Staff In-Service: Measuring Effectiveness through Client Behavior Change

This study assesses the impact of in-service generated staff knowledge changes on client behavior and presents a method to collect data needed to assess in-service effectiveness in terms of client behavior change. Staff members of a residential care facility for mentally retarded were given in-service instruction on the basic principles and practices of behavior modification, and the effectiveness of this program was measured using both staff knowledge changes and client behavior changes. The procedures of this study demonstrate an effective and time efficient means of collecting client behavior change data. The results show a 51% growth in measured staff knowledge, and a decrease in each of nine targeted maladaptive behaviors.