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Looking for Results in All the Wrong Places: What Makes Feedback Work?
As anyone knows who reads this blog or has been to one of my workshops, I am a fan of feedback. Back in the mid-1990’s, I began using Lynn Johnson’s 10-item Session Rating Scale in my clinical work. His book, Psychotherapy in the Age of Accountability, and our long relationship, convinced me that I… — read more
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More from Sweden
Three short weeks ago, I was in Stockholm, Sweden talking about "what works" in clinical practice. As I announced at the time, my visit coincided with an announcement by the organization governing mental health practice in the country. For the better part of a decade, CBT enjoyed near exclusive status as "evidence-based." Indeed, payment for… — read more
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The Achieving Clinical Excellence Conference CALL FOR PAPERS
In October 2010, the first annual "Achieving Clinical Excellence" was held in Kansas City, Missouri. A capacity crowd joined leading experts on the subject of top performance for three days worth of training and inspiration. K. Anders Ericsson reviewed his groundbreaking research, popularized by Malcolm Gladwell and others. ICCE Director, Scott D. Miller translated the… — read more
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Making History in Delft, Holland: The Launch of the first Consumer-Driven Outcome Management App
Dateline: October 18, 2011 Chicago, Illinois USA Last week I was in Europe: three days in Norway, a week in Sweden, and a day in Holland. In a day or two, I’ll say more about developments in Norway and the launch of the largest study in history on FIT in Sweden. Meanwhile, I’m pleased to… — read more
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Achieving Clinical Excellence Conference 2013: CALL FOR PAPERS
Horsholm, Denmark Spent the weekend with the planning committe for the 2013 Achieving Clinical Excellence Conference. Committee members came in from all over the world–the USA, Romania, Holland, the UK, and Denmark–to finalize speakers, the conference venue, and mock up the logo for the conference brochure and advertizing. Like last time, we are not only bringing in the… — read more
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The World Did Not End: What it a Bad Thing?
May 25th, 2011 Chicago, Illinois On Saturday the 21st of May, 2011 the world was supposed to come to an end. It did not. My question: was that a bad thing? Would it have been better if, as the now twice wrong Prophet Harold Camping predicted, the world had ended. In the world of public… — read more
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The "Fragile Balance": Putting the Pieces together at the 2013 Achieving Clinical Excellence Conference in Amsterdam, Holland
Dateline: May 8th, 2011 Copenhagen, Denmark It is with great pleasure and high expectations that I announce the second "Achieving Excellence Conference" to be held in Amsterdam, Holland on May 16th-18th, 2013. The title of the 2013 ACE conference is, "Putting the Pieces Together: The ‘Fragile Balance,’" emphasizing the steps, practices, and supports required for excellence in the field… — read more
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The Cryptonite of Behavioral Health: Making Mistakes
Most people readily agree that its important to "learn from mistakes." In truth, however, few actually believe it. Mistakes are like cryptonite, making us feel and, more importantly, look stupid and weak. As a result, despite what we might advise others, we do our best to avoid making and admitting them. Such avoidance comes with… — read more
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Why is this man laughing?
May 4th, 2011 Copenhagen, Denmark Just finished my first day of a two week trip covering spots in Denmark and Holland. Yesterday, I traveled to Copenhagen from Hilo, Hawaii where I was presenting for the Hawaiian Association of Marriage and Family Therapy. Dr. Gay Barflied (pictured on the far left above) spent years lobbying to… — read more
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Cha-cha-cha-changes on a Grand Scale: Think Tank Meets in Chicago
David Mee-Lee, MD Bill Miller, Ph.D. Scott D. Miller, Ph.D. Jim Prochaska, Ph.D. Don Kuhl, CEO Change is in the air. Whether in the United States or Europe, Asia or Australia, the field of behavioral health is undergoing a period of dramatic change. Some would say, "transformation." At least that’s the verdict of the group… — read more
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Am-ACE-ing Events in Kansas City: The First International Achieving Clinical Excellence Conference
Here’s a riddle for you: What do therapists, researchers, case managers, magicians, surgeons, award winning musicians, counselors, jugglers, behavioral health agency directors, and balloon twisting artists have in common? Answer: They all participated in the first "Achieving Clinical Excellence" held last week in Kansas City, Missouri. It’s true. The "motley" crew of presenters, entertainers, and attendees came to Kansas… — read more
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Error-centric Practice: How Getting it Wrong can Help you Get it Right
It’s an idea that makes intuitive sense but is simultanesouly unappealing to most people. I, for one, don’t like it. What’s more, it flies in the face of the "self-esteem" orientation that has dominated much of educational theory and practice over the last several decades. And yet, research summarized in a recent issue of Scientific American… — read more
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Implementing Consumer-Driven, Outcome-Informed (CDOI) Behavioral Health Services: The ICCE and 2010 Training of Trainers Event
This week I’m in Calgary, Canada. Last week, I was in Charleston, South Carolina. Next week, I’ll be in Marion, Ohio and Bay city, Michigan. In each instance, I’m working with the management and staff of public behavioral health agencies that are busy implementing consumer-driven, outcome-informed clinical work. Some of the groups are just beginning… — read more
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Feedback, Friends, and Outcome in Behavioral Health
My first year in college, my declared major was accounting. What can I say? My family didn’t have much money and my mother–who chose my major for me–thought that the next best thing to wealth was being close to money. Much to her disappointment I switched from accounting to psychology in my softmore year. That’s when I first met Dr. Michael Lambert.… — read more
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Learning, Mastery, and Achieving One’s Personal Best
Dateline: Sunday, April 25th, 2010 Chicago, IL There’s a feeling I get whenever I’m learning something new. It’s a combination of wonder and possibility. Even though I’ve been traveling and teaching full time for over 18 years, I still feel that get that feeling of excitement whenever I step on a plane: What will I see? Who will… — read more
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"What Works" in Holland: The Cenzo Experience
When it comes to healthcare, it can be said without risk of exaggeration that "revolution is in the air." The most sweeping legislation in history has just been passed in the United States. Elsewhere, as I’ve been documenting in my blogs, countries, states, provinces, and municipalities are struggling to maintain quality while containing costs of… — read more
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Is Professional Training a Waste of Time?
Every year, thousands of students graduate from professional programs with degrees enabling them to work in the field of behavioral health. Many more who have already graduated and are working as a social worker, psychologist, counselor, or marriage and family therapist attend—often by legal mandate—continuing education events. The costs of such training in terms of time and… — read more
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Leading for a Change: The Training of Trainer’s (TOT) Chicago
I’m writing tonight from my hotel room at the River Rock Inn in Rockland, Ontario, Canada. For those of you who are not familiar with the area, it is a biligual (French & English) community of around 9,000 located about 25 km west of Ottawa. Today through Thursday, I’m working with the staff, supervisors, and agency administrators of… — read more
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Deliberate Practice, Expertise, & Excellence
Later today, I board United flight 908 on my way to workshops scheduled in Holland and Belgium. My routine in the days leading up to an international trip is always the same. I slowly gather together the items I’ll need while away: computer (check); european electric adapter (check); presentation materials (check); clothes (check). And, oh yeah, two decks of playing cards… — read more
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The Field, the Future, and Feedback
There is an old (but in many ways sad) joke about two clinicians–actually, the way I first heard the story, it was two psychiatrists. The point of the story is the same regardless of the discipline of the provider. Anyway, two therapists meet in the hallway after a long day spent meeting clients. One, the younger of… — read more