates and staff satisfaction for the bonus program will also be reported. |
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