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| OBM and Autism Intervention: Integrating Systems Theory and Behavior Analysis to Produce Lasting Change in Human Service Settings |
| Sunday, May 25, 2008 |
| 9:00 AM–10:20 AM |
| Marquette |
| Area: OBM/AUT; Domain: Applied Research |
| Chair: Michael Fabrizio (Organization for Research and Learning) |
| Discussant: Cloyd Hyten (University of North Texas) |
| CE Instructor: Michael Fabrizio, M.A. |
| Abstract: Providing highly effective, consistent, and sustainable services to persons with Autism and related disabilities requires more than skilled clinicians and willing clients. Providing such services also requires consistent and comprehensive performance analysis and improvement efforts at all levels of a human service agency. This symposium will review how OBM blends Behavior Analysis with Systems Theory to analyze performance at all levels of an organization, describe its role in helping to ensure effective service delivery, and outline the steps that two human service agencies in the Puget Sound area have taken to help support the delivery of consistently high quality services. |
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| Systems Theory: An Essential Component of Performance Analyses. |
| DONNIE M. STAFF (University of North Texas/Organization & Performance Technology), Shane D. Isley (FEAT of Washington/Organization & Performance Technology) |
| Abstract: The mission of any organizational intervention is to produce lasting change in employee performance. All human service agencies, for profit and non-profit, have customers, internal processes, employees, and financial responsibilities. As a result, it is key for human service agencies to view and manage their organization as a system. In order for agencies to effectively manage their organization as a system and ensure intervention quality they must (a) describe their services, (b) pinpoint important dimensions of performance for each of these services, (c) develop measures for each important dimension at the organizational, process, and job levels of performance, and (d) establish standards for each measure (Rummler & Brache, 1995). What is typically missing from organizational interventions is a thorough analysis of the remote causes of employee performance. These remote causes are typically identifiable once a map of input and output processes for an organization is examined. Interventions at any given organizational level can then be evaluated based on their effects at all other levels. This presentation will describe how organizations, regardless of their individual missions, can begin to develop measures that will help ensure intervention quality. |
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| The Essential Role of OBM Strategies and Tactics in Quality Service Provision to Persons with Autism and Related Disabilities. |
| SHANE D. ISLEY (FEAT of Washington/Organization & Performance Technology), Michael Fabrizio (Organization for Research and Learning) |
| Abstract: Providing highly effective, consistent, and sustainable services to persons with Autism and related disabilities requires more than skilled clinicians and willing clients. While an often-overlooked feature of effective services delivery, providing such services requires consistent and comprehensive performance analysis and improvement efforts at all levels of a human service agency. Using examples of performance data from both an early childhood education program and an adolescent transitions program for persons with Autism, this presentation will briefly review OBM research and applications, describe its role in helping to ensure effective service delivery, and outline the steps Families for Effective Autism Treatment (FEAT) of Washington has taken to help support the delivery of consistently high quality services. |
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| Measuring and Evaluating Organizational Development in an Autism Service Agency: A Report on the 1st Year of Organization for Research and Learning. |
| KELLY J. FERRIS (Organization for Research and Learning), Michael Fabrizio (Organization for Research and Learning), Shane D. Isley (FEAT of Washington/Organization & Performance Technology) |
| Abstract: The goal of organizational development for human service agencies should be to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the organizational policies and practices that affect the degree to which the organization can provide highly effective, consistent, and sustainable services to the clients and their families. This process may involve: (a) aligning key organizational outcomes with the processes and human behavior needed to produce those outcomes, (b) improving the knowledge and skills, productivity, and satisfaction of the employees, (c) improving the efficiency and effectiveness of critical processes. Organizational development should be informed by data, systems focused, and client centered. This paper will describe the development process of a small agency that delivers in-home behavior analytic services to persons with Autism and their families and present the pinpoints used to measure and evaluate the performance improvement effort. Data will be presented on process and staff performance, and in-direct consumer satisfaction. |
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