Combining total quality management and simulation with application to family therapy process design.

This case study shows how a new combined total quality management and simulation procedure was used to design, test, and implement a unique clinical process for brief systems family therapy. A process design procedure was developed that combines total quality management and simulation strategies and tactics. The six strategic check-points of the new procedure emphasize the use of both designed experimentation and process modeling and simulation to find process faults, evaluate process improvement alternatives, and test selected process improvements. Other information needed for process design was gathered from families in therapy, the family therapy literature and observations of student and experienced therapists. Simulation helped identify and compare alternative sequences of therapy process steps. Designed experimentation revealed improvements resulting from the new Brief Systems Family Therapy process as used by doctoral-level family therapy practicum students in a university clinic.