The Partners for Change Outcome Management System: A Both/And System for Collaborative Practice

Authors

Jacqueline A. Sparks, University of Rhode Island
Barry L. Duncan, Heart and Soul of Change Project

Document Type

Article

Date of Original Version

9-1-2018

Abstract

Systematic client feedback (SCF) is increasingly employed in mental health services worldwide. While research supports its efficacy over treatment as usual, clinicians, especially those who highly value relational practices, may be concerned that routine data collection detracts from clinical process. This article describes one SCF system, the Partners for Change Outcome Management System (PCOMS), along a normative (standardized measurement) to communicative (conversational) continuum, highlighting PCOMS’ origins in everyday clinical practice. The authors contend that PCOMS represents “both/and,” providing a valid signal of client progress while facilitating communicative process particularly prized by family therapists steeped in relational traditions. The article discusses application of PCOMS in systemic practice and describes how it actualizes time-honored family therapy approaches. The importance of giving voice to individualized client experience is emphasized.

Publication Title, e.g., Journal

Family Process

Volume

57

Issue

3

Citation/Publisher Attribution

Sparks, Jacqueline A., and Barry L. Duncan. "The Partners for Change Outcome Management System: A Both/And System for Collaborative Practice." Family Process 57, 3 (2018): 800-816. doi: 10.1111/famp.12345.