community-based ACT workshop

Has anyone developed a knowledge-based assessment for ACT’s six ‘essential components’? For example, if you were to teach cognitive defusion to a workshop audience, what measure do you use to assess if the workshop attendees recognize cognitive defusion?

A little bit of background to put the question into context…………..

There is a group of us at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System who has developed a community-based workshop based upon the ACT core processes. We use role play, demonstrations, group exercises, and metaphors/analogies to teach ACT to our audience. Our intended audience is the Arkansan community. We at the VA see the folks requesting clinical level care; the community gets to see people who need help, and they are the ones who recognize when one of their own needs help. This community of helpers is made up of the service members themselves, service members’ families, and their neighbors: clergy, employers, educators, fire/police, veteran service organizations, etc. We have been teaching ACT components to these ‘helpers’ for their own personal use and for them to share with the returning veterans. We have been doing these workshops throughout the state, conducting them for the soldiers at their drill weekends and for families/community at their local churches and community centers; workshops run for 2.5 hours, are free, and no names/social security numbers are gathered.

Our first step was to evaluate how well received the workshops were. We have been well pleased with the soldiers’ evaluations, which have since convinced the Arkansas National Guard’s adjutant general to include us in their training schedule.

Our next step is to measure effectiveness. When compared to a delayed treatment control group, will workshop attendees be less likely to do self-destructive behaviors? will their willingness to experience thoughts, feelings, and memories be more likely to have increased?

Please do not be bashful in suggesting which measures you believe most helpful!!

Okay, back to the original question… has anyone created a measure to assess if workshop attendees can recognize taught ‘skills’? I recall a project some years ago when a graduate student, I believe, sent out a series of psychotherapy vignettes; for each vignette there was a series of responses. The ‘subject’ was asked to rate each of the 5 responses in terms of its fit with what s/he may say or do (5: best fit, 1: worse fit). A score was generated, with higher scores representing an ACT-consistent response. I’m wondering if something like this has been created for measuring whether subjects can identify ACT processes.

Again, we appreciate any suggestions you have for us.

Thank you,
Vince Roca