Increasing Data Completion in a Group Home

2. Increasing Data Completion in a Group Home By Matt Brodhead

3. HomeLife, Inc • Based out of Battle Creek • Owns 6 group homes in Southwest Michigan • Mostly funded by Community Mental Health (CMH) agencies • Your tax dollars at work • Behavioral systems program designed to maintain, and sometimes modify, behavior • Most residents suffer from traumatic brain injury, or • They engage in risky behavior and cannot live without supervision

4. The Problem • Staff do not complete data sheets • Why is this important? • CMH offices use data to asses HomeLife’s services • For every error, a CMH office can refuse pay HomeLife for that entire day of care • Three errors = $300 in fines • Staff fill out approximately 100 data points every eight hours • 300 data points each day • 9,000 data points each month • 27,000 data points every 3 months

5. Reason to Intervene • Errors are costly • Fixed rates for care of residents stays the same for years • Fines take away from resources necessary for the organization to succeed • More training for staff • Better opportunities for residents • Repairs to the home • Other modifications that increase the quality of life

6. Given amount of data completed Staff fills out one data sheet Infinitesimally more data completed Ineffective Natural Contingency

7. Given time to monitor safety Given time to distribute medication Staff fills out one data sheet Staff fills out one data sheet Less time to monitor safety Less time to distribute medication Natural Competing Contingency

8. Natural Competing Contingencies • Priorities: • Monitor for inappropriate behavior • Sexually inappropriate behavior • Aggressive behavior • Medication • Appointments

10. Staff Complete data before end of shit Home Managers Consistently review data completion every day Implement performance management contingencies for staff every week Performance Objectives

11. Input-Process-Output Model (Data sheets completed) [Output] |____ Filling out data sheets [Process] |_____ (Data sheets not completed) [Input]

12. Goal Specification Form

13. Staff On the job training “Buddy system” Supervisor monitors subordinate staff Weekly drawing for bonus of $5.00 for 100% completion Home Manager Look over previous day’s data before end of shift Supervise “buddy system” $100 bonus for every CMH evaluation with no errors in data sheets Design the Intervention

14. SD: Before end of shift SD: Before end of day Will lose opportunity for $5.00 bonus Will not lose opportunity for $5.00 bonus Staff fills out one data sheet Will lose opportunity for $100 bonus Will not lose opportunity for $100 bonus Home Manager reviews data Design the Intervention

16. Evaluate the Intervention • Hypothetically • Staff enjoy their $5.00 bonus • Managers enjoy their $100 bonus • Social validity is a huge factor due to the inherent nature of “high turn-over” in group homes

17. Hypothetical Recycle • The company removed the $100 bonus for Home Managers • Because “they should want to do it”

19. Evaluate the Recycle • Obviously, the bonus for the Manager was crucial • The bonus should be reinstated

20. THE END