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Avatar Assisted Therapy. And other technological innovations shaping the future of treatment. Dick Dillon Senior VP, Planning and Development Preferred Family Healthcare, Inc. MO DMH Spring Training Institute May 19, 2011.
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Avatar Assisted Therapy And other technological innovations shaping the future of treatment Dick Dillon Senior VP, Planning and Development Preferred Family Healthcare, Inc. MO DMH Spring Training Institute May 19, 2011
“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”
"A new idea is first condemned as ridiculous and then dismissed as trivial, until finally, it becomes what everybody knows.“
Emerging Technology Life:wire Text messages, email and IVR (interactive voice response) keep staff and clients in touch
Emerging Technology • ACHESS • NIATx • Support Teams • Online Group Discussions • “Panic Button” • High Risk Location Alert • Ask an Expert • Meeting Locations
Emerging Technology + iHeal Wristband and Mobile App UMass-Worcester/MIT
Emerging Technology Web-based Collaboration e.g., eGetGoing, Valley Hope’s AC/ESS
Avatar Assisted Therapy Avatar?
Avatar Assisted Therapy Avatar?
Avatar Assisted Therapy Immersiveness + Interactivity = Engagement Immersive Interactive Static Interactivity Web XD Web 3D Web 2.0 World Wide Web Pre-Web Internet Text Basic Web UI Rich, Interactive 3D-Digital ? Only Graphical UI Experience Richness of User Experience
Avatar Assisted Therapy The computer and the internet itself become a tool – a tool that “disappears” the more you become comfortable with it!
Avatar Assisted Therapy Virtual World A persistent, computer based, simulated 3-D environment in which real people, using avatars, are able to interact in meaningful ways with each other and the virtual environment.
Avatar Assisted Therapy Research Supports Clinical Use of Virtual Worlds The Proteus Effect: How you appear in a virtual world can affect your behavior in real life. Jeremy Bailenson, Stanford Virtual Human Interaction Lab – Vicarious Reinforcement
Avatar Assisted Therapy Research Supports Clinical Use of Virtual Worlds Mirror Neurons: The same parts of brain activate when we are watching and identifying with an action as if we were doing the action ourselves. Gallese, V. , et. al – Mirror Neurons and Embodied Simulation.
Avatar Assisted Therapy Research Supports Clinical Use of Virtual Worlds Cue Extinction and Reinforcement “What we’re trying to do is take people into a virtual crack-related neighborhood or crack-related setting and have them experience cravings, just like they would in the real world,” Zach Rosenthal – Duke University Virtual Crack House
Avatar Assisted Therapy Some Therapeutic Uses of Virtual Worlds • Individual and Group Counseling • Role Play • Family Counseling • Staff Training • Virtual Conferencing • Job Interviews
Avatar Assisted Therapy The Portal Project Concept: Deliver virtual on-line counseling to adolescents (post residential care) living in rural settings. Predicted results: Fewer Dropouts, More Service Utilization (better attendance), equal “other” outcomes.
Avatar Assisted Therapy The Portal Project: Funding Round 1 USD $300,000.00 grant to treat 80 clients over three years. Missouri Foundation for Health
Avatar Assisted Therapy The Portal Project: Year 1 Outcomes Portal Control Participants 21 64 Unsuccessful * 1 4.7% 17 26.6% Still Engaged 19 90.4% 7 10.9% Utilization (activities per month) 22 366% 6 Base *Unsuccessful clients include dropouts and administrative referrals
Avatar Assisted Therapy The Portal Project: 30 Months Dropout rate is still < 10% LOS for program completers is 2.07 times longer 2.44 times as many activities attended
Avatar Assisted Therapy The Portal Project: Funding Round 2 USD $865,000.00 grant to treat 100 additional clients with enhanced services.
Avatar Assisted Therapy Recently…. USD $147,000.00 grant to deliver smoking cessation programming to college students
Avatar Assisted Therapy The Portal Project: Next Steps • Increase Role-Play and explore additional creative uses. • Add Virtual Counseling Staff, look for “outliers”. • Train “in-world recovery mentors”. • Pursue mainstream funding of virtual counseling . • Initiate new web-based intervention tools for clients. • Develop consultative relationships. • Investigate and master developing technology.
Avatar Assisted Therapy “Like the Web in 1993, most of the good ideas haven’t been thought of yet. “
Avatar Assisted Therapy "It is not necessary to imagine the world ending in fire or ice. There are two other possibilities: one is paper work, and the other is nostalgia."
Avatar Assisted Therapy For More Information: Dick Dillon Senior VP, Planning and Development Preferred Family Healthcare, Inc. ddillon@pfh.org 314-504-6672 314-584-1010