The Digital Communication Power Tools Transforming Social Work Today
Marilyn Herie PhD RSW
Ontario Association of Social WorkersProvincial ConferenceNovember 10, 2012
Invited Keynote presentation: http://www.oasw.org/public/membershipâbenefits/oaswâconferenceâ2012.aspx
1
Marilyn Herie PhD RSW
Dr. Herie is Director of the TEACH Project, a University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine Certificate Program in Cessation Counselling at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, where she incorporates distributed learning and social media in reaching professionals from across Canada and from over 15 disciplines. As well as being Director of the University of Toronto's Collaborative Program in Addiction Studies, Dr. Herie has engaged in research and education focused on online clinical education in social work and has taught a Mastersâlevel online addictions MSW course for nearly 10 years.
http://ca.linkedin.com/pub/marilynâherie/39/161/945
2
Looking forward with a hurricane at our back
The subtitle of this talk â it is not whether to adopt or get on board with these digital tools â it is how we will participate
This is already a reality for our profession, and the momentum is building.
Now, some may be looking for the evacuation route!
But ahead actually lies great opportunity, as well as some peril. This is where we are going to focus â how to make the most of the opportunities, while not ignoring the negative potential that is inherent in any tool. And keeping in mind that digital tools are, first and foremost, tools (not ends in themselves).
SoâŚI invite you to accompany me on this journey.
6
social media collaboration e-therapy
I will focus on three general areas
Learning Objectives
1. Identify the digital tools that best fit your professional objectives and needs
2. Anticipate upcoming trends and implications for your practice
3. Access resources and tips for using these tools to their full potential
And these three areas will address the above learning objectives.
8
Some caveats:I was alive before email
I was alive before the world wide webI was alive before personal computers
In fact, I once typed university research papers â albeit on an electric typewriter.
However we are all beginners at this, because technology is such a moving target. We are all always learning and relearning.
And YOU also bring a wealth of expertise and wisdom/experience!
social media collaboration e-therapy
Take a couple of minutes and reflect on what you are ALREADY doing in these three areas
social media collaboration e-therapy⢠Webinar, web conference⢠Screenr, Vimeo⢠Online course⢠Wikis⢠Google+⢠Twitterchat⢠Eâtherapy⢠Other?
⢠Facebook⢠LinkedIn⢠Twitter⢠YouTube⢠Wordpress, Blogger⢠Pintrest, Tumblr⢠Stumbleupon⢠Reddit
What is your experience? How do these examples fit? What is missing from this list?
So many possibilities, so little time?
It seems like there are so many tools and applications to master or tend â how is it possible for a busy practitioner to keep up?
14
External Factors
Perceived Usefulness
Perceived Ease of Use
Attitude BehaviourIntention to use
Technology Use
Technology Acceptance Model (TAM):Ease of use and usefulness will predict an individualâs attitudes towards, intention to use, and acceptance of the technology
McGowan et al., 2012. Understanding the Factors That Influence the Adoption and Meaningful Use of Social Media by Physicians to Share Medical Information. Journal of Medical Internet Research.
I like to start with a theoretical framework, and TAM hypothesizes that time may not be the most important predictor of technology acceptance/use by practitioners.
15
âIt appears that the frequency of social media usage is influenced primarily by positive attitudes toward the technology, perceiving that the technology is easy to use, and perceiving the technology to be useful to achieve better performance outcomes. Conversely, factors found to be nonsignificant included demographic variables typically perceived as important, such as years since graduation (a proxy for age), gender, patients seen per week (a proxy for how busy a physician is), and type of specialty. This finding is consistent with other studies, which have shown practice-related characteristics to be unassociated with use of Internet-based communication technologies.â
McGowan et al., 2012. Understanding the Factors That Influence the Adoption and Meaningful Use of Social Media by Physicians to Share Medical Information. Journal of Medical Internet Research.
In other words, OLD and BUSY practitioners are just as likely to use technology.My goal in this presentation is to demystify and demonstrate the utility of some key applications for clinical practitioners (ease of use + utility)
16
Personal Learning Networks (PLNs)âA PLN is a system for lifelong learningâ
http://edudemic.com/2012/10/build-personal-learning-network/
Blogs
WikisProfessional
Profiles
News AggregatorsBackchanelling
of conferences
Webinars
Social Networking
Social Bookmarking
Microblogging
And to consider how all of these fit together synergistically to comprise your very own PLN
http://educateria.com/2012/10/24/personalâlearningânetworksâplns/
17
Topic #1: Social Media
18
The key is to remember that you are jumping into a much bigger pool
i. e.: The world
Letâs look at some key social media applications, but first, a few words about privacy
Many practitioners avoid social media due to privacy concerns. This is justified, and in some cases any online presence may be undesirable.
22
Who has a smart phone?
But letâs try an activityâŚ
1. Choose a random person in the audience
2. Ask their name3. Google them4. How many hits? 5. What comes up?
OrâŚwhen was the last time you searched yourself online?Was there anything that surprised you in response to this activity?
The Paradox of Online Identity
The question is: Who controls it?
The paradox is this:We hold ourselves back from participating in social media in order to better manage our online identity; yet by not participating we lose control over ways of presenting ourselves online
The majority of people already have some type of online identity regardless of personal preference.
Your Online Identity = Your âBrandâ
Social media tools can help you manage and define yourself online.
Use the Security Settings
⢠Be judicious⢠But remember that you are probably more visible than you think
⢠Do an online search of yourself â regularly⢠Ask an expert (teenager) for help!
But, determine your own individual privacy threshold, and take steps to ensure that you understand and use the security settings among the various tools/applications.
⢠Facebook⢠LinkedIn⢠Google+⢠Twitter ⢠YouTube
⢠Slideshare⢠Pinterest⢠Stumbleupon⢠Screenr
Letâs look at these select applications, keeping in mind that this represents only a fraction of what is out there.
JOURNAL OF CONTINUING EDUCATION IN THE HEALTH PROFESSIONS, 31(3):215â219, 2011
Medicine and Medical education are frontrunners in research and publications on social media applications
⢠Facebook⢠LinkedIn⢠Google+⢠Twitter ⢠YouTube
⢠Slideshare⢠Pinterest⢠Stumbleupon⢠Reddit⢠Screenr
Letâs start with the âbig fourâ
A 15 year oldâs perspectiveâŚ
How does a teenager regard these four applications â in one sentence or less?
A 15 year oldâs perspectiveâŚâ˘ Facebook:
âThereâs a lot of ads but itâs really goodâ
⢠LinkedIn:âNobody uses LinkedIn in unless you have, like, a jobâ
⢠Google+:ânobody has Google+â
⢠Twitter:âItâs good for keeping track of thingsâ
Interesting how these statements in fact capture an essential element within each application.
A 15 year oldâs perspectiveâŚâ˘ Facebook:
âThereâs a lot of ads but itâs really goodâ
⢠LinkedIn:âNobody uses LinkedIn in unless you have, like, a jobâ
⢠Google+:ânobody has Google+â
⢠Twitter:âItâs good for keeping track of thingsâ
Including much chatter on the Internet about the extent to which Google+ has as much adoption and traffic/sharing as promos suggest?
Graphic from:
http://mashable.com/2012/08/08/infographicâgoogleâplusâghostâtown/
http://mashable.com/2012/08/08/infographic-google-plus-ghost-town/
This Infographic on Mashable.com illustrates that G+ is well behind the other three applications.
Looking for a job or wanting to network/collaborate with other professionals?
Wanting to share information, invite feedback/contributions, and follow others?
Wanting to push out links/short reflections and follow others?
Whatâs right for you? Are youâŚ.
How do I decide? Here are some suggestions.
http://www.facebook.com/profilesinsocialwork
And here is a small example of the wealth of resources and information available through social media.
Letâs talk about Linked in.Are you on Linked in? If you are, are you using it to its full potential?
For example, do you belong/participate in any active discussion groups focused on your area of specialty? Do you share updates with people in your network?
If you arenât on LinkedIn, as a professional, this one is a mustâdo.
Now letâs talk about Twitter
I donât have a lot of followers, nor do I follow a lot of people or organizations. I am strategic about who I follow and Twitter has been a major source of cutting edge ideas and developments in clinical education.
I love how I am learning about innovations on Twitter long before I see them anywhere else.
Everything about you in
160 characters or less
Profile
SoâŚif youâre not already on Twitter, you need to craft a profile of no more than 160 characters.
Hereâs an example of my Twitter profile, but there are lots of great (better!) examples out there.
Try doing an online search for âTop Twitter Profilesâ to get some ideas and inspiration.
Quick Twitter Tips
⢠# (hashtag): categorizes tweets â there is a taxonomy of hashtags, or you can create your own (www.hashtags.org)
⢠@MarilynHerie: Twitter handle â how your Tweets will appear
⢠140 characters max⢠If sending a link, make it into a âTiny URLâ
Twitter is especially good for sharing links to interesting/important/entertaining content to others in your network. TinyURL is an example of a free online application to shorten the URL so that it can fit in the 140 character limit of a tweet (see next slide).
Like I said, there are lots of other applications out there â this happens to be the one that I like and use.
Twitter Practice
⢠What is something that is unique to me?
⢠What is something I have experienced that others may identify with?
http://kellyburstow.com/2011/10/how-to-write-a-twitter-bio/
Here are some key questions to get you started writing (or revising) your Twitter bio.
Twitter Practice
⢠Turn to the person behind you
⢠If youâre on Twitter: â Share your handle and bioâ Who do you follow and why?
⢠If youâre not on Twitter:â What would you say about yourself in your brief bio?
â Practice writing a âTweetâabout this session
Whatâs your bio?Who do you follow?
Who will you follow as a result of networking with others and exploring their interests?
⢠Facebook⢠LinkedIn⢠Google+⢠Twitter⢠YouTube
⢠Slideshare⢠Pinterest⢠Stumbleupon⢠Screenr
Now letâs talk about YouTubeâŚ
More than just cat videos
The two talking cats? Really?If you need to see this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3U0udLH974
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0
Wow â I love this video so much. It makes me happy just looking at this.
Create Video Content ToâŚ
⢠Share research findings⢠Demonstrate clinical skills⢠Hear from stakeholders, guest experts, etc.⢠Disseminate talks or presentations⢠Video Blogging (Vlogging)
But YouTube is so much more than cat/music/etc videos. Here are some suggested applications to consider in using this powerful dissemination and communication tool at a professional or organization level.
https://www.youtube.com/user/teachproject
For example, our teachproject.ca has a YouTube channel, with thousands of hits on our information and clinical demonstration videos.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=79YTuZUFRIc
ButâŚa note of cautionâŚthis video, quite popular on our TEACH YouTube channelâŚ
www.youtube.com/watch?v=79YTuZUFRIc
âŚhas been syndicated to numerous other websites.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=79YTuZUFRIc
Itâs not a huge problem, but something to keep in mind as you may or may not approve of the sites that syndicate your content.
http://vimeo.com/
For this reason, many professionals and organizations are choosing Vimeo.
âOnline video has become synonymous with YouTube. Its size and high profile make it an obvious consideration for hosting your business videos â and of course, itâs free. On the other hand, Vimeo has built its reputation on providing a professional platform with advanced features and a more engaged audience.When choosing the best platform to host your business videos, consider the goal of your campaign (views vs. engagement), your budget, and your brand itself. YouTube may be more suitable if high volume and high exposure are key considerations for your videos. If brand reputation and detailed analytics are more important, then Vimeo may be the better choice. In either case, your business will benefit from being part of the vastly popular, online video movement.â
http://sproutsocial.com/insights/2011/08/youtubeâvsâvimeoâbusiness/
⢠Facebook⢠LinkedIn⢠Google+⢠Twitter ⢠YouTube
⢠Pinterest⢠Stumbleupon⢠Slideshare⢠Screenr
Now letâs look briefly at some other interesting social media applications
http://pinterest.com/
Pinterest seems to be gaining on Twitter. I am not personally a huge fan or user, but the penny dropped as to why Pinterest is so appealing when I saw the Pin Board on the next slideâŚ
http://pinterest.com/rtkrum/infographic-visual-resumes/
This concept â Infographic CVs â is so obvious and compelling, and I love how the examples are curated and collected here.
I was inspired to attempt my own Infographic CV â nothing as visually elegant and accomplished as those other ones, but a fun exercise and challenge.
Also a way to differentiate how you present yourself professionally to prospective or current employers.
http://thenextweb.com/apps/2012/07/26/forget-about-me-vizify-is-your-new-online-profile-of-choice-invites/
And the new kid on the block â Vizify â takes the concept of infographic CV and puts it into an online application/community.
http://www.stumbleupon.com/home
This site is just fun. Stumbleupon can progressively shape recommendations based on your likes and dislikes of websites that you âstumbleâ
For example: this one came up for me in a recent stumble.
http://www.slideshare.net/mherie/mini-med-delightful-poison-pub#remove_related_cta
Slideshare is another great tool to publish and disseminate slide decks and presentations, and to search and see what others are doing in a specific area.
http://www.screenr.com/
And Screenr is a great way to illustrate how to access information or use computer applications. Itâs superâeasy to create a video/audio recording and share.
Lots of food for thought! Now letâs move onâŚ
Group 2: Collaboration and Networking
Collaboration Tools
⢠Blogging⢠Webinars, webconferencing⢠Wikis
In this section weâll look at these three tools:Blogging, webinars and wikis
Collaboration Tools
⢠Blogging⢠Webinars, webconferencing⢠Wikis
What would you name it?
Do you have a blog? Whatâs it called?If you did have a blog, what would you name it?
Finding the âperfectâ name: pithy, memorable, descriptive, can be a challenge.
What blog names have others used?How did you decide?
Do an online search for examples of blog names, or ask others about names theyâve used or considered.
http://wordoid.com/
One tool â and there are numerous others â that can help inspire or give ideas is Wordoid. You input a particular topic or word(s) and the application generates variations that sound like real words.
Educateria
And that is how I came up with the name of my education blog: Educateria(www.educateria.com)
I liked the idea and image of a cafeteria â an array of different dishes from which a person could choose, based on tastes and preferences.The tagline for my blog describes this: âA balanced diet of tips and reflections for educators and presentersâ
http://blog-services-review.toptenreviews.com/
So youâve chosen a nameâŚwhat platform should you use?This review article nicely compares the pros and cons of different blogging platforms to help you decide which one is right for you.
http://educateria.com/
TemplateTitle
Description
Banner Image
Optional Picture
I have chosen Wordpress for my blog. This slide illustrates the different components that you can populate once you sign up and get started.
http://educateria.com/
Post Title
Subtitle
Categories/Tags
Blogging seems to be very underutilized in social work and human services â at personal/professional/organizational levels.
Yet it can be a powerful reflective and communication tool, and a way to invite others into an ongoing conversation.
Where do the cool people hang out?
Right now there is one blog that is cooler than the rest.Can you guess what it is?
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8znioL6Ti1rx2uiqo1_500.png
These random images, for me, speak to the protoâtypical tumblr images.Tumblr is beautiful, hip, young and âout thereâ
You might be thinking â this is WAY out of my comfort zone â forget tumblr!
BUT â even if you arenât on, someone might still be looking for you on that platform.For example, I searched âCAMH tumblrââŚ
http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/camh
And when I looked through tumblr posts #camh I honestly wasnât sure if I was looking at Torontoâs Centre for Addiction and Mental Health or not???
http://camh.tumblr.com/
The actual CAMH tumblr page helped clarify:Contemporary Art Museum of Houston
OhâŚthat camh!
http://web.stagram.com/tag/camh/
But it looks like I am not the only person who has done this search and been confused.(White squirrels are unique and known to live around the Toronto CAMH Queen Street campus.)
TakeâHome Messages
⢠You might be online even if itâs not âyouâ⢠Consider a âplaceholderâ with some content across platforms, especially if you/your organizationâs name is not unique
⢠Donât assume you/your organizationâs name is unique
⢠Even if you donât use a platform, someone else might be searching for you on it
So here are some thoughts to consider, even if you arenât sure that a particular platform is for you.
Especially as an organization, it may make sense to have a presence across platforms.
How do I decide?1. Do I want to install, configure, and host my blog myself, or
would I rather rely on a hosted service? 2. Do I want to create my own blog theme, or am I satisfied
with using or customizing an existing theme? 3. Do I want to be able to install custom plugâins or am I
satisfied with the functionality that is builtâin to the platform I choose?
4. Will I be writing more longâform posts or posting cool things I find online? Or do I need to be able to do both?
5. Do I want others to be able to comment on my post and interact with my content in a social way, or do I just want to be able to have a place to post my writing where people can read it and nobody can bother me?
6. Am I willing to pay for this blogging platform?
http://lifehacker.com/5878847/which-blogging-platform-should-i-use
This article at Lifehacker.com gives some great questions and suggestions to help you to decide which blogging platform is a good fit for your objectives and style.
Collaboration Tools
⢠Blogging⢠Webinars, webconferencing⢠Wikis
OK. Letâs talk webinars.
Webinars
Iâd like to draw some contrast around âfantasyâ versus ârealityâ when discussing the potential of these tools for collaboration and networking.
The ideal is interconnectedness and vibrant online collaboration!How does this fit with reality? How many webinars have you attended that achieve this ideal?
Unfortunately the reality is often more like watching a really boring TV show
Who has presented a webinar as a speaker/facilitator?
What have you learned from your own experiences facilitating or participating in webinars or web/video conferences?
These valuable experiences about the process yield some important âbest practiceâtips.
Just in case you are new to webinars, hereâs an example of the screen that users see when they log in. (This was from a session that I facilitated on Motivational Interviewing in fall 2012).
Note the chat box on the lower left side of the screen â that is a powerful (and underâused) enhancement to webinars, especially with large groups of participants.
How can we leverage the technology to really get active participation and collaboration?
Six Webinar Tips
1. It might not be a webinar2. I like text chat better than voice3. Prime participants to participate4. You canât do it all5. Ready for your closeâup6. Less text more pictures
http://educateria.com/2012/10/02/quick-tips-for-faclitating-webinars/
Here are some tips from my blog post on facilitating webinars:It might not be a webinar: Sometimes network connections fail, either at your end or
for participants. Send out a complete slide deck ahead of time and have a teleconference line just in case.
I like text chat better than voice: In webinars, text chat is really seamless, especially with large groups (e.g., 100 or more). Encourage people to chat with eachâother as well as the facilitator throughout the webinar. This brings me to two more points:
Prime participants to participate:Most people regard online, textâbased communication as more an act of publishing than as an act of speech. This cognition tends to constrain spontaneous conversation, so I ask participants to write down at least one question ahead of time. That way people are âprimedâ to participate, and once the ice is broken the group can really take off.
You canât do it all:With lots of sidebar chat itâs pretty much impossible to present AND read comments/questions at the same time. Having a moderator to help cue the presenter with key questions or pauses is essential.
Ready for your closeâup: Builtâin computer webcams tend not to give the most flattering angle. Use a separate webcam for better camera postioning, add extra light, and talk to the camera. Participants want to feel connected to the facilitator.
Less text more pictures: If textâheavy presentations are boring in person, they are even more deadly by webinar. (Plus, disengaged participants will toggle back and forth between a boring webinar and another, more interesting, website). Keep people engaged with wellâdesigned content and activities.
Virtual Meetings & Teleâsocialwork
This is a FANTASY of a videoconferenceâŚ
In my experience, it looks more like this (dark room, not especially excited and engaged audience)
The truth is, it takes a great deal of planning and finesse in facilitation (and materials) to create a successful videoconference.As the technology becomes more accessible and comfortable for people and organizations, this is starting to change and become more natural and dynamic.
http://otn.ca/
The Ontario Telemedicine Network is a wonderful resource, and can help with planning and âbest practicesâ in running these types of events, including virtual treatment consultations.
http://www.gotomeeting.ca/fec/
There are numerous applications for web conferencing as well â this is one that I have used and is intuitive and a nice interface.
Collaboration Tools
⢠Blogging⢠Webinars, webconferencing⢠Wikis
Now, on to wikis.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_talk:WikiProject_Social_Work
Wikis can be tricky.They can harness the very best (as well as the worst) of crowdsourcing and group wisdom. However, creating the momentum and sustaining a dynamic and engaged community of contributors is not easy. Most people tend to âlurkâ versus contribute, and it takes time, effort and resources to mobilize the group and sustain a community.
Last but not leastâŚletâs look at eâtherapy.Do you provide eâtherapy? (majority would say ânoâ)
Do you think that you may be providing eâtherapy in the next 5â10 years? (majority would say âyesâ)
EâTherapy
⢠1st provision of behavioural health services delivered from a distance⌠1959
Considerations for the provision of e-therapy, SAMHSA, 2009
This earliest documented telepsychiatry intervention was from the Nebraska psychiatric institute â where a television link used to provide consultation to patients.
http://newsmagazine.oasw.org/magazine.cfm?magazineid=9&articleid=155
And eâtherapy â and attendant opportunities and issues â are the focus of increasing attention within social work and other helping professions.
This article by Paul Parnass in the OASW Newsmagazine gives a great overview and discussion for practitioners.
http://www.ocswssw.org/docs/newslettereng_fall2011-rev5-final-ya.pdf?LanguageID=EN-US
The Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW) has also written about social media and eâtherapy in their âPractice Notesâ series, highlighting some important ideas and things to consider.
Clinical Social Work Journal, published online Feb 2012
And this recent article by Mishna et al. is a wonderful example of the power of qualitative research to hone in on thematic observations and issues that are of paramount relevance to clinical practice. Highly recommended reading for ALL practitioners, regardless of discipline and level of interest in social media and eâtherapy.
Because a takeâhome message from this research is that we are all affected â and will be increasingly affected â by our patientsâ and our own uptake of these tools and applications.
âIt Just Crept Inâ
Mishna et. al., 2012
⢠Clientâdriven practice⢠Pandoraâs Box⢠Ethical gray zone⢠Permeable boundaries
These are the four themes that stood out from the research that Mishna et al. conducted. Again, a mustâread!
http://store.samhsa.gov/product/Considerations-for-the-Provision-of-E-Therapy/SMA09-4450
This publication by SAMHSA â available for free download â is also relevant across disciplines and specialties, and provides a rich discussion of logistical, ethical and practice issues relating to the provision of eâtherapy.
What is eâtherapy?âThe use of electronic media and information technologies to provide services for participants in different locationsâ
Considerations for the provision of e-therapy, SAMHSA, 2009
What is eâtherapy? Here is a working definition from the SAMHSA document.
Applications
⢠Psychoeducation⢠General counselling⢠Selfâhelp⢠CBT
Considerations for the provision of e-therapy, SAMHSA, 2009
How can eâtherapy be applied?Across a range of practice approaches, including selfâhelp.
For diverse issues, includingâŚ
⢠Substance dependence treatment⢠Panic disorder⢠Public speaking anxiety⢠Agoraphobia⢠Eating disorders⢠Depression
Considerations for the provision of e-therapy, SAMHSA, 2009
For what kinds of issues?Again, eâtherapy has been used and evaluated across a range of presenting issues.
EâTherapy Platforms
Text-Based Non-Text-Based
Synchronous Internet Messaging (IM)
Online ChatText message
TelephoneVideo-conferenceWeb-conference
Asynchronous EmailDiscussion board/Online forumComments on
blogs, vlogs
FaxVideoVoice recording
I have roughly divided eâtherapy applications into this 2 x 2 table. Note that there is some overlap across some of the categories, and eâtherapy may use numerous communication strategies that encompass both synchronous (realâtime) and asynchronous (not at the same time) communication/counselling styles and methods.
Pros and Cons of EâTherapy
⢠Accessibility⢠Cost⢠Continuity of care⢠Demand⢠Stigma of accessing community resources
⢠Privacy
⢠Digital divide⢠Confidentiality⢠Technology failures⢠Communication barriers (e.g., linguistic competence, communication norms)
⢠Emergencies/crises
Considerations for the provision of e-therapy, SAMHSA, 2009
These pros and cons are explained in more detail in the SAMHSA document, and are merely highlighted here.
There has been growing research interest and publications on evaluating eâtherapy. The following are three interesting research studies, with some key points highlighted.
Small comparison study of online vs face-to-face manualized group CBT counselling for clients with disordered eating
âSignificant improvements on all outcome variables were observed and maintained at follow-up in both groupsâ
Take home message: Brief group CBT therapy appears to be adaptable to an online, synchronous (chat room/discussion board) delivery context
Small, self-selected sample of online therapy consumers
âExceeding expectations and despite low power, results on the composite scale and goal subscale of the WAI were significantly higher than those from the representative sample of face-to-face clientsâ
Take home message: Participants corresponding with therapists using more than one online modality demonstrated stronger working alliance
Meta-analysis of 56 studies published between 1998-2010
âDirect comparisons favour FTFIs over CDIs although the incremental effect is smallâ
Take home message: Research needs to go beyond simple efficacy evaluations and investigate specific intervention components and their applications in CDIs
Research Issues
⢠Small sample sizes⢠High dropout⢠Lack of comparison groups⢠Diversity of delivery modes⢠Lack of standardized interventions
Considerations for the provision of e-therapy, SAMHSA, 2009
Overall, however, research â especially highâquality research â is lacking in this area.Therefore, proceed with caution, recognizing that evidenceâinformed approaches are less developed for eâtherapy at this time.
Ethical, Legal and Regulatory Issues
⢠Confidentiality: â Records can be breached/not easily deletedâ Client forwards correspondence to third party
⢠May favour more affluent, literate, educated⢠How do we know it works? Outcomes?⢠Foremost clinical decision is whether to provide treatment
⢠Jurisdictional issues⢠Scope of practice⢠Which regionâs regulations take precedence?
Considerations for the provision of e-therapy, SAMHSA, 2009
Practitioners also need to consider numerous ethical and regulatory issues that may not be clearly defined, and can impact professional practice.
Informed Consent
⢠Treatment process/procedures⢠Benefits and risks⢠Actions taken to prevent risks⢠Procedures for emergencies⢠Confidentiality and safeguards
And finally, itâs important to note that informed consent on the part of clients needs to address these general areas â and in the case of eâtherapy, to outline the specific and unique actions and procedures that will apply to virtual counselling contexts.
Well, we have gathered together a bouquetâŚ(+ one goldfish, just to make sure youâve been paying attention)
⌠of ideas, reflections, tips and resources.
Lots to think about, and the terrain is changing even right now, at this very moment.
This presentation represents small windows into a vast space, but has hopefully delineated some of the areas to pay attention to, and provided a rationale for WHY you might use these tools in professional practice, and HOW you can go about getting started or using the tools to an even greater potential.
Every ceiling, when reached, becomes a floor.
â Aldous Huxley
And, of course, as you reach proficiency in anything, that becomes the foundation to take it to the next level.
SummaryUtility and ease of use are better predictors of uptake than time, age or specialty
You likely already have an online identity â social media can help you further control and define it + establish PLNs
Social media tools go far beyond vehicles for corporate communication
Online collaboration and discussion (blogging, micro-blogging, wikis, etc.) can further reflective practice and knowledge sharing/exchange
People â clients, students, peers and others â are already driving change
Some disciplines (for example Medicine) are ahead of the curve in adoption, evaluation and research
The collaborative and systems orientation of social work may be a natural fit with these new and emerging technologies
In summaryâŚhere is an overview of key points.
More than anything else, I hope that this presentation sparks your interest, curiosity, motivation to continue to explore and make use of these powerful tools for collaboration, sharing and creative innovation.
We are all inventors
And here is a concluding quotation, because I love quotes.
Each sailing on a voyage of discovery
Guided each by a private chartOf which there is no duplicate.
The world is all gatesAll opportunities.
Ralph Waldo Emerson