A Microchange Process of Activation–Contract–Processing (ACP) Across Treatment Models: A Common Process in Clinical Social Work Practice

ABSTRACT

Training social workers to provide competent professional practice is of utmost importance. However, there have been ongoing dilemmas in enhancing practice competence in clinical social work, such as the challenges of selecting treatment approaches among numerous empirically supported approaches. Increasingly, common factors and common elements approaches are incorporated into clinical social work practice to address these issues, yet there is still a gap in addressing how to foster skill building in clinical social work. Using theories of psychotherapy integration and corrective experiences as a transformative change mechanism, we propose a microchange process, Activation–Contract–Processing (ACP), within sessions across various treatment approaches. This common process was developed based on both literatures and widely circulated master-tapes of therapy sessions from four empirically supported treatment models—cognitive therapy, behavioral activation, emotion-focused therapy, and interpersonal therapy. To guide social work students and clinicians, we elaborate on each step in ACP with illustrative examples around therapeutic proceedings, while incorporating core aspects of clinical social work, including but not limited to: person-in-environment perspectives, relationship, social justice and diversity, and evidence-based practice. We conclude by sharing the implications of the proposed common process to clinical social work practice, training, and research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Eunjung Lee

Eunjung Lee, PhD, MSW, RSW, is an Associate Professor and Endowed Chair in Mental Health & Health at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto. Kathryn Bowles, MSW, RSW, is a Social Worker at Michael Garron Hospital (Withdrawal Management Centre). Marley Tratner, MSW, RSW, is a Social Worker at Big Brothers Big Sisters of South-West Durham, Ajax, Ontario, Canada. Andrea Greenblatt, MSW, is a PhD candidate at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto.