Intervention Enhancing Effects of Acceptance and Commitment Training on Performance Feedback for Direct Support Professional Work Performance, Stress, and Job Satisfaction

Direct service professionals (DSPs) provide the majority of treatment to individuals with developmental disabilities in community and residential settings; however, their ability to implement high-quality care is often limited by workplace factors and stress. The present study examined the effect of a verbal and written performance feedback intervention and the addition of an acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)-based training program on the frequency and technical competence of active treatment provided by DSPs using a multiple-baseline design across 5 participants. Each participant demonstrated an increase in active treatment and technical performance following the implementation of both feedback-only and feedback plus ACT training interventions. Self-reported levels of psychological flexibility, workplace stress, and job satisfaction remained relatively stable for all participants from baseline to intervention despite the increased performance of the DSPs. Implications of the inclusion of an ACT-based training program with traditional behavior-analytic workplace interventions are discussed.