SRT Development Path: “The road less traveled”

The development of SRT has taken an unorthodox path, almost the mirror image opposite of the typical university-based “research therapy” development that often begins with strict target population exclusion criteria and recruitment of low problem severity, homogeneous samples (1) which require the least supervision and intervention. Typically, “research therapy” involves refining and modifying the program to run smoothly before applying it to the higher severity clinical population.
In stark contrast, SRT was developed as a “clinic therapy” beginning with high problem severity, heterogeneous clinic referrals that required the most intense supervision and intervention. This “clinic therapy” program development was set up in a step-down intensity system where less supervision and intervention sessions occur as more socially responsible behavior is demonstrated. That inherently allowed for inclusion of less intense cases at the lower supervision and intensity phases of treatment.

SRT Clinical and Scientific Contributions

Social Responsibility Therapy is a hybrid treatment that combines well established interventions selected for their research support and application to multiple forms of unhealthy, harmful behavior.
Implementing Social Responsibility Therapy with various forms of unhealthy, harmful behavior has resulted in clinical and scientific contributions to the field of unhealthy, harmful behavior treatment in several areas involving:

Assessment- The Harmful Behavior Continuum;
Treatment- The Multimethod-Multipath Behavior Therapy model and Inclusive Multicultural Treatment;
Case Conceptualization- The Problem Development Behavior Triad

Social Responsibility Therapy clinical advances include "The Harmful Behavior Continuum", an assessment grid for identifying unhealthy, harmful behavior: relative impact severity (e.g., low- unhealthy eating to high- mass shootings) and; primary impact area (i.e., primarily harmful to self, both self and others or primarily harmful to others).

Positive behavior change often requires many methods and takes many paths. The SRT Multimethod-Multipath Behavior Therapy model combines research supported interventions that use different methods and pathways to increase intervention intensity and therapeutic pressure towards positive change. Multiple methods in multiple intervention pathways (i.e., internal, control, external control and social learning) are necessary to manage highly resistant, self-reinforcing unhealthy, harmful behaviors.

SRT adopts an Inclusive Multicultural Treatment approach by identifying “least common denominators” in basic human values that are multicultural in nature. SRT attempts to preserve the individuality of cultural groups while seeking unity through a “diversity within unity” treatment platform (1). This multicultural intervention approach takes the position that all humans adopt when they actually want to make a new friend- respecting differences but looking for similarities.

A platform recommended for enriching our multicultural society and education system (Banks et. al. 2001; Etzioni, 2001).

"Knowledge is power." The more we know about our behavior patterns, the more confident we can be in understanding ourselves, understanding others, achieving positive life goals and maintaining positive behavior change. Put another way, self-understanding builds the self-confidence needed for self-control.
The Problem Development Behavior Triad is a client focused case conceptualization model that creates a therapeutic alliance with the client towards understanding the etiology and development of their unhealthy, harmful behavior. A detailed description with case illustrations is provided in Chapter’s 10- 12 of the Clinicians Guide to Social Responsibility Therapy.
Workbooks that are structured to help clients discover how their unhealthy harmful behavior was: acquired (i.e., How did I get this problem?); maintained (i.e., Why do I keep doing this?) and; generalized to other problem areas (i.e., How did my problem spread?) are available to support the client’s learning experience.