The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines innovation as "the act or process of introducing new ideas, devices, or methods," to which I would only add the critical phrase where a need exists. With respect to therapeutic schools and programs, the most glaring need has been to identify/devise a more effective means of transitioning a client from treatment back to his or her home or other real-world setting. In this article, I share a journey of innovation that led to increased success after treatment. At the heart of each innovation was the drive to create real change that lasts. Factors that influenced the success of each collection of innovations are outlined for each respectively. This article shares a clinical journey of innovation that began during graduate school and has continued in different yet related fields for over 20 years. It presents factors that enabled innovation to occur, as well as some of the particular clinical advances made over the course of this journey. The autobiographical "voice" of the paper was chosen to present innovation from the perspective of an innovator, with a focus on the unfolding process of innovation: this is a case study. My goal is to provide practical ideas that can be adopted and adapted to fit different programs' needs while also shedding light on some of the conditions that empower innovators, facilitate innovation, and drive progress.
BackstoryMy first attempt to apply creativity and innovation to a significant problem occurred while I was a Ph.D. candidate at Virginia Tech. Though I had a Masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and a part time private practice, I also had a keen interest in leadership and organizational development and wondered how these fields could be synthesized. So, I endeavored to explore my interests in applying marriage and family therapy to business organizations. My dissertation committee consisted of professors with backgrounds in Organizational Development, Business Management, Statistics, Management Systems Engineering and, of course, Marriage and Family Therapy.Ultimately, I found myself working as a contract trainer and consultant to a large health care provider consisting of several hospitals, dozens of specialty care centers, and many advanced primary care practices. The job I was hired to do was to help heal a culture of distrust, resistance, and interdepartmental conflict that had grown during the acquisition and restructuring of regional hospitals and clinics that had been purchased and then placed under a large corporate umbrella. As it turned out, the ideas I had been developing for my dissertation research proved to be perfectly suited to this need. With the help of three corporate employees in the HR department, I delivered an intensive leadership program for all executive and management levels in the organization. Due to the health care provider's readiness for change and a commitment to the process, the program was considered a success and was given credit for healing a conflict-ridden culture and for bringing about...