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Using Technology in Practice:

Single Subject Evaluation and Apps for Clinical Use

Catherine Pearlman, PhD, LCSW

College of New Rochelle and The Family Coach
December 13, 2013
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Overview of Presentation

 What is Single Subject Evaluation

 Why do it
 The components
 How to measure and track
 Useful Apps for Single Subject Evaluation
 Tips for SSE
Q and A
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What is Single Subject Evaluation

 Monitoring a client/system before, during

and after an intervention to evaluate
change
A client system could be a group, agency,
family or individual
 Anintervention is anything that you do in
practice to help a client
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Example, Baseline Phase
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AB design – 2 outcomes
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Sample ABA – intervention group
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Why should you do SSE?
 To understand scope of the problem
 Objective determination if intervention is
working
 Good for here and now feedback
 Repeat successful interventions
 Demonstrate effectiveness and accountability
to client and agency who pay for services
 Tracking is an intervention – Weight Watchers
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Design Types
 AB: Baseline, intervention

 A BC
 A: Baseline

 B: individual counseling and C: group counseling at the

same time
 No follow up baseline

 A BC CD A
 A: Baseline

 B: individual counseling C: medication

 THEN C: medication and D: group counseling

 THEN follow up baseline

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What to measure? How to Decide?
 What is meaningful to client?
 Treatment goals, Short or long term
 Prioritize

 Is it measurable?
 Convenient, quick, easy, quantifiable

 Who can measure?

 Client, spouse, parent, others in group

 How often does it need to be measured?

 Depends on how often behavior occurs
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Some examples of variables
Depression
 Hours slept
 Emails sent
 How sad on scale 1-10
 Take a short depression scale and score
 Calories consumed
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Ethical Responsibility
 NASW Code of Ethics, 5.02 Evaluation and
Research
 (a)
Social workers should monitor and
evaluate policies, the implementation of
programs, and practice interventions.
 (b)Social workers should promote and
facilitate evaluation and research to
contribute to the development of
knowledge.
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Mental Health Apps for SSE
 PTSD Coach
 eCBT Calm
 DBT Diary and Skills Coach
 iMood Journal
 Optimism
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PTSD Coach
Created by VA’s National
Center for PTSD

 Self Assessment

 Tools to help manage

stresses of daily life
 Relaxation
techniques
 Positive self-talk

 Anger Management

 Opportunities to find
support
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PTSD Coach – Favorite Feature
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PTSD Coach Support
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PTSD Coach
PROS CONS
 Free  Many features that are only
 Many features that are good relevant to PTSD
tool regardless of stress
 Not customizable
 Great tools to choose from
to alleviate symptoms with
audio
 Stress tracker before and
after intervention in App
 Support network entered
into App
 Assessment alert – weekly
and tracker
 History Tracking
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Assess stress and
build relaxation
techniques
 Assess stress using
questionnaire adapted
from The Perceived
Stress Scale

 Several Relaxation skills

taught in the App
 Rapid Relaxation
 Tense-release
relaxation
 Release-only
relaxation
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eCBT Calm – Rapid Relax
 First rate your distress on
scale 0-100

 Deep breathing

 On exhale think “relax”

 Reminded to let as much

tension out on exhale

 5 breaths

 Belly Breathing

 Rerate your anxiety

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eCBT Calm – pros and cons
PROS CONS

 Password Protected  Can’t update past days

 Links
to outside  Not customizable
resources for stress
and anxiety  Basiccharting on
stress level only
 GreatCBT relaxation
and mindfulness
exercises in App

 Results can be emailed

 Cost: .99
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Optimism - Overview
Mood charting app that allows client to gauge
progress, issues, and develop strategies to improve

 Stay WellStrategies: Sleep, exercise, healthy

eating, water, medication, supports, time outside

 Triggers: Stressat work/home, lack of sleep or

exercise, too much to do, negative self talk, drug
use, challenges

 Symptomology: Irritability, Anger, Sadness,

Anxiety, Guilt, Hopelessness, Worthless, Loss of
interest, Concentration, Appetite
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Optimism – screen shots
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Triggers
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Optimism Graph
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Optimism
PROS CONS
 Password Protected  Many options
 Totally Customizable  Can be overwhelming
 Chart or Report Possible  No helpful immediate
 Can Add Daily Notes treatment strategies in
App
 Alert to remind to enter
data

 Data can be printed

 Free
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Tips
 Discuss the idea of evaluation with client
 Get buy in

 Decide what to measure

 Decide how often to measure

 View a few apps to find the best one for each client

 Start simple with tracking

 Decide how long of a baseline is needed or just start with the

intervention phase

 Client driven evaluation and data collection

 Who should track data?
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Q&A

Thank you for inviting me.

Contact CPearlman@cnr.edu

914-433-4558