Question 1

What is the SCRS?

Accepted Answer

The Self-Centric Relational System (SCRS) is a tool designed to illuminate key aspects of an individual's relational network. It creates a graphic representation of a client’s relational world from their point of view and is displayed in one graph that is accessible and easy to read for the client and their therapist, medical clinician or life coach. The SCRS assessment produces a relational graph, interpretation and self-analysis guide, report, and recommendations for enhancing a client's relational world. The first administration of the SCRS can be used to assess the health of a client’s relational world and set goals for improvement. Subsequent administrations of the SCRS are used to plot progress and set new goals.

Question 2

Who should use the SCRS?

Accepted Answer

Mental health professionals, medical clinicians, and life coaches use the SCRS to explore the health of their client’s relational networks and assist them to make desired changes and improve their quality of life.

Mental health professionals, medical clinicians, and life coaches must hold current licensing/certification to subscribe to use the SCRS.  They must attest to their education and licensing/certification as a step in the process of subscribing before being allowed to move forward with payment.

Question 3

Who can benefit from using the SCRS?

Accepted Answer

Any client seeking change with the assistance of a therapist, medical clinician, or life coach can benefit from viewing their relational world through the lens of the SCRS. As a therapist, other mental health professional, medical clinician, or life coach you know that your client’s relational network is one of their most valuable resources. Social interaction is essential to every aspect of human health. The quantity and quality of social relationships positively impact mental health, physical health, and mortality risk.

Question 4

How is the SCRS used in psychotherapy and coaching?

Accepted Answer

Clinicians use the SCRS to make an initial assessment of the quality and health of their client's relational world.  Assessing your client's relational world with the SCRS at the start of your collaboration will save valuable time and resources and get to core issues much more efficiently, and just as importantly, engage your client in shared decision-making regarding their treatment.

Accurate assessment is essential to Measurement Based Care (MBC). MBC is the evidence-based practice of using systematic and routine assessment of the patient’s perspective through patient-reported progress and outcomes, such as symptoms and functioning, throughout the course of mental and behavioral care, to inform treatment decisions and engage patients and their treatment. MBC promotes data-informed, patient-centered care. MBC is a clinical process consisting of three essential components:
1. Routinely collecting patient-reported outcomes throughout the course of treatment.
2. Sharing timely feedback with the patient about their reported progress scores and trends over time.
3. Acting on these data in the context of the provider’s clinical judgment and the patient’s experiences to guide the course of care.
Measurement-based care (apaservices.org).(https://www.apaservices.org/practice/measurement-based-care)

Begin your relationship with your client by accurately assessing their relational world through the administration of the SCRS. The resulting SCRS graph provides an intuitive rendering of your client's relational world in one easy to grasp picture. Once you have administered the SCRS you can use the SCRS Interpretation Guide to teach your client how to read their SCRS graph. The Interpretation Guide allows for understanding of the graph in a few minutes. Included with the Interpretation Guide are a list of exploratory questions that you can use to guide the conversation with your client towards self-analysis of their relational world.

Once you have administered the SCRS and completed an initial review with your client, you can generate the SCRS report which summarizes the SCRS graph and provides general comments and recommendations. You can integrate these results with other data you have gathered about your client and develop treatment plans with the SCRS graph and report to address specific identified issues such as: identifying strengths and deficits in their relational world, improving the quality of relationships in the Intimate Relational Group and Inner Circle, targeting specific relationships of importance to your client's mental health and social/interpersonal adjustment, adding healthy activities and hobbies, and more.

At pre-determined intervals (e.g., once every few months or as necessary) you can readminister the SCRS to create periodic updates of your client's relational world to track treatment progress, modify treatment goals, create new goals, and illustrate markers of success. The series of SCRS graphs will reveal powerful evidence of relational change.

Question 5

What does the SCRS assessment consist of?

Accepted Answer

The SCRS assessment produces a relational Graph, Interpretation and Self-analysis Guide, SCRS Report, and recommendations for enhancing a client's relational world. The SCRS Graph is the main feature of the SCRS results. It is automatically generated once the client submits their relational data and is available in their file on your SCRS web account. While viewing your client’s SCRS Graph, you can auto-generate the SCRS Report by clicking on the Generate SCRS Report button on the page. The SCRS Report is based upon your client’s input of their relational data. The SCRS Report provides a verbal summary of the SCRS Graph, a copy of the Graph, and General Comments regarding your client's relational world. Once the report is generated you can download it as a Word Document for editing. The SCRS Interpretation and Self-analysis Guides can also be downloaded from the SCRS Graph page (under the Quick Reference Guide). Specific research-based interventions are provided through the Deviations Graph tool in the Action Menu on your client's profile page.

Question 6

How do I introduce my client to the SCRS?

Accepted Answer

Before your client takes the SCRS it is important that they understand why they should take it and how this will assist them. This can be done in a few simple steps:
	1. Discuss the central importance of relationships to their mental and physical health
	and wellbeing. See the SCRS Blog for complete information on this subject.
	2. Explain the concept of basing their care on objective measurements from the data
	they provide about their own relationships.
	3. Introduce the SCRS as a tool to capture their relational data in a graphic format to 
	facilitate evaluation of their relational world, identify strengths and weaknesses, and
	make positive steps towards improvement.

Question 7

What is the process for the client to take the SCRS?

Accepted Answer

Clients have the option of entering their relationship data in your office or online at their convenience. This can be achieved in a few easy steps:
	1. Go to the SCRS site and Login. You will be taken to your Dashboard.
	2. Find your existing client using the client search function or add a new client by
	clicking on New Client.
	3. For existing clients, you will be taken to their client page. There you can have them
	take the SCRS onsite by clicking on “Start New In-Office Profile.” Or, you can have 
	them take the SCRS off-site by clicking on “Email New Profile Invitation.”
	4. For new clients you will be prompted to enter their name and email address. 
	Clicking “Submit” will take you to their client page where you can start a new in-
	office profile or email a new profile invitation. 
	5. The option to start a new in-office profile allows your client to take the SCRS in
	your office during your session with them.
	6. The option to email a new profile invitation sends an email to your client that has a
	link for them to enter the SCRS program and take the SCRS on their own time.

Question 8

How do I generate the SCRS report and graph?

Accepted Answer

The SCRS report and graph can be generated by clicking on the “View Profile” and “SCRS Report” on your client’s SCRS Client page. Additionally, the SCRS report can be generated from your client’s Profile page by clicking on the “Generate SCRS Report” button.

Question 9

How do I use the SCRS in a session with my client?

Accepted Answer

Review the Feedback Instructions document (found on your client's profile page in the Quick Reference Guide) for a simple process to share the SCRS with your client.

Print out the SCRS Interpretation Guide. To print the Interpretation Guide, click on the “Interpretation Guide” button in the Quick Reference Guide to the right of the graph on your client’s profile page. The Interpretation Guide will download as a printable PDF.

Generate a copy of the SCRS Report by clicking the “Generate SCRS Report” button just above the Graph. An editable Word copy will be downloaded to your computer. You should read it through to become familiar with it before presenting it to your client. You can save the report to your computer and then print it for your client. If you choose to email it to your client, save it as a PDF and email the PDF to your client to prevent the contents from being altered.

(Note: All documents (Interpretation Guide and SCRS Report, SCRS Graphs) must be printed in color, as the color scheme is very important for interpreting the SCRS Graph and understanding some key aspects of the relationships represented by the graph.)

(Note: You may want to print one or more of the SCRS Graphs separately from the report. To print the SCRS Graph/s, first save the image using the “Save Image” button on the SCRS Graph on your client’s Profile page. The image will be downloaded to your computer in a .PNG file format. Open the image on your computer and then use the print feature in the window containing the image to print it.)

Finally, review the Deviations Graph (found in the Action Menu) to the right of the SCRS Graph on the profile page. The Deviations Graph will indicate where your client varies significantly from a database of normal SCRS profiles.  Clicking on the SCRS Factors found on the Deviations Graph will take you to an explanation of the SCRS Factor and suggested research-based interventions for deficits revealed by the SCRS Factor.

At the feedback session give a copy of the SCRS Interpretation Guide, and SCRS Report to your client. The SCRS Report includes copies of the SCRS Graph. You may also want to have a copy of the SCRS Report for your reference as you work with your client.

Review the Interpretation Guide with your client to illustrate how to read the graph. It will be important that you review the materials ahead of time to be familiar with the information.
Here is a sample phrase to use: "Let's read through the Interpretation Guide together and then we'll take a look at the graph of your relationship network and see what it can tell us about your support system."

Once you are sure that your client understands how to read the graph (encourage them to refer back and forth from the guide to the graph as needed) have them talk through what they see on the graph and what insight it may give them about their relational world. Assist them as needed and at appropriate times offer your own insight in a non-directive way. Some clients like to draw on the graph to illustrate ideas. Provide a pencil to allow for this if the client wishes. After some time with the graph, review the Observations section of the report by reading it out loud together. Discuss any significant findings from the Deviations Graph. Answer any questions your client may have as well as encourage them to comment on the observations. This whole process can take a full session hour and more depending upon the client.

The SCRS can be used to set relationship goals as a part of therapy or coaching. Using the interventions suggested by the Deviations Graph can assist with this process.  The quality of a person’s relational network is directly related to many emotional issues such as depression and loneliness, and their physical health.

Clients can be given a personal copy of the Interpretation Guide, Graph and Report once they have been covered in the session. If it is determined that it is in their best interest not to have a copy of the materials, inform your client and the reason why. Make note of this in their session notes.

Question 10

When should I use the SCRS as a follow-up tool?

Accepted Answer

After the initial assessment and review with the SCRS, set up relational goals and action steps with your client. Discuss a timeline for review of completion of action steps toward their goals. Because of the complexity of relational change, a follow-up administration of the SCRS would typically be appropriate after 1-3 months. With periodic administrations of the SCRS you create a time sequence of relational images that map your client’s relational change over time.

Question 11

How can I become more educated about using the SCRS as a therapy and coaching tool as well as the central importance of relationships for physical and mental well-being?

Accepted Answer

The best way to become more educated about using the SCRS is to actively use it with your clients. You and your clients will find it easy to use and intuitively easy to understand. The initial review and discussion phase with your client lends itself to client disclosure and insights by the visual nature of the graph. Reviewing the self-analysis questions included with the Interpretation Guide provides opportunities for further discussion and insight. You can use the Observations section of the SCRS report and the Deviations Graph to start a discussion about directions for interventions and changes for your client. Finally, check out our Help & FAQ, Blog, and pages for Tips, Research on Social Networks, and SCRS resources.

SCRS User Guide