Friday 9 October 09:30 - 11:00

Dr Scott Miller

Keynote Speaker:  Dr Scott Miller

The Future of the Field: Surviving and Thriving in the Era of Accountability

Feeling tired, overwhelmed, or overworked as a clinician? Are paperwork, oversight, and regulatory requirements putting the squeeze on precious clinical resources? Do you have to work harder, see more clients, and spend more time at the office just to maintain last year's standard of living? In this lecture, Scott D. Miller, PhD, a co-founder of the Institute for the Study of Therapeutic Change, will present steps for revitalising the practice of therapy as outlined in his latest book, The Heroic Client: A Revolutionary Way to Improve Effectiveness through Client-Directed, Outcome-Informed Clinical Work (Jossey Bass, 2004).

Amidst dramatic changes in the field of therapy due to government cutbacks, managed care, the depersonalising of clients through diagnostic labels, and the increasing reliance on medication, Miller advocates for nothing less than a revolution in the way therapists think about, organise, conduct, evaluate and fund clinical practice.

Data from 40 years of outcome research underpin Miller's premise that treatment should be organised around clients' resources, perceptions, experiences and preferences regarding the care they receive. Participants will not only learn how to identify client resources and preferences but also a simple, valid and reliable method for using client feedback to tailor treatment to the individual consumer for maximum effect. Research conducted at multiple sites shows that the approach leads to dramatic improvements in retention and outcome of treatment services, while simultaneously decreasing burdensome paperwork and needless micromanagement of clinicians.

Educational objectives:

• Learn the three reasons for the difficulties facing clinicians in the field of mental heath.
• Learn four evidence-based factors responsible for client change in treatment, regardless of professional discipline or preferred treatment model.
• Learn a systematic way to assess client perception of progress and satisfaction so that therapy can be tailored to the individuals' needs and characteristics.
• Learn a simple and reliable method for evaluating client engagement in the process of treatment.
• Learn a simple and reliable method for evaluating the outcome of treatment.

Biography

Scott D. Miller, Ph.D. is a co-founder of the Institute for the Study of Therapeutic Change, a private group of clinicians and researchers dedicated to studying "what works" in mental health and substance abuse treatment. He works as a therapist providing all clinical services pro bono to traditionally under served clients. Dr. Miller conducts workshops and training in the United States and abroad and is known for his engaging and humorous presentation style. He has presented to many professional audiences including: the American Psychological Association, the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis, the International Congress on Ericksonian Approaches to Hypnosis and Psychotherapy, and the National Association of Social Workers. Most recently, he served as an invited faculty member at the Evolution of Psychotherapy Conference". He is the author of numerous articles and co-author of Working with the Problem Drinker: A Solution Focused Approach (with Insoo Berg [Norton, 1992]), The "Miracle" Method: A Radically New Approach to Problem Drinking (with Insoo Kim Berg [Norton, 1995]), Finding the Adult Within: A Solution-Focused Self-Help Guide (with Barbara McFarland [Brief Therapy Center Press, 1995]), Handbook of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy: Foundations, Applications, and Research (with Mark Hubble and Barry Duncan [Jossey-Bass, 1996]), Escape from Babel: Toward a Unifying Language for Psychotherapy Practice (with Barry Duncan and Mark Hubble [Norton, 1997]), Psychotherapy with Impossible Cases: Efficient Treatment of Therapy Veterans (with Barry Duncan and Mark Hubble [Norton, 1997]), The Heart and Soul of Change: What Works in Therapy (with Mark Hubble and Barry Duncan [APA Press, 1999]), The Heroic Client: A Revolutionary Way to Improve Effectiveness through Client-Directed, Outcome-Informed Therapy (with Barry Duncan [Jossey-Bass, 2000], and Jacqueline Sparks [Revised, 2004]), and the forthcoming What Works in Drug and Alcohol Treatment (with David Mee-Lee and Bill Plum).