Goal Mastery

July 19, 2013

In 2004, Grafton’s CEO, Jim Gaynor, asked his leadership team to provide the percentage of goals clients at Grafton mastered annually overall and within specific programs and services. While observations and anecdotal reports from Grafton providers and stakeholders indicated clients were showing improvement in their identified goal areas, there was not a system in place to provide an actual goal mastery rate. Out of this request, Grafton’s “Goal Mastery Initiative” was created.

The goal mastery process was designed to provide a structured and sustainable system to identify, monitor, and evaluate client progress and to embed data-based decision-making into the transdisciplinary treatment and instruction planning. There are several steps to this process: (1) conducting a thorough assessment of the individual’s strengths and needs, (2) writing goals that are functional, measurable, and specific to the needs, (3) collecting data, typically on a weekly basis, (4) graphing data and comparing them to a Minimum Growth Line, (5) determining level of progress according to a specific standard, and (7) providing a reporting mechanism to identify goal mastery rates at all levels within the organization. When the data trend indicates the goal is not on track for mastery, six primary decision-support factors (Six M’s) are explored to help the transdisciplinary team evaluate the situation and make recommendations for changes to treatment and instruction. After an initial baseline goal mastery rate of 35% when this initiative first started and progressive increases over the year, Grafton has maintained a goal mastery rate at or above 80% for the past several years.

The next step in Grafton’s commitment to data-based decision-making is the introduction of website and mobile technology to support the goal mastery process. This technology is called REBOOT (Reliable Evidence Based Outcomes Optimization Technologies) and is currently under development with patent pending. REBOOT will be made available to organizations, individual providers, and family members who are want to effectively track individuals’ progress and use Grafton’s evidence-based process for increasing goal mastery.

Ultimately, through the Grafton goal mastery process and the creation of REBOOT, we will continue to provide individuals with the support they need to make meaningful and sustainable improvements in their functioning and quality of life.