6 PROGRESS IN BEHAV!ORJAL SOCIAL WORK REFERENCES Council on Social Work Education (1982). Curriculum policy for the Master's degree and Baccalaureate degree programs in social work education. Social Work Educa- tion Reporter, 30(3), 5-12. Cowger, C. (1984). Statistical significance tests: Scientific ritualism or scientific method. Social Sen-ice Review, 58, 358-372. Gambrill, E. D. & Barth, R. P. (1980}. Single-case study designs revisited. Social Work Research and Abstracts, 16(3), 15-20. Heineman, M. B. (1981). The obsolete scientific imperative in social work research. Social Sen•ice Review, 55, 371-397. Heineman-Peiper, M. B. (1985). The future of social work research. Social Work Re- search and Abstracts, 2 I ( 4 ), 3-11. Hudson, W.W., Thyer, B. A. & Stocks, J. T. (in press). Assessing the importance of experimental outcomes. Journal of Social Seniice Research, 8, 87-98. Kagk, J. D. (1982). Using single-subject measures in practice decisions: Systematic documentation or distortion? Arete, 7(2). 1-9. Reid, W. J. & Hanrahan, P. (1982). Recent evaluations of social work: Grounds for optimism. Social Work, 27, 328-340. Rubin, A. (1985). Practice effectiveness: More grounds for optimism. Social Work, 30, 469-476. Ruckdeschel, R. & Farris, B. (1981). Assessing practice: A critical look at the singlc- case design. Social Casework, 62, 413-419. Skinner, B. F. (1974). About behaviorism. New York: Knopf. Thomas, E. J. (1978). Research and service in single-subject experimentation: Conflicts and choices. Social Work Research and Abstracts, 14(4), 20-31. Thyer, B. A. (1981). Behavioral social work: A bibliography. International Joumaf of Behavioral Social Work and Abstracts, I, 229-223. Thycr, B. A. (1985). Textbooks in behavioral social work: A bibliography. The Behal'- ior Therapist, 8, 161-162. Thyer, B. A. (1987). Contingency analysis: Towards a unified theory for social work practice. Social Work, 32, 150-157. Thyer, B. A. & Curtis, G.C. (1983). The repeated pretest-posttest single-subject exper- iment: A new design for empirical clinical practice. Joumal of Behavior Therapy and Expelimental Psychiatry, 14, 311-315. Videka-Sherman, L. (1985). Haniett M. Ba11lett practice effectiveness project repo11 to NASW board of directors. New York: National Association of Social Workers. f l -r- - I I ! I Behavioral Treatment of Chronic Psychiatric Patients Stephen E. Wong James E. Woolsey Estrella Gallegos SUMMARY. Behavioral treatments for hallucinations and delu- sions, aggressive and destructive responses, inappropriate social behavior, poor self-care and grooming, and deficient recreational and vocational skills in chronic psychiatric patients are reviewed. Consideration is given to the short-term, long-term, and general- ized effects of these interventions. Three case studies illustrate behavioral procedures of reinforcement, response cost, graphic feedback, differenrial reinforcement of other behav- ior (DRO), and overcorrection. The potential contribution of clin- ical social workers in applying such programs on a psychiatric unit is discussed. This article reviews learning-based treatments for functional disorders manifested by chronic psychiatric patients. The popula- tion presents a formidable challenge for clinical social workers with a bewildering array of problem behaviors that are unaffected by conventional therapies. The efficacy of behavioral inteivcn- tions for ameliorating these disorders has been well documented Dr. Wong is Program Director and Mr. Woolsey is Unit Director of the Behavioral Treatment Unit, Northeast Florida State Hospital, Macclenny, Florida 32063. Ms. Gallegos is a clinical social worker at the Behavioral Rehabilitation Unit, Las Vegas Medical Center, P.O. Box 1388, Las Vegas, New Mexico 87701. The authors thank Miguel Larranaga, MA, who served.as primary therapist on Case Study 1. Appreciation also goes to J. Pete Martinez, RN, Cecilia Archuleta, LPN, Jessie Archuleta, LPN, Maria Clayton, LPN, and the other staff of the Behavioral Rehabilitation Unit for their assistance in Case Study 2, and to the staff of the Clinical Research Unit, Camarillo State Hospital, for their help in Case Study 3. Reprint requests should be addressed to Dr. Wong. © 1987 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved. 7