University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

Virtual Mindfulness Reality (VMR)

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Virtual Mindfulness Reality (VMR)

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Content CAPSTONE PROJECT FINAL PAPER 1
Virtual Mindfulness Reality (VMR)
(Capstone Project Final Paper and Prototype)
Janice Gastelum
Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Social Work
Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work
University of Southern California
May 2021
Dr. Juan Carlos Araque
DSW #722, March 19, 2021
CAPSTONE PROJECT FINAL PAPER 2
Contents
Executive Summary …………………………………………………………….. 5
Harness Technology for Social Good…………………………………………….. 5
Larger Conceptual Framework……………………………………………..…….. 5
Specific Problem …………………………………………………………….. 7
Project Methodology …………………………………………………………….. 8
Project Aims …………………………………………………………….. 8
Innovative Step Forward………………………………………………………….. 9
Conceptual Framework …………………………………………………………….. 10
Statement of the Problem…………………………………………..………….….. 10
Assessment of What Is Known…………………………………….……….…….. 11
Social Significance …………………………………………………………….. 13
Conceptual Framework and Logic Model……………………………………….. 14
Affective Events Theory………………………………………………….. 14
Mindfulness-to-Meaning Theory………………………….….….……….. 14
Theory of Change………………………………………….………..…….. 15
Logic Model …………………………………………………………….. 16
Problems of Practice and Innovative Solutions…………………………………….…….. 17
Proposed Innovative Solution…………………………………………………….. 17
Grand Challenge Improvement …………………………………….…………….. 18
Multiple Stakeholders …………………………………………………………….. 19
Broader Landscape …………………………………………………………….. 21
Opportunities for Innovation……………………………………….…….……….. 23
Connection of Logic Model…………………………………………..…….…….. 23
Inputs …………………………………………………………….. 24
Activities …………………………………………………………….. 24
Outputs …………………………………………………………….. 24
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Outcomes …………………………………………………………….. 25
Likelihood of Success …………………………………………………………….. 26
Project Structure, Methodology and Action Components……………….……………….. 27
Prototype …………………………………………………………….. 27
Market Analysis …………………………………………………………….. 29
Implementation Strategy………………………………………………………….. 30
Financial Plan …………………………………………………………….. 31
Methods for Assessment………………………………………………………….. 33
Stakeholder Involvement………………………………………………………….. 35
Communication Strategy………………………………………………………….. 37
Problem of Practice …………………………………………………………….. 38
Ethical Consideration …………………………………………………………….. 39
Conclusions, Actions and Implications…………………………………………..……….. 40
Project Plan …………………………………………………………….. 40
Context of Practice …………………………………………………………….. 41
Innovative Solution …………………………………………………………….. 42
Limitations …………………………………………………………….. 44
Prototype Ready …………………………………………………………….. 45
Advancing Next Steps…………………………………………………………….. 45
References …………………………………………………………….. 47
Appendix …………………………………………………………….. 61
Appendix A. Infographic……………………………………………..….………. 61
Appendix B. Logic Model……………………………………………….……….. 62
Appendix C. Storyboard Prototype……………………………………………….. 63
Appendix D. Capstone Interviews……………………………………….……….. 67
Appendix E. DBT Curriculum Prototype…………………….……………..…….. 72
Appendix F. VMR Capstone Video……………………………………..…….….. 85
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Appendix G. Implementation Plan……………………………………………….. 85
Appendix H. Gantt Chart…………………………………………….……..…….. 86
Appendix H-1. Gantt Chart Timeline…………………………………………….. 86
Appendix I. EPIS Framework…………………………………………………….. 87
Appendix J. Start Up Budget……………………………………….…………….. 88
Appendix J-1. First Full Year Budget…………………………………………….. 89
Appendix K. Measurement PHQ-2……………………………………………….. 90
Appendix L. Measurement CD-RISC-2………………………………………….. 91
Appendix M. Quantitative and Qualitative Measures…………………………….. 91
Appendix N. Likert Scale GenZ………………………………………….……….. 92
Appendix N-1. Likert Scale Supervisor………………………………….……….. 92
Appendix O. Studio Flow…………………………………………………..…….. 93
Appendix P. Specializations……………………………………………..…....….. 93
Appendix Q. Strategies……………………………………………………..…….. 94
Appendix R. Change Management……………………………………………….. 95
Appendix S. What Where How………………………………………….….…….. 98
Appendix T. Letter of Agreement…………………………………….….……….. 99
CAPSTONE PROJECT FINAL PAPER 5
Capstone Project Final Paper and Prototype
Executive Summary
Harness Technology for Social Good
The vision of the innovative Virtual Mindfulness Reality (VMR) capstone is to
incorporate an employer-sponsored mental health wellness therapy utilizing Virtual Reality (VR)
technology and evidence-based Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) into the daily work break.
VMR is a preventative measure to increase mental resilience and to decrease depression, anxiety
and suicidal tendencies which are prevalent in the Generation Z (GenZ) cohort. The introduction
of comingling VR and DBT in a new corporate arena is steeped in theory yet without steadfast
guidelines.
Virtual reality therapy is far reaching and although an unpredicted, avant-garde
partnership between corporations and social workers it provides the opportunity to be the
catalysts for a groundbreaking business model elevating the social work status within the
corporate environment. Within The Grand Challenge of Harness Technology for Social Good,
intertwining technology with social work practices will prove to profoundly alter and
revolutionize the social work arena, as stated in the Grand Challenges 5 Year Impact Report
(2021). Leveraging an innovative eye and lucrative coffers, the entertainment industry will be
commissioned for the yearlong pilot of Virtual Mindfulness Reality, which will garner accolades,
a competitive advantage and provide ample room for scale.
Larger Conceptual Framework
Drawing directly from theory, Virtual Mindfulness Reality incorporates learnings from
the Affective Events and Mindfulness-to-Meaning Theories. Each theory directly speaks to daily
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events both personal and professional, focusing on the importance of emotional regulation
through mindfulness. The focus pertains to accepting and reframing stressors as they occur,
without placing blame or reacting in an adverse manner which can compound the complexity of
negative emotions. The concept of the Theory of Change is equally significant as VMR
addresses change management and culture, social norms and employee and management
behavior modifications, all of which are at the vanguard of corporate reform. Holistically, the
landscape of corporate responsibility is broadening to include mental health awareness and
resources, in order to destigmatize mental health offering a strong value proposition as many
employers are strategically modernizing their business plans. In alignment with VMR and
paving the way toward a new social norm, Malacoff (2017) from Glassdoor, featured a CEO in
Michigan tweeting, promoting mental health advocacy as a standard business practice
contributing to both the personal and professional welfare of the office team.
Focusing on behavior changes to increase the quality of life, DeCou et al. (2019) found in
multiple scientific, controlled studies, Dialectical Behavior Therapy was deemed the primary
treatment in the deterrence of suicide and rumination in highly vulnerable patients where self-
harm was severe. Navarro-Haro et al. (2017), Gomez et al. (2017), and Flores et al. (2018)
revealed their patients experienced a decrease of maladaptive emotions and stability among
disorders and an increase in attention span with the immersive multisensory VR technology, thus
enhancing DBT techniques to combat suicide and ideations. A private practice clinical
physician, educator and author, Fuller (2018) outlines the importance of mindfulness techniques
of presence and the relinquishment of emotional feelings tied to the evidence-based DBT with
successful reduction of suicidal deaths in the GenZ cohort, where medicating behaviors has
proved unsuccessful with suicidal ideations. Mindfulness is a practice that can be individually
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administered and without side effects or proper dosage. An additional component is change
management embedded into the culture which includes training for executive leadership and
supervisors to provide a supportive arm, as described by van den Heuvel et al. (2015).
Specific Problem
Suicide is prominent in the Generation Z as the second leading cause of death, yet with
the VMR multifaceted approach, mental resilience, harnessing technology for social good and
corporate responsibility will evolve from professional development to saving the lives of GenZ
employees using innovative technology and evidence-based practice. Virtual Mindfulness
Reality broaches the conversation to destigmatizing mental health in a professional environment,
which affords transparency into this silent plague that is inflicting the new GenZ workforce, as
well as their community of supporters. Suicides are survived by a community of loved ones,
amplifying the loss with unanswered questions, self-doubt and blame for not recognizing, often
unrecognizable signs. In an USA Today article, author Dastagir (2018) offered upwards of 30
lives are touched by each suicide where their feelings are either channeled toward advocacy or
continue the cyclical madness of stigma toward mental health treatment often leading to
contagion or self-contemplation. Despite the abundance of mental health resources, suicide
continues to elude the closest members of family, friends and colleagues, as pain is shielded with
smiles with shame hidden in secrecy.
With the increased awareness of GenZ suicide, corporations are broadening their
responsibility to include mental health awareness and resources. In order to destigmatize mental
health, a Harvard Business Review article by Aarons-Mele (2018) offers that the simplicity of a
conversation with leadership normalizes stressors that may hinder the productivity of top talent
hiding in the shadows of embarrassment. Empowering employees to find their uncensored voice
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drains the stronghold from mental disorders and forges a partnership with employers resulting in
a healthy workforce. Financially prudent, implementing a mental wellness benefit that reduces
employee absenteeism and presenteeism will also generate positive and profitable recognition for
VMR as a cost savings strategic therapeutic program.
Project Methodology
As a private, for-profit entity, Virtual Mindfulness Reality has the advantage of living
outside the constraints of the non-profit parameters. Funding is lucrative with Venture
Capitalists (VC) and Angel Investors (AI) seeking audacious and pioneering approaches in
partnering economies and disciplines, as with this newfound synergy between social work and
corporations. Supportive and meaningful data will be parlayed into directives toward achieving
VMR’s outcomes.
Measurements of success will consist of mental health assessments both pre and post,
combined with Likert scaled surveys, offering a mixed method of quantitative and qualitative
measures providing insight into the GenZ’s mental health. The American Psychological
Association (2018) reports the GenZ have a willingness to share their feelings about the
compounded stress they are experiencing between the volatility of housing, college loans and the
injustices of the world, thus opening an avenue for healthy dialog.
Project Aims
The successful implementation of Virtual Mindfulness Reality is a multi-phased approach
incorporating pivotal stakeholders encompassing expertise and buy-in, championing the increase
of mental resilience and transparent dialog within the GenZ. The five phases include (1)
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research, (2) VMR development, (3) data collection, (4) social media campaign, and (5)
stakeholder assessment, all of which will be reassessed within the year-long pilot for efficacy.
The Generation Z have the fortuitous opportunity to be the catalyst cohort to bring about
mental wellness awareness through VMR. Suicide once taboo, will now be openly discussed
with the introduction of uncensored social media. Suicide has been sensationalized which
coincides with the introduction of the smart phone in the mid-1990s, paralleling the birth of the
GenZ. Virtual Mindfulness Reality aims to reverse that narrative with utilizing the GenZ social
media capital to launch a mental resilience marketing campaign. Companywide exposure and
participation in the campaign provides for advocacy, self-awareness and honesty toward
breaking down social norms. Spearheading a movement of corporate mental resilience evokes
emotions of empowerment, synergy and solidarity. Holistically, transparent dialog through a
social media lens centered on mental wellness as a corporate responsibility takes the focus off
the GenZ solely, as suicide is indiscriminate.
Innovative Step Forward
Traditionally, mental wellness would be managed through a grade or high school-based
social worker or counselor, which then ceases at the collegiate level. Corporate responsibility
tied to employee advocacy will reinstate this mental wellness with VMR, providing positive
impact to the organization with a healthy and well-rounded return on investment through
collaboration. Finigan-Carr and Shaia (2018) offer that social work advocacy encompasses
networks that are experienced in management, cultural thoughtfulness, all-encompassing
services and policy-driven programs, fully supporting the organization’s values and mission.
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Strategies tied to innovation involve knowledge, skills and expertise. Dotsika and
Watkins (2017) offer that “Identifying potentially disruptive technologies is crucial to
safeguarding competitive advantage by enabling stakeholders to assign resources in a manner
that increases the chances of exploiting the disruption and/or mitigating the ensuing risks” (p.
114). As an innovative inbound workforce, the GenZ’s originality will encourage corporations
to champion allocation and justify specialized resources through linkages and networks to better
equip managers and the culture with this generation’s individuality. Chillakuri and Mahanandia
(2018) describe the GenZ with complexities of wanting to build their own empire; they question
the status quo, want freedom with a competitive edge, and seek a continuously thriving
environment. Corporations will be at the forefront of innovative technology to entice, preserve
and stimulate their employees. Virtual Mindfulness Reality’s unique value proposition of a
mentally resilient workforce through technology and evidence-based practice will influence and
elevate the corporate vision, and afford the GenZ sustainable executive partnership, dynamic
therapy with autonomy, while transforming workplace culture with addressing and
destigmatizing mental health.
Conceptual Framework
Statement of the Problem
The employable Generation Z are between 19 and 26 years of age, born 1995 through
approximately 2010. Branded as digital natives, technology is the forte of the GenZ. Their daily
lives are consumed and intertwined with a personal device in-hand, readily available to grant
them access to unlimited content. Personal relationships have morphed with the absence of
voice or face-to-face contact, which will have an impending impact entering a professional
environment with supervisors, teams and colleagues. Instant gratification, impulsive social
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media posts in search of social acceptance in an iconic thumbs up, and the following of social
influencers and idols was pioneered by this generation and their in-real-life mental health has
been sacrificed and lives lost with sensationalized suicides, as described Carmichael and Whitley
(2019).
Based on findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Suicide was the
second leading cause of death in 2019 for the majority of the GenZ age group (ages 10-24) and is
19.2%” (2021). Mental health awareness either carries a stigma with silent suffering as their
social media capital rises with intriguing content and likes, or suicidal ideations and deaths are
glamorized as social media rallies behind those brave enough to come forward. Neither is an
acceptable option as this generation continues to die on and off the 6x3 inch screen. Social
connections have also been linked to contagion in a study by Mueller and Abrutyn (2015) where
familial and social friendships involved in suicide or ideations occurred.
Moreover, in a recent American Psychological Association study with an emphasis on
American stress in GenZ, Bethune (2019) found mental wellness was stated as poor coupled with
emotional distress caused by depression, indifference and lack of inspiration. Social aspect
notwithstanding, the influx of negative emotions is compounded with the feelings of
hopelessness and burdensome as student debt looms, while remaining in the family home for a
prolonged period. Suicide is multifaceted, forming a prominent plague in the life of the GenZ.
Assessment of What Is Known
Corporations are in the proverbial red from the onset as they are employing a new
generational workforce with the promise of heightened technological prowess, however laden
with stressors, filled with feelings of hopelessness and predisposed to mental fatigue. In
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addition, risky behaviors are synonymous with poor mental and social susceptibility and solicit
like-minded company resulting in peer-related suicide emulation. Crepeau-Hobson and Leech
(2014) addressed suicide contagion from the lens of a peer, finding exposure to peer suicides or
clustered attempts increased the likelihood of suicidal risk in the GenZ.
With the prevalence of suicide in the GenZ cohort, mental health therapy in the
workplace as a corporate-sponsored benefit fosters or creates mental strength as an employee and
an individual. Feinteig (2020) writing for The Wall Street Journal found an upturn of in-office
mental health therapy sessions offered within large corporations in response to employee
transparency of stressors and young employee expectations of an empathetic response from
employers. Recognizing the responsibility as a collective effort, Gunnell et al. (2018) offer that
the GenZ are impressionable both emotionally and mentally and as a community of family,
educators and career builders, positive groundwork should be laid so external stressors such as
world events, social media or economic transitions are unable to penetrate and pollute their
healthy minds. The corporate benefit of mental health therapy represents a culture of acceptance
and responsibility that disrupts the norm of mental health stigma. At a Fortune’s Brainstorm
Health seminar addressing inquisitive C-suite executives, Lambert (2020) recommends creating
a culture that fosters transparent and honest mental health conversations for all employees.
Holistically, the landscape of corporate responsibility is broadening to include mental
health awareness and resources, in order to destigmatize mental illness. Buitron et al. (2017)
researched the positive association between mindfulness towards solutions and the reduction of
suicidal rumination based on prior stressors that would have otherwise invoked feelings of
hopelessness and anxiety. Both of which are prominent in the GenZ cohort yet find solace in
solution-based mindfulness in Dialectical Behavior Therapy, reviewed by McCauley et al.
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(2018) where participants were taught how to regulate their negative feelings, and accept their
stressors without applying blame, which resulted in decreased suicidal tendencies and
reinforcement toward creating a mindset of living a life worthwhile. Building upon the strengths
of the GenZ cohort, technology coupled with mental health therapy would prove an
advantageous paring. In a component of a literature review of virtual reality effectiveness, Park
et al. (2019) found that VR immersion showcasing a serene setting allowed patients to become
relaxed and open to DBT mindfulness techniques that proved to minimize volatile emotions.
The Grand Challenge of Harness Technology for Social Good, as outlined by Fong et al.
(2018), will incorporate Virtual Reality coupled with evidence-based Dialectical Behavior
Therapy within the workplace to decrease suicidal ideations in the employable GenZ cohort by
increasing mental resilience in a favorable immersive setting. As a corporate benefit, GenZ
employees will have access to continuous therapy, reinforcing positive and healthy thoughts and
behaviors.
Social Significance
Due to the suicidal youth crisis, Bilsen (2018) provides extensive statistical data on a
global assessment of GenZ suicide rates with contributing factors including the lack of familial
and social support, financial means, mood instability, and access to or means of suicidal
methods. Suicide contagion is prevalent in the GenZ with unlimited access to the Internet, social
media personas and unfiltered peer relationships, with suicide deaths occurring more often in
men than women, as women readily seek mental health services thus arming themselves against
depression and suicidal tendencies. Halonen et al. (2018) discusses the compounded illnesses
experienced through the unlikeliness of men to seek heath care due to the stigma around
masculinity.
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The Generation Z cohort are at a pivotal juncture where decisions about education,
independence from the family unit and values are being formed, and high expectations can lead
to significant risk factors contributing to suicide where stable supportive resources are lacking.
In response, introducing VMR is a calculated and pivotal business move, where employers are
increasingly becoming the encouraging lifeline to deflect the mental health struggles
compounded by the pandemic, resulting in greater level of performance, mental resilience and
overall employee fulfilment, as described by Kropp (2021).
Conceptual Framework and Logic Model
Affective Events Theory. Deriving from the Affective Events Theory, where daily
occupational productivity and fulfillment are in the power of emotions and attitudes, Kempen et
al. (2019) discuss the importance of including personal life to form a dyad since the correlation
of fluctuation and attunement to emotions both positive and negative as interchangeable to both
environments. Creating a professional environment enriched with personal mindfulness through
VMR offers the potential to improve the quality of life overall, which enables this generation to
handle stressors in an impactful, lifesaving manner. Equally relevant is the top-down leadership
influence of the positive affective events have on colleagues and relationships resulting in
empathy, a higher cognitive sense of being and gratification as outlined by Cropanzano et al.
(2017). Similar to suicidal contagion where in contrast negative emotions are enveloped through
peers and social media.
Mindfulness-to-Meaning Theory. In line with Affective Events Theory where mood is
authoritative over professional and personal wellbeing, Garland et al. (2017) outline the benefits
of Mindfulness-to-Meaning Theory. Stressful situations are compartmentalized so events can be
dissected to identify negative thoughts thus reducing the power held. Through repetitive
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mindfulness, dissection allows for each component to be reframed as a positive, developmental
experience where meaning can be fortified and readily called upon to counteract each
maladaptive experience often at the nucleus of suicidal ideation.
GenZ mental resilience, the affective events of curtailing negative emotions toward a
positive outlook are relevant to the GenZ employee as their professional and personal lives
interconnect. The embarrassment associated with mental illness and suicidal ideations are at the
forefront of this generation where practicing empathy can assist in reframing emotions into
perspective and the meaning of worth found in mindfulness, which is at the crux of this
innovation. The practice of empathy with mindfulness therapy will prepare the GenZ employee
for professional leadership and lifesaving resilience.
Theory of Change. Mental illness shoulders a burden of aversion due to expectations set
forth by society or a network that is referenced where behaviors are condoned or rebuffed toward
conformity which Bicchieri (2017) describes as social norms. While revisiting mental health
issues within college campuses, Turetsky and Sanderson (2017) were met with stereotypes where
students continue to equate mental illness with weakness, manifesting in social stigma toward
treatment, and ruminating over lost opportunities with scarlet lettered transcripts and missed
career recommendations. Pitted side by side with a non-mental problem, seeking treatment was
well received. Taboo as a topic, mental illness was downplayed as a stressor and outward facing
personas of covert smiles, boasting and self-motivation were touted in its place as concealment
against far reaching prying technology stemming from GenZ students’ adherence to social
norms. The Generation Z are straddling education and careers with aged mental illness social
norms; however, they are also the timely deviant to upturning these social norms with their
proclivity for technology and their social media capital.
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Akin to team building events focusing on mindfulness, changing the narrative will
reframe mental illness into mental resilience. First, offering a corporate-sponsored benefit
including VR with DBT work breaks titled as mindfulness, resilience or VMR will increase
utilization and remove the negative connotation the words mental or therapy possess. Second,
coupling technology and evidence-based mental health therapy in the workplace requires
executive leadership buy-in, which is essential for behavioral changes to be effective and long-
lasting. Third, collaboration with GenZ employees invites transparent dialog toward refinement
of the mindfulness break but also a forum for mental wellness conversations. Fourth, supervisors
will be more apt to allow their employees to participate in mindfulness breaks if they are flexible
to VMR immersion which will enhance a supportive environment toward managing employee
schedules and workloads. Lastly, the GenZ employee will have an opportunity to launch a
mental resilience social media campaign that will pave the road for destigmatizing mental illness.
With these slight behavioral changes, the results will manifest in heightened mental resilience for
the GenZ employee with decreased suicidal tendencies. In addition, the company culture will
evolve into a vision of equality between employee corporate growth and mental wellness, both of
which are impactful and lifesaving.
Logic Model. The input required include 13 elements: (1) an approved budget and
project plan, (2) VR developer and equipment, (3) DBT curriculum, (4) private office space, (5)
project plan, (6) GenZ partnership with staff and supervisors, (7) online scheduling system, (8)
Change Management/Mental Health/VR immersion trainings, (9) evaluation measurements, (10)
policy changes, (11) 360 review, (12) data collection/analysis, and (13) a social media campaign.
The activities include VR and DBT therapy, staff training, analysis of policies and data, and a
marketing campaign. The short-term outcomes include utilization of therapy, mental health
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awareness and acceptance with empathy. The mid-term outcomes include feedback, active
participation in therapy, buy-in and enhanced mental wellness culture. The long-term outcomes:
reduced suicidal ideation, increased mental resilience, mental wellness is prominent in the
corporate culture, new social norms are formed as mental illness is destigmatized.
Problems of Practice and Innovative Solutions
Proposed Innovative Solution
The proposed innovative solution is an onsite company-sponsored benefit combining
technology and evidence-based practices, using Virtual Reality with Dialectical Behavior
Therapy into one therapeutic therapy to increase mental resilience in the GenZ employee
(Appendix A). The therapy would be accessible during business hours, and within the timeframe
of a work break. Personalized, virtual serene environments are selected to place the GenZ
employee in a setting where solace is experienced, thus minimizing inhibitions toward therapy.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy is administered in the immersive setting reinforcing the lessons of
regulating negative feelings through acknowledgement and processing of emotions while being
present in the moment. The virtual reality setting allows for a handheld controller as an
interactive tool to navigate through the serene setting, which also simulates a mobile device in-
hand reducing anxiety and satisfying the GenZ’s tactile necessity to feel connected, as described
by Shoukat (2019).
The design and intended outcomes of the therapy are threefold. The first is to increase
mental resilience through weekly, ongoing VMR mental wellness therapy reinforcing the
practice. The second is to decrease suicidal ideations for the GenZ employee. With mental
wellness as a weekly core function of the workday, positive emotions and reflections will combat
CAPSTONE PROJECT FINAL PAPER 18
against stressors and lesson feelings of hopelessness. The GenZ employee will experience VMR
with weekly 20-minute bursts and approved by supervisors, previously exposed to the virtual
experience. Reimagining the corporate work break to include bursts of VMR will result in
mental strength and confidence. And finally, change social norms toward destigmatizing mental
health. Mental resilience will empower the GenZ to champion open mental health dialog with
leadership, staff and fellow colleagues in the workplace, which can then be leveraged through
their social media outlets to reinforce and scale VMR.
Grand Challenge Improvement
Within Harness Technology for Social Good, corporate responsibility will be re-
engineered and evolve from professional development to saving the lives of their employees
using innovative technology. The traditional employee benefit package with annual physicals,
coupled with appointments to see an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) counselor are no
longer suited for the next workforce of GenZ employees, where suicidal ideation is prominent.
Implementing innovative technology and evidence-based practices within the corporate arena
will ensure a professional and mentally resilient workforce. Bringing VMR in-house provides an
opportunity to leverage the company’s meta-data, such as generation, gender, ethnicity, tenure,
department, and supervisor. In conjunction with the measurements, utilizing a quantitative
method will garner numerical values, while qualitative methods offer insight into ideals and
behaviors which elude statistical analysis, however equally beneficial for providing evaluation of
outcomes, as described by de Souza Minayo (2017).
Setting the stage, a leading innovator in technology, Google deployed a mindfulness
program to combat against workforce exhaustion exacerbated by excessive and prolonged stress,
yet the program was offered as a limited engagement, similar to a seminar as reported by Nelson
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(2020) for the Reader’s Digest. Commendable yet shortsighted, organizations providing
mindfulness therapy or teambuilding mindfulness events limit the program to nominal sessions,
tout innovation and then move forward with business as usual. Mindfulness is a learned process
that requires continuous refinement and application, which is the cornerstone of VMR resulting
in a thriving and mentally resilient workforce.
Multiple Stakeholders
The list of potential collaborators consists of both external and internal stakeholders that
have a vested interest or buy-in toward enhancing GenZ mental resilience. The two main
external stakeholders are the Employee Assistance Program and the Social Worker.
Acknowledging the need for additional services to both the employee and their family,
corporations have enlisted a third-party vendor that offers a breadth of traditional services that
balance professional and personal demands through an EAP. The EAP is a supplemental plan
that accompanies the traditional employee benefit package, and although robust in services,
utilization rates continue to be lackluster. McRee (2017) offers that close to three quarters of
domestic employers offer an EAP; however, findings resulted in a low 5% of actual
consumption.
As a solidified social agent, a Social Worker is at the pinnacle of administering therapy
through technology as they are schooled in ethics, efficacy, and evidence-based practices. With
corporate restructure, business logic would favor staffing a Social Worker as a facilitator and
program director. A Social Worker onsite affords flexibility, confidentiality and offers security
as employers are partial to accredited leaders. Long term corporate Social Work employees will
be in high demand as technology soars. As VMR is first piloted, an external licensed Social
CAPSTONE PROJECT FINAL PAPER 20
Worker, certified in DBT will administer the sprint sessions, which brings validity to the therapy,
and will further enhance integrity and efficacy.
The three main internal stakeholders are Executive Leadership, Supervisors and GenZ
employees. Seel (2014) outlines the interconnectedness of stakeholders such as executive
management, those that are required for funding and general support and employees. Requiring
foresight and fearlessness, it is the responsibility of executive leadership to forge ahead with
emerging innovation and imagine an enriched culture surpassing the traditional business model.
Succession planning will reveal the need to delve into new sectors to entice and retain new
generations that are tech savvy and not attached to corporate ideals but rather an altruistic drive
toward health and welfare. Similar to Schwartz’s (2012) description of Ashoka’s change maker,
by advocating for a cause or their employees, companies are no longer turning a blind eye to
stressors and instead moving forward with a purpose towards action and development of a
mentally stable workforce. Virtual reality is an untapped corporate resource and may seem like a
rogue investment but in the hands of forward-thinking leadership, with cultivation and successful
implementation, their GenZ employees will yield a healthy and prosperous mindset.
Next, supervisors are the first line of defense for advocating the utilization of VMR
during the workday, alongside deliverables. Supervisors are tasked with embracing VMR, with
the influx of the GenZ workforce. With this dichotomy between the office and digital
workplace, the corporate culture is already teetering from punch in-out to allowing time for
instant gratification of self-worth moments including mindfulness therapy. The concept of wrap
around services in a non-traditional setting can be jarring and shifting the culture toward VMR,
corporations will be at the cutting edge of innovation and wellness among employees.
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Playing on the strengths of the GenZ employee, Markos and Sridevi (2010) have
suggested that employees become fully vested in their performance and the success of their
organization as a whole when cohesion and collaboration between the two are formed. This
collaboration builds trust and allows the employee to have a seat at the table when creating
organizational initiatives, including mental wellness. Although healthy benefit packages are a
corporate standard where the employee is on the passive end of annual enrollment, the GenZ
employee will have ongoing and productive conversations toward mental health needs,
increasing the utilization of VMR.
Broader Landscape
As the corporate culture begins to evolve into an employee centric environment
incorporating new policies and programs based on incoming generations, the standard work
break offers opportunities for mental growth. Once a symbol of balance, employees are now
stymied to decompress during the short break, as stepping away from the office is consumed
with thoughts of time better spent on deliverables and looming goals, both of which carry
burdensome weight. With a unique perspective on the workplace break, Chonga et al. (2019)
dissect the use of integrating Affective Events and Mindfulness-to-Meaning theories during this
window to demonstrate the validity of enhancing professional output and personal fulfilment
through acknowledging feelings and processing emotions while being present in the moment.
Shifting undesirable feelings, VMR engages the GenZ in purposeful mindfulness revitalizing the
work break to rejuvenate a productive, positive and steadfast workforce. The University of
Illinois (2011) revealed that persistent focus increases the likelihood of mindful deficits, where
short term pauses were required to reset the brain, tying directly to VMR’s sprint sessions.
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Incorporating technology, blossoming mindfulness research and visual setting has proved
beneficial with total immersion. Mindfulness for those isolated or remote from nature, Anderson
et al. (2017) found exposure to natural surroundings through VR immersion incorporating
elements of water had vast positive effects on enhancing disposition, as well as decreasing stress
while under mental duress. According to Lanier (2017), allowing for control over the selection
of their preferred setting fulfills the independence and accountability required to reinforce the
engagement of the GenZ employee thus framing therapy in a positive light. The reinforcement
of VMR to regulate emotions was broached by Gomez et al. (2017) while researching the
validity of VR partnered with DBT administered to deliver immersive, mindfulness training to
combat against heightened negative emotions that were impeding a burn victim’s recovery.
Short sprints of DBT mindfulness exercises, coupled with a personal selection of a serene VR
setting focused on observations of sounds and visuals, resulted in reduced anxiety, stress, and
longevity of self-administered mindfulness practice once therapy had ceased. Total immersion
through VR in a favored setting enhanced the DBT practice of being present in the moment
without applying undesirable emotions, which cause rumination and compounding of stressors.
Providing a 20-minute sprint therapy session of purposeful mindfulness is also congruent
to micro-learning, which Baghdasarin (2020) spouts is inherent of the GenZ with their minimal
span of attention and necessity for immediate indulgence. Sharma and Sakpal (2019) and Cretu
et al. (2020) revealed that micro-learning or condensed, multiple teachings through varied
methods compliment the GenZ learner, which better equips for a swift grasping of strategies, and
provides for a comprehensive understanding of how these teachings fit into their individual and
professional lives. Ahmed and Sutton (2017) suggest that as a corporate strategy, micro-learning
would prove significant in retaining and enhancing the GenZ output and commitment.
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Functioning as nesting dolls to a holistic approach to mental resilience, the sprint sessions of
VMR behooves employers to incorporate onsite therapy to increase mental resilience in GenZ
employees.
Opportunities for Innovation
Virtual Mindfulness Reality as a corporate sponsored onsite benefit fills the gaps where
the limitations currently exist within corporations when addressing employee mental wellness.
Employee Assistance Programs are offsite and are reactive only when there is a crisis, or an
employee is seeking assistance through a hotline. Onsite VMR is proactive, regularly available
and offered as a corporate benefit. As explained by Pudrovska and Karraker (2014), without
identifying stressors, corporate wellness programs can be detrimental in furthering stressors as
irrelevant or superficial needs are erroneously addressed. Virtual Mindfulness Reality focuses
on strengthening mental health and emotions, which is universal to addressing all stressors but
also a healthy, positive approach to thoughts and feelings.
Willemijn Pas et al. (2016) suggests that implementing policies and programs focused on
mental health, garners low absentee rates amongst employees working in a corporate setting.
Parallel, Karanika-Murray et al. (2015) found presenteeism, where physical attendance yet
mentally detached in the workplace, to be significant where mental fatigue due to lack of
professional engagement resulted in a lackluster performance. The full inclusion of VMR in the
workplace speaks directly to the GenZ, furthering their interest in the therapy and fostering a
positive culture of well-being, with setting a precedence that employees are of great value.
Virtual Mindfulness Reality offers a sustainable partnership, successfully incorporating dynamic
therapy in the workplace thus elevating and transforming workplace culture.
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Connection of Logic Model (Appendix B)
Inputs. An approved annual budget by executive leadership will cover all downstream
costs. The GenZ employee is the pilot group for the initial launch. A VR developer is
commissioned to create immersive serene settings, including VR goggles and ancillary
equipment. A licensed DBT Social Worker is also commissioned to create and administer a
DBT curriculum. One-time Change Management, Mental Health Sensitivity and VR Immersion
training sessions are offered. Developed collectively with staffed stakeholders, similar to the
trainings above, a new policy is created to incorporate VMR sprint breaks.
Activities. The DBT Social Worker creates and evaluates VMR for ethical and Health
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act standards to accompany the immersive VR settings
created by the VR developer. Change Management and Mental Sensitivity training for
supervisors and GenZ employees to adopt VMR consist of expectations including identifying
resistance and bias, respectful language use, and emotional intelligence. VR Supervisor
Immersion training provides a glance into the GenZ experience for supervisors. Work breaks
will also be redefined to include VMR. The GenZ utilizes a VMR calendar through the
employee intranet to select a session. A private office space in a secure location is utilized. The
GenZ completes the pre-mental health evaluation, selects an immersive serene scene and
engages in the 20-minute burst of VMR before returning to work. The post-mental health
evaluation is emailed after the session.
Outputs. Trainings through in-house Legal will be conducted over a 1 week period: 3
sessions per week (one mandatory session is required), 1 hour per session, approximately 300
total employees (200 GenZ and 90 supervisors). VR Immersion training will be conducted over
a 1 week period: drop in sessions during the week (one mandatory session is required), 5
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minutes per session, approximately 90 supervisors. VMR launch will be scheduled 2 weeks after
the completion of all training sessions. One VMR session per GenZ employee, per week for the
first quarter will be permissible. Virtual Mindfulness Reality sessions will be conducted every
30 minutes, for the full 8 hour workday, 5 days a week. This allows for 80 GenZ employees a
week. An internal 5-10 question Likert scale survey is sent to all GenZ employees quarterly as
an evaluation tool. Pre-post mental health evaluation scales, 360 reviews through a Likert scale
survey from stakeholders, year-end benefit claims and GenZ input are compiled and regularly
measured by the VMR Data Scientist. The social media Mental Wellness campaign will be
launch one year post-go-live and spearheaded by the GenZ. The social media hashtag will be
gamified as a companywide initiative to rename or hashtag the VR and DBT mental resilience
therapy.
Outcomes. Short-term, DBT mindfulness therapy is created based on the Social Work
Code of Ethics. The GenZ feel in control with ownership in selecting an immersive setting.
Legal controls the narrative of the trainings, including an open forum for questions. Supervisor’s
experience VMR. Supervisors begin to encourage VMR work breaks. The Likert scale survey
will include a "not-applicable" selection to provide immediate feedback as to utilization.
Valuable 360 degree feedback through Likert scale surveys enhance the program and gain
acceptance by internal stakeholders. GenZ thoughts begin to improve.
Mid-term, a licensed Social Worker certified in DBT conducting VMR lends credibility
to the therapy. The GenZ provides immediate feedback through the measurements. Supervisor
acceptance is evident through supportive dialog and engaged feedback. Mental health awareness
is heightened with kind and sensitive language within the office. Once a week utilization of
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VMR is regularly scheduled. GenZ mental resilience is evident in their daily behaviors and
output. GenZ employees embrace being ambassadors of corporate mental health wellness.
Long-term, the success of VMR in a corporate setting will be successfully scaled. An
85% utilization occurs in the first year. Suicidal ideation and mental health benefit claims are
reduced by 65%. VMR is widely championed. Mental health stigma is lessened with new social
norms of acceptance. Empathy is shown for those that exhibit unhealthy behaviors or require
mental health assistance. Virtual Mindfulness Reality becomes a routine practice and readily
accepted as a work-place norm. The Likert scales will provide valuable insight into program
modifications, weakness and highlights, which will increase participation year after year. Mental
health resilience becomes part of workplace policies, decorum and at the core, a value that is
championed from the top down. Increased mental resilience and solace found at work are
experienced by the GenZ employee. Maladaptive behaviors improve and mindfulness is
practiced daily. Mass roll out to all employees after the one year mark. Increase in licensed
DBT staff or Social Workers and sessions to accommodate increased usage. The Mental
Wellness campaign will be launched and gamifying the naming of the hashtag receives accolades
and increased interest in the discussion of mental health.
Likelihood of Success
The likelihood of VMR decreasing GenZ suicidal ideations and creating a present and
mentally resilient workforce with a tech savvy flair to champion destigmatizing mental health
through social media is highly probable. Roblek et al. (2019) postulate that it is prudent for
employers to incorporate technology as a social and professional benefit offering innovation and
improved life satisfaction for the GenZ. In an article focusing on a small sample of GenZ and
their careers, Fodor and Kaeckel (2018) found the ideal employers to be reputable with
CAPSTONE PROJECT FINAL PAPER 27
innovative workloads offering stimuli, a creative environment that inspires and, equally
important, is the value behind the work experience. All of which are viable through VMR,
piquing the interest of the GenZ as a response to their appeal for a unique employer.
Trahan et al. (2019) emphasized The 12 Grand Challenges for Social Work, where
Harness Technology for Social Good, an extension of the challenges, encompasses VR as an
advancement with substantial currency toward the evolution and delivery of therapy, training,
and the prominence and progression technology affords social work practices. With continued
research toward social work application, VR offers in application and efficacy an economically
sound, readily available and malleable solution for continued growth. In direct correlation,
recognizing the need for continued growth, the National Association of Social Workers (2017)
(NASW) modified their standards to incorporate ethical technology guidelines such as the
appropriateness based on the immediate severity and need of the client, the privacy of the session
as well as the information collected, and the ability of the client to utilize the technology. In-
house therapy with VR, focusing solely on mindfulness rather than trauma or specific stressors
will arm the GenZ with strategies on being present and mindfully in control of maladaptive
emotions. Paving the way for scale, VMR embodies NASW’s guidelines with adjusting for
stressors, applying ethical standards for privacy and offering a technology that is second nature
to the GenZ.
Project Structure, Methodology and Action Components
Prototype
As a comprehensive value, Virtual Mindfulness Reality consists of three prototypes: one
low fidelity and two high. The low fidelity prototype is a storyboard (Appendix C), which
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provides a multi-paneled visual of the process of VMR from the inception of the interview to the
conclusion of mindfulness therapy for the GenZ. The storyboard acts as a step-by-step lens into
the process, the mind of the GenZ based on capstone interviews (Appendix D) and
accomplishments within the VMR sessions including outcomes. The intention of the storyboard
is to provide an overview and a precursor to the high fidelity prototypes.
The first high fidelity prototype is the detailed curriculum (Appendix E) of Virtual
Mindfulness Reality. The curriculum begins with an introduction into Dialectical Behavior
Therapy to provide a base for the evidence-based practice which is the underlying principle
behind VMR and mindfulness. The introduction explains the origins of DBT, the philosophy
and methodology. DBT focuses on the acquisition and implementation of skills that are broken
down into four modules: (1) core mindfulness, (2) interpersonal effectiveness, (3) emotion
regulation, and (4) distress tolerance skills. Dialectical Behavior Therapy conceptualizes
mindfulness as a core skill as it informs the use of all other skill modules. The 24-week
curriculum focuses on mindfulness strategies that build upon each other and can be generally
applied to daily stressors, instead of focusing on existing trauma, which would negatively trigger
the GenZ or curtail the reminder of the day’s work. The mindfulness techniques are to enhance
mental wellness, mental resilience; they are used to reduce stress in any daily scenario that
causes distress.
The final high-fidelity prototype is a condensed 2 to 3 minute video of Virtual
Mindfulness Reality (Appendix F) conducted with a licensed, certified DBT Social Worker and a
GenZ. The viewer is presented with a glimpse into the GenZ selecting the immersive serene
setting, the immersive setting view and the DBT Social Worker conducting a VMR session. The
full 20-minute VMR session consists of the GenZ engaging in a 3 to 5 minute mindfulness
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practice. The strategy pertaining to that week’s session will then be introduced, with a practice
of the strategy to follow. In closing, the next week’s session will be highlighted before returning
to work. As a yearlong pilot, the sessions are designed to be repeated in any order and affords
varying practices that will enhance and reinforce the strategies.
Market Analysis
Virtual Mindfulness Reality invites technology in-house to a corporate setting, pairing it
with DBT to focus on the present, and the removal of blame tied to stressors. This can be
applied to stressors in general, which differs from current employer based EAP and corporate
wellness programs that tend to be tied to trauma, event driven or narrowed in scope.
Team building events through a workplace wellness program are positive outlets to
reduce stress and gather valuable physical and mental health education through guest speakers or
direct exposure through interactive sessions such as meditation. Although the takeaway is
beneficial, the education and interaction are fleeting. Continuous utilization of strategies and
techniques acquired, based on Segal (2019) have the greatest long-term effect on decreasing
stressors and reduce the likelihood of maladaptive emotions resurfacing and festering.
Although beneficial at the onset, traditional EAP’s are a passive, singular approach to
remedying employee stress. The services are limited in count, decreasing the likelihood that the
referrals are properly administered due to lack of discovery. The referrals to primary caregivers
for long term care are provided yet the lack of due diligence with follow-up is null. The sessions
are not tied to the company meta-data which goes undocumented and the results of the
connections and referrals falter at finding their way back to the employer. Useful data are
collected independently and without cohesive partnership may result in adverse remedies
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furthering stressors. Milot and Borkenhagen (2018) discovered that EAP’s have been found to
slightly falter with less than satisfactory outcomes when environmental stressors are the root
cause of employee dissatisfaction, thus necessitating the need for external identification toward
work conditions and flexibility. As occupational wellness becomes immersed in the corporate
culture, EAPs either need to be the conduit administering the technology, need to revamp
internal business plans, or risk extinction altogether.
Mobile app therapies have flooded the market with intriguing therapies that are
administered and followed just as swiftly as the app was downloaded. The tech savvy GenZ
have limitless therapies that are immediately available, negate the need to make an appointment
with a therapist, offer cost effective modules and have the ability to remain shadowed from the
stigma of receiving therapy. However, Grist et al. (2017) offer that mobile apps addressing
mental health are in abundance, yet the evaluation and efficacy of the treatments have yet to be
studied adequately and therefore should be recommended sparsely and combined with traditional
therapy at the onset. Although ideal for mediation and healthy quotes to mind reset, therapy is
an experience that involves vulnerability, connection and ongoing effort. When therapy becomes
instant through an app and as easy food delivery, the overarching concept of wellness loses its
meaning, and a superficial remedy takes its place. Sharing the same app with friends may bond
in solidarity but similarly mindfulness becomes a gimmick rather than a process to invest time
and energy. Virtual Mindfulness Reality will satisfy the innate connection between technology
and GenZ employee while instilling and bolstering mindfulness in a fruitful, ongoing manner.
Implementation Strategy
Implementing VMR to bolster mindfulness in the GenZ will require a great deal of
planning and execution at the hands of numerous stakeholders. The Implementation Plan
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(Appendix G) provides stages that are required to generate a strategic model and the stakeholders
required for success. As its partner, the Gantt chart (Appendix H) provides a visual of each
segment with a corresponding proposed timeline (Appendix H-1). The EPIS framework of
Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment is also included to complement the
Implementation Plan (Appendix I).
At the onset, an Entertainment Studio will be offered a piloting opportunity. Within the
Implementation Plan, the high-level scope of activities to be performed throughout a full cycle of
VMR includes five levels of execution. First, the planning, research and design stages require
thoughtful dissection of the root causes and innovative solution to deter GenZ suicide,
conceptualizing the innovative models, and ongoing sourcing of funding. Second,
implementation is the essence of the plan, involving the collaboration of stakeholders, change
management with executive leadership, budgeting and prototyping. A soft launch within internal
stakeholders will occur before VMR is fully launched with the GenZ employee. Third, metrics,
follow up and modifications will be conducted next. Data collection will be analyzed, and with
full transparency shared with stakeholders, where feedback and compromised modifications will
be aligned to address any deficiencies in the program. Unifying VMR, is the fourth stage of the
social media campaign to bring mental wellness and corporate responsibility to the forefront
capitalizing on the social capital of the GenZ employee. The fifth and final stage is the 360
review which will provide authentic assessment from all stakeholders, allowing VMR to
transition from a pilot to an operating for-profit entity with successful scale.
Financial Plan
Virtual Mindfulness Reality falls within the private, for-profit sector as the therapeutic
program will be sold to corporations, similar to an EAP service. As with an EAP, the
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mindfulness program will be free of charge for employees as a company-sponsored benefit to
promote mental health. The program will take the form of a Benefit Corporation (B Corp),
securing a foothold toward social gains with corporate responsibility toward employee mental
health while maintaining an equal level of mental wellness for the GenZ employee and
organizational profits, as described by Halebsky (2018). In Appendix J, the start-up profit is flat,
taking into account the reliance on the $670K revenue that is generated by various sources such
as grants from the National Institutes of Health and venture capitalists such as Advancit Capital
and Launch Capital, both of which support entertainment, technology and mental health and are
prevalent with for-profit B Corp’s. Within the first full year of operation and scaled (Appendix
J-1), the profit is steadily increased with the influx of program fees provided by entertainment
corporations and production houses initiating VMR for their GenZ employees. Although labeled
as a profit within the estimated budget, the gains are drawn from the revenue provided by the
grants and venture capitalists, therefore technically they are not classified as profit. Rather, the
balance is to cover losses within the first full year of operation of overages.
As a for-profit structure, grants specifically focused on technology, suicide and
adolescents will be solicited. One such grant through the National Institutes of Health is the
Notice of Special Interest to Highlight High Priority Research Opportunities on Suicide
Prevention Crisis Services and Guidance for Opportunities to Examine the Long-Term and
Cross-Over Effects of Preventive Interventions on Reducing Risk for Suicide Ideation and
Behaviors. Venture Capitalists focusing on mental health innovation will also be leveraged to
provide funding at the onset to cultivate VMR until it generates high returns, while continuing to
garner a positive social impact. A favorable VC is Advancit Capital which is deep rooted in the
innovative, entertainment industry where disruptive technology is rewarded with seed money.
CAPSTONE PROJECT FINAL PAPER 33
Similarly, with a focus on entertainment and technology, Launch Capital’s partners and founder
have a wide breadth of experience in the entertainment industry and pride themselves with
funding innovation and forward thinkers. An exciting prospect is the BDC Capital Women in
Technology Fund, empowering women led businesses focusing on technology fostering success
with an influx of revenue. Diversifying revenue, an Angel Investor Esther Dyson, focusing on
technology and health care will be leveraged as AIs utilize their own money and are more likely
to provide seed money to a small corporation positioning itself to increase mental resilience in
employees through corporate responsibility. Ultimately at scale, Virtual Mindfulness Reality
program fees through entertainment corporations and production houses will become a healthy
stream of revenue.
Methods for Assessment
Utilizing the Experimental Design, VMR will minimize the seven threats of internal
validity with a longitudinal Pretest-Posttest Control Group Design. Due to convenience, a non-
probability sampling will also be applied. Each supervisor will be commissioned to support the
sprint-like VMR work break and personally invite their GenZ employees to participate in the
weekly sessions. Supportive literature for the GenZ cohort enhances the parallel use of the
Patient Health Questionnaire (Appendix K) and the Connor-Davidson Resilience (Appendix L)
scales to assess resilience, anxiety and depression. Studying technological applications and
mental health, Bakker et al. (2018) found increased confidence and reduced depression with a
randomized control group trial where the Patient Health Questionnaire was utilized, resulting in
an internal validity score of 0.89 through the Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficient. Similar internal
validity scores of 0.80 through the Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficient were found for the Patient
Health Questionnaire, where adolescence resilience was analyzed by Beutel et al. (2017) and
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Moshofsky, D. T. (2016) with a reference tied to the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale.
Researching the usefulness of technology to measure resilience in college students, Enrique et al.
(2019) revealed a Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficient of above 0.70 for the Connor-Davidson
Resilience Scale and above 0.80 for the Patient Health Questionnaire, in a randomized control
found to reduce anxiety and depression. With Cronbach’s alpha internal validity scores of above
0.8 in randomized control studies, both will be used for this design as pre-post measures. Pre
and post-mental health assessments and Likert scaled surveys will be conducted, compiled and
analyzed on a regular basis for efficacy and enhancements. Within the implementation plan, the
performance of VMR will be monitored and evaluated through a mixed method of quantitative
and qualitative measures (Appendix M) through the Likert scales periodically provided to the
GenZ and supervisors.
The pre-mental health assessment at the time of VMR registration will utilize the PHQ-2
questionnaire. Due to the sensitivity of bringing mental health trainings in the workplace as a
corporate responsibility, the assessments will need to be brief. Voluminous assessments may
deter the GenZ, feel intrusive and possibly receive backlash due to privacy especially when
VMR is released to the full company. The PHQ-2 pre-assessment will measure depressive
moods providing a baseline. The assessment accounts for the last two weeks, which can then be
compared with each weekly session for fluctuation or inconsistency. A post mental health
assessment link will be emailed to the GenZ shortly after their session to retain privacy, yet still
tie back to their network id to capture the meta-data. In line with the brief pre assessment, the
post assessment will include the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale CD-RISC-2, a post treatment
2 item questionnaire, which is used to measure mental resilience.
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To promptly pivot, if necessary, a general assessment of VMR through a created Likert
Scale GenZ (Appendix N) will be disseminated via an email link to all GenZ employees on a
monthly basis for the first quarter to ascertain if adjustments are warranted. Additional surveys
are anticipated; however, to avoid communication fatigue, the first quarter will be limited yet
will reveal cooperation based on the volume of surveys received. Similarly, ongoing buy-in and
engagement from supervisors is important as they champion VMR on a weekly basis. A
mirrored scale, the Likert Scale Supervisor (Appendix N-1) will be sent via an email link to all
GenZ supervisors on a monthly basis for the first quarter to gauge involvement and support for
VMR. The Data Scientist will play a pivotal role in the data analytics of the registrations, pre-
post assessments, and Likert surveys utilizing SPSS software. The private and meaningful data
will evolve into action, which can then be paired with annual benefit claims to make educated
decisions about VMR and the mental health of the organization.
Stakeholder Involvement
Leveraging an innovative eye and with ample resources, an Entertainment Studio will be
commissioned for the initial pilot of Virtual Mindfulness Reality. Based on the Studio Flow
(Appendix O), the processes from inception to final completion of a full year, a human capital
strategy has been identified along with the responsible stakeholder within the organization. The
collective think tank will ensure all facets of the effectiveness of the processes are reviewed.
The management processes are aligned between the CEO and directs, where the majority of the
opinion leaders reside. The processes will then be communicated with the intention of aligning
priorities, goals and culture.
The specializations to accompany this innovation encompass four components as outlined
in Appendix P: CEO, CEO Direct Reports, Human Resources, Specialists or Generalists,
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Supervisors and DBT Social Worker. The CEO Direct Reports have expertise in managing the
innovation through modifications and into the approval stage, including funding. The CEO or
Chairman has the foresight as to where to expertly integrate the innovation into the overall
company goals for maximum utilization for employee holistic growth and also to leverage over
the competition in the business market. Focusing on the human aspect, an editor for Society for
Human Resource Management, Agovino (2019) showcased innovative corporations celebrating
mental health with transparency, open dialog and branding. A humane approach has shifted
corporate responsibility to immersive inclusion where executive leadership are forthright with
their personal therapy discussions, not as a publicity stunt but rather to illustrate that mental
illness does not discriminate based rank and file.
The expertise within the Human Resources division is where the bulk of the
specialization resides and will be the most diversified. A potential external change agent would
be Lifecare, a benefit vendor that can be tapped to partner with their connections in association
with the social media mental health campaign. The Specialists are heads of departments that will
facilitate a component of the innovation with ongoing input and feedback, as well as a sounding
board for supervisors. Just as pivotal of a stakeholder, are the GenZ supervisors, which will be
exposed to and acclimate with VR immersion. This will create a lens of empathy and support
into the GenZ’s experience of mindfulness that will garner acceptance of VMR, and afford the
GenZ the flexibility to take advantage of the new work break without criticism or stigma. The
supervisors are positioned with advocating for VMR and participating in quarterly feedback
through Likert scales. Each GenZ employee will be personally invited by their supervisor to
participate in the weekly VMR sessions, fostering approval and acceptance of the new work
break therapy. Improving the likelihood of continuous use of therapy is favorable with providing
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relevant data to support future funding. Spetch (2015) offers that by focusing on the
psychological welfare of the employee through internal corporate programs, the financial
benefits will be prominent and justifiable. Finally, and equally crucial, is the licensed, certified
DBT Social Worker providing the 20-minute sprint session of mindfulness techniques through
VMR. The DBT Social Worker will brief the GenZ of confidentiality, the use of VR and DBT,
and provide both the pre-post mental health assessments.
Communication Strategy
The human capital strategy to safeguard expertise and managing resources, VMR
requires an additional Organizational Development and Design Strategy found in Appendix Q,
which will communicate methodology, vision and logistics of the introduction of VMR in the
workplace. Included is a Mental Health Sensitivity Training that outlines opportunities to apply
emotional intelligence where each are aware of, in control of and able to express emotions
effectively, especially toward mental health stigma.
In addition, the Change Management Training (Appendix R) is a crucial strategy. This
strategy may be the hardest component as people are averse to change. According to
Steigenberger (2015), emotions toward change either have the ability to cripple one’s ability to
process what is occurring or enhance the experience with a beneficial outcome. The Change
Management strategy will provide opportunities for the supervisors and the GenZ to acclimate to
the new innovation in a healthy, non-stressful environment with continuous guidance. The
trainings are to assist with proper language around mental health and preparation for introducing
mental wellness as a prominent feature in the company culture. This will enhance the experience
of the innovation with clear direction, paving the way toward a successful mental wellness
program. The trainings will support the readiness for change not only as an organization, but for
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the members who facilitate and support the innovation of VMR. Based on Weiner (2020),
readiness for change can occur on varying levels from mandated by management with the least
amount of effectiveness or the collaborative effort of the members which is more likely to thrive
with informed expectations, identifying resistance and biases and a shared determination to
implement with the intent for longevity. In addition, assessing the culture and values of the
organization for continuous development, venturesome ideas and research toward a positive
working environment transforms resistance into successful change implementation, as described
by Douglas et al. (2017).
As digital natives, the scaled approach to communication will incorporate a social media
presence, leveraging their online presence as mental wellness currency afforded by the GenZ.
Reinikainen et al. (2020) describe the GenZ as leveraging their social media capital to raise
awareness for political disparities, social transformation and partnering with corporations in
discussions of global significance, which tie directly to VMR.
Problem of Practice
With the emergence of Covid-19 as a global pandemic, there is heightened uncertainty
due to the life-threatening pathogen, social distance measures to facilitate containment, working
from home and global closures, as specified by Fauci et al. (2020), which poses a challenge to
implement VMR. The ability to conduct, monitor and evaluate training sessions and VMR
therapeutic sessions may be thwarted, resulting in a shift in modality and implementation plan.
With the unprecedented occurrence of Covid-19, organizational linkages require flexibility to
pivot and provide programs in an innovative manner. Prasad et al. (2018) discuss the intricacies
of handling challenging business needs with supporting an enhanced bandwidth to accommodate
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virtual environments for a multitude of employee-based locations, without decreasing the
effectiveness of the corporate initiative.
With the current economic downturn, funding is a global concern due to Covid-19. Akin
to the great depression, Ruiz Estrada (2020) postulates there are two economic quandaries,
recession or depression which could stymie the growth of the global gross domestic product.
With fiscal pressures, the downturn of the economy would mirror the downturn of mental health
services, which is detrimental to the GenZ’s mental wellness with exacerbating stressors and
impeding therapy. The possibility of pivoting to a telehealth structure, fidelity monitoring and
protocols will need to be established to support the outcomes and modifications of VMR should
the need arise. Utilizing social media such as Instagram Video chat, or Zoom which is a
business standard, the DBT Social Worker would conduct the mindfulness therapy via video
conference. Spatial is an additional alternative that allows the GenZ and DBT Social Worker to
occupy the same space utilizing VR. Diligent follow-up and leadership championing would be
necessary to ensure VMR usage is maintained. Outside of a telehealth approach, which is not
ideal, VMR would need to be revamped into a new innovation, which would change the
landscape altogether.
Ethical Consideration
Integrating Harness Technology for Social Good in a corporate setting by addressing
mental wellness directly in the workplace and during work hours may feel like an ethical
infringement and question the parameters of corporate responsibility. In response to the
intrusion, executive leadership will speak with candor and transparency, while incorporating
trainings such as the Change Management and Sensitivity training to ensure all employees are
speaking the same unbiased and supportive language. Language that includes empathy, which is
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applied to business decisions and the methodology is forward facing to all employees. The
acceptance of VMR will rely on transparency, collaboration and training, and thoughtful
leadership, which requires looking inward first. Being in-tune with self-awareness, lends to
impactful leadership and the fostering of relationships as provided by Hougaard et al. (2018).
The transparency needed to create a culture of inclusion requires an organization that embraces
VMR as a valuable asset. This organization incorporates empathy with emotional intelligence in
a holistic approach to foster acceptance and growth both personally and professionally, as
described by Hillier (2020).
The underlying principles of confidentiality, integrity, competence, consensual
acknowledgment and respect of the NASW Code of Ethics (2021) remain the foundation in
which reside and will be administered within VMR. Virtual Mindfulness Reality will impact the
vision of the organization to embody all facets from social work standards, fiscal abundance,
innovative competitiveness, to employee empowerment and growth.
Conclusions, Actions and Implications
Project Plan
The employable Generation Z cohort aged 19-26 are digital natives who are entering the
workforce with a valuable skillset and generational traits that increase their contribution to an
employer while decreasing their personal mental wellness with stressors that prove to be fatal.
Straddling ingenuity with mental fatigue, it is essential for employers to anticipate and pioneer
an inventive corporate culture addressing the proclivities associated with the new GenZ
workforce. The technology and mental wellness components of Virtual Mindfulness Reality
speak directly to the ideals that are inherent in the GenZ. Hackl (2020) offers nine out of ten
CAPSTONE PROJECT FINAL PAPER 41
GenZ would opt to commit to an employer where trailblazing technology was at the forefront,
when compared to competing offers.
Employers within the entertainment industry flourish with bringing to fruition fanciful
ideas and grandiose economic margins, accompanied with an entrepreneurial mindset. The
entertainment industry fosters a culture of nonconventional bold ideas, which often complements
and blends the lines between work and life balance. This balance supports Morris’ (2018)
observations that GenZ employees are primarily seeking a positive daily work environment in
which to experience and find connection with their peers and leadership, thus altering the
corporate archetype between the employee and company dynamic and responsibility by
integrating a holistic approach influencing productivity. This new culture of wellbeing is
transformative and creative, creating a for-profit environment of inclusivity.
Corporate responsibility is a collective undertaking. The New York Times author, Brody
(2019) explores the responsibility of the community including how employers address the
suicidal youth crisis and the staggering suicide rates that have doubled in 2017, a rate that has
doubled within a decade’s time, becoming the second leading cause of death in the GenZ cohort
in 2019. Virtual Mindfulness Reality will pave the way to incur outcomes of 85% utilization
within the first year and 65% GenZ reduced suicidal ideation, which will be accomplished
through executive leadership championing in conjunction with the GenZ’s social impact mindset.
A mindset with ideals that Ayeh-Datey and Rule (2020) describe as community based, impactful,
creative and with high expectations. The longevity of such a socially opportune mindset coupled
with a bountiful and healthy minded company culture promises a lucrative and mentally sound
future workforce, with tremendous opportunity to scale.
Context of Practice
CAPSTONE PROJECT FINAL PAPER 42
As a for-profit innovation, VMR will be retailed to corporations where program fees will
strengthen profits and stimulate competitive prowess and spout accolades with viable
measurements of efficacy that prove to be advantageous as the newest business model of mental
wellness. The GenZ will enjoy and benefit from mindfulness therapy as a company-sponsored
benefit, similar to an EAP program; in addition VMR will be successfully scaled through the
competitive verve that entertainment studios exude.
Developed in the form of a Benefit Corporation, mental health in a corporate setting will
propel corporate responsibility toward social gains by including mental wellness as a business
practice to both attract and retain employees through a holistic approach within the company
culture. Entertainment’s innovative ideas are perfectly suited for VMR and can be leveraged as a
competitive advantage. VMR at scale offers inclusivity, providing the opportunity to be a part of
the new narrative of innovation and the pioneering of new workforce ideals that are focused both
on professional and mental growth.
Innovative Solution
Virtual Mindfulness Reality embodies the Grand Challenge of Harness Technology for
Social Good (Appendix S). VMR will partner the GenZ employee with executive leadership
within the entertainment industry to elevate employee mental resilience using technology and
evidence-based practice. As an employer, the opportunities are two-fold; they can tap into this
generation’s proclivity for technology which will strengthen the industry but also with a sense of
an evolving corporate responsibility, can broaden their business practices to include a holistic
approach toward their employee’s mental wellbeing.
CAPSTONE PROJECT FINAL PAPER 43
With continuous deliverables and the demands of the office, conducting therapy in the
workplace warrants a condensed session yet impactful to address stressors. With favorable
results toward an enhanced wellbeing, Navarro-Haro et al. (2017) conducted a small pilot group
to address DBT with concentrated efforts of tranquil mindfulness while incorporating VR to
enhance the multisensory environment. The VR and DBT sessions were compressed to fit into
the average workday, yet provided the impactful type of mindfulness therapy that has measured a
heighted sense of self and shown to result in decreased emotional feelings of sadness and
anxiety. Tebbett-Mock et al. (2019) conducted a psychiatric inpatient study over several months
of the evidence-based DBT for adolescents with suicidal attempts or exhibiting suicidal
tendencies. This study resulted in the decrease in attempts and rumination. Heyse et al. (2019)
offer that a tailor-made virtual environment has shown to enrich therapy that was focused on
relaxation. VMR mirrors this concept as VR affords the GenZ the advantage of selecting their
immersive, serene environment, offering a sense of control that can then be applied to daily
stressors.
Coupling Virtual Reality with evidence-based Dialectical Behavior Therapy will speak to
the GenZ cohort providing a medium that will be welcomed with ease and with weekly bursts of
utilization, mental resilience will be the healthy victor in place of suicide which is a collective
and long felt plague. The book Careers in Psychology, Why Virtual Reality (2020) offers a
wealth of historical and statistical knowledge in the advancement of VR and shows the promise
technology offers to the mental health industry, therapists and patients with mental illness.
Similarly, a promising article by Jones (2020) for RDSiiii, finds assurances in the GenZ cohort in
promoting mental health awareness through social media, whilst they continue to struggle with
economic and housing instability, as well as environmental stressors. With a shift in public
CAPSTONE PROJECT FINAL PAPER 44
discourse, prominent figures are exposing their own issues with mental instability, bringing to
light a subject that has since been laden with stigma. Where medication was once found to be
the catchall, mental health therapy using VR and meditation is making strides as the conduit to a
more fulfilled life with greater connections.
Limitations
With the uncertainty of a new innovation that requires change of behavior and culture,
therapy conducted in the workplace has the potential to invite skepticism toward privacy and
ethics and corporate responsibility dictates a proactive approach to incorporating these important
issues into company policies. Reamer (2018) describes the impact of social workers
incorporating technology into their practices as an enhanced evidence-based practice
incorporating ethical principles, licensure and a professional partnership bridging the gap
between the social and corporate environment, elevating the social work practice. With the vast
discoveries encompassing social data afforded through technology, Fong et al. (2018) offer that
technology has eluded the social work profession, which presents opportunity for partnership and
innovative ideals when technology constructed through a social worker’s lens qualifies the data
with empathy and ethical responsibility, thus becoming vital in the facilitation of data collection,
mining and privacy.
Addressing unintended consequences, multi-generational rollout to all employees will
ultimately occur which will require alternate technology such as VR screens that do not require
goggles. It is acknowledged that varying generations may have divergent thoughts toward
technology, and mental health service providers such as the EAP will run concurrent for a period
of acclimation. This may pose as a limitation with the burdening costs of the EAP concurrent
CAPSTONE PROJECT FINAL PAPER 45
with VMR, irrespective of the information stated by McRee above where EAP services are not
regularly utilized.
Prototype Ready
Anticipating various types of learners and eventually generations, three prototypes will be
utilized with VMR. The first is the visual storyboard that provides illustrations of the
comprehensive process. The next is for the academic that consists of a DBT, 24-week
curriculum. The sessions open with a mindfulness exercise and then a review and practice of the
DBT component. With a yearlong pilot, repetition of the curriculum is an effective learning
strategy to increase exposure and rehearsal. Last is the learn from teaching method of a 2 to 3
minute video of the DBT and VR session, where the immersive setting is visible within and the
DBT Social Worker engages in a mindfulness practice. All of which can work independently, or
in unison to be shared with the GenZ, stakeholders, and for scaling purposes with investors.
As a yearlong pilot, by design the sessions will be repeated in any order, affording
varying practices that will enhance and reinforce the mindfulness strategies which is highly
recommended. Repeating the curriculum is an effective learning strategy as it increases
exposure and rehearsal. With mental wellness as a weekly core function of the workday,
positive emotions and reflections will combat against stressors and lesson feelings of suicide and
suicidal ideations within the GenZ.
Advancing Next Steps
Scaling VMR will require a successful pilot within an entertainment studio. VMR will
offer the studio a competitive edge with the use of innovative technology to attract, retain and
promote employee wellness. As a pilot, VMR will commence with a Letter of Agreement
CAPSTONE PROJECT FINAL PAPER 46
(Appendix T) to the executive leadership of the piloting studio where VMR’s origins, theory and
methodology will be offered. The piloting year will align stakeholder partnership, allowing for
modifications and pivots while maintaining the integrity of the vision and curriculum. VMR is
the future for employee development that creates a vital, healthy workforce. Studios will elevate
their business models to include VMR the following two to five years with the efforts of the
GenZ; it will successfully include social media campaign and championing of executive
leadership. The long term scale of VMR will consist of integrating VMR into all entertainment
studios, production houses and the like and ultimately broadening to include the transient
workforce where employee benefits are scant.
VMR offers a sustainable partnership, successfully incorporating dynamic therapy in the
workplace, thus elevating and transforming workplace culture and corporate responsibility. In
preparation for the imminent, Gayle (2019) offers with the shift in the workforce due to the
retirement of Baby Boomers, the GenZ are versatile, quick studies to fill those gaps, and leaders
shaping the new future of the corporate climate. In unison, Taleb (2020) describes the Black
Swan with carrying an “extraordinary cumulative effect,” (p. xxv111), directly correlating to the
phenomenon of the GenZ as an “once-in-a-generation opportunity to grow with and lock the
huge potential of a new generation as they are poised to shape our shared future,” as offered by
Dorsey (2021). With the collaboration of the Generation Z employee, this is the opportune time
to innovate, lead and solve with Virtual Mindfulness Reality.

CAPSTONE PROJECT FINAL PAPER 47
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Appendix
Appendix A – Infographic

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Appendix B – Logic Model

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Appendix C – Storyboard Prototype
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Appendix D – Capstone Interviews

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Appendix E – DBT Curriculum Prototype

Virtual Mindfulness Reality
Curriculum

Create by: Janice Gastelum, MSW, MSG, DSW
and Chelsea Kuehl, MA, CATC-IV, LMFT

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Table of Contents
Introduction …………………………………………………………….. 3

Mindfulness Practices …………………………………………………………….. 4
Session 1 (20-minutes) …………………………………………………………….. 5
Session 2 (20-minutes) …………………………………………………………….. 5
Session 3 (20-minutes) …………………………………………………………….. 5
Session 4 (20-minutes) …………………………………………………………….. 6
Session 5 (20-minutes) …………………………………………………………….. 6
Session 6 (20-minutes) …………………………………………………………….. 6
Session 7 (20-minutes) …………………………………………………………….. 6
Session 8 (20-minutes) …………………………………………………………….. 7
Session 9 (20-minutes) …………………………………………………………….. 7
Session 10 (20-minutes) …………………………………………………………….. 7
Session 11 (20-minutes) …………………………………………………………….. 8
Session 12 (20-minutes) …………………………………………………………….. 8
Session 13 (20-minutes) …………………………………………………………….. 8
Session 14 (20-minutes) …………………………………………………………….. 8
Session 15 (20-minutes) …………………………………………………………….. 9
Session 16 (20-minutes) …………………………………………………………….. 9
Session 17 (20-minutes) …………………………………………………………….. 9
Session 18 (20-minutes) …………………………………………………………….. 9
Session 19 (20-minutes) …………………………………………………………….. 10
Session 20 (20-minutes) …………………………………………………………….. 10
Session 21 (20-minutes) …………………………………………………………….. 10
Session 22 (20-minutes) …………………………………………………………….. 11
Session 23 (20-minutes) …………………………………………………………….. 11
Session 24 (20-minutes) …………………………………………………………….. 11

Future State …………………………………………………………….. 12
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Introduction

Orientation to Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Informed Approach,
and Virtual Mindfulness Reality

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an evidenced based-practice that in its conception
was designed to treat individuals with borderline personality disorder who engage in suicidal and
para-suicidal behaviors. The goal of DBT is to help individuals develop a life worth living.
Individuals who are appropriate for this intervention struggle with emotion dysregulation (poor
ability to manage emotional responses) as a core issue. In general, individuals with borderline
personality disorder tend to have a high emotional sensitivity, a slow return to emotional baseline
(when they get upset, they stay upset for longer periods of time), impulsivity, and have a history
of invalidation in their social environment. DBT is a skills deficit model with roots in
behaviorism, dialectical philosophy, and Zen Buddhism. DBT focuses on the acquisition and
implementation of skills that are broken down into four modules: core mindfulness, interpersonal
effectiveness, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance skills. DBT conceptualizes mindfulness
as a core skill as it informs the use of all other skill modules. For example, in order for an
individual to effectively apply skills they must be able to differentiate if they are experiencing
distress or manageable, yet difficult, emotions.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy can be administered in a variety of ways. Comprehensive
DBT is the language used to describe treatment settings in which fidelity to the DBT model is
maintained through participation in individual therapy with a DBT therapist, DBT skills training,
in-between session phone coaching in order to assist in skills application and generalization,
behavior and skills use tracking, along with providers of DBT participation in a consultation
team in order to ensure fidelity to the DBT model. In comprehensive DBT treatment settings,
treatment occurs over the course of a year. Many treatment providers have recognized the utility
of incorporating DBT and have begun integrating components of DBT, such as skills training
into existing treatment paradigms. This approach is referred to as DBT informed.

The innovation described in this curriculum through Virtual Mindfulness Reality (VMR)
is a DBT informed approach that combines the use of brief and experiential skills training
through Virtual Reality (VR). This DBT informed approach is structured as a DBT light
program. Participants will be oriented to the VR immersive setting, then over the course of the
session be exposed to skills training and practice from core mindfulness, distress tolerance, and
emotion regulation modules. The goal of this innovation is to empower participants through
mindfulness skills development in order to successfully navigate their professional and personal
lives through enhancing their mental health.
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Mindfulness Practices

With each 20-minute VMR session, the participant will engage in a 3 to 5 minute
mindfulness practice. The various types of mindfulness practices include but are not limited to
the following:

• Mindfully engaging the senses - mindful eating, watching, smelling, touching, grounding
• Practicing mindfulness meditation - loving kindness meditation, observing the breath
• Listening to a song and focusing on one element - focusing on the piano, noticing
distractions, coming back to the piano
• Responding to mindful current thoughts – DBT therapist says one word at a time (ex:
career, economics, mental health) and participant observes the thought that arises after
hearing each word
• Practicing specific skills - using part of the IMPROVE skill with practicing imagery or
relaxation
• Engaging in observations within each session
• Observing Your Hand - looking for judgments or distractions
• Applying a body scan
• Practicing paced breathing
• Practicing muscle relaxation

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Session Descriptions

Session 1: Orientation to Innovation (20-minute session)
In this session participants are introduced to the goals of this DBT informed virtual
reality innovation, dialectics (two opposite or different truths and the main dialect of DBT-
acceptance and change), and provided a brief overview of content that will be provided over the
course of the innovation.

Session 2: Core Mindfulness (20-minute session)
In this session, participants will be engaged in a mindfulness practice (3-5 minutes); they
will be provided with a working definition of mindfulness and given examples of mindfulness
practice. The practices covered include, meditation, contemplative prayer as mindfulness (rooted
in eastern practices), and mindful movement such as yoga or Tai Chi. Following this
introduction two different sets of mindfulness skills will be introduced: Mindfulness “what” and
“how” skills. Mindfulness “what” skills are what participants are practicing when they use
mindfulness. These skills are observing, describing, and participating. Ultimately, the goal is
for participants to participate in their life fully. The mindfulness “how” skills are how
participants are encouraged to practice mindfulness. These skills are non-judgmentally and one-
mindedly. An example of how the “what” and “how” skills would be used together could be to
non-judgmentally describe their experience that they observed through their senses. They could
also effectively describe an experience by focusing on just describing the situation. Or they
could one-mindfully participate in their life. This would mean focusing on one thing at a time in
order to be effective in meeting a goal such as meeting a deadline, practicing skills, or
participating in this intervention without distractions of what they need to do later in the day,
what happened earlier, or thinking about worries, etc.

Session 3: Mindfulness What Skills (20-minute session)
In this session participants will be engaged in a mindfulness practice (3-5 minutes) and
will receive an overview of mindfulness “what” skills: observe, describe, and participate. The
“what” skills are what the participant will be doing in mindfulness. Participants will then be
engaged in a brief practice of skills covered in this session. They will then be oriented to content
to be covered in the next session: mindfulness “how” skills.

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Session 4: Mindfulness How Skills (20-minute session)
In this session participants will be engaged in a mindfulness practice (3-5 minutes) and
will receive a brief review of skills covered in the last session. Participants will then receive an
overview of mindfulness “how” skills: non-judgmentally, one-mindfully, and effectively.
Participants will be engaged in a brief practice of this skill and orientation of content to be
covered in the next session.

Session 5: Mindfulness Loving Kindness Practice (20-minute session)
In this session participants will receive a brief overview of content covered in the last
session and be oriented to Loving Kindness which is a meditation practice used as a practice to
cultivate positive emotions towards self, others, and emotions. Participants will be engaged in a
loving kindness meditation (approximately 10 minutes), then oriented to content to be covered in
the next session.

Session 6: Mindfulness Overview and Integration (20-minute session)
In this session participants will be engaged in a mindfulness practice (3-5 minutes),
reviews content covered in the previous session and then gives a demonstration of how to
integrate the skills. An example of the mindfulness demonstration consists of showing a person
at work who is struggling to focus because they have other stressors going on and then model the
skills by the individual narrating and observing their distraction, and practicing non-judgmental
stance about their distraction. The main point of this session is to remember the skill of being
effective which could be to focus on their work, so they choose to use one-mindfully to focus on
the task of work and gently, yet consistently noticing their distractions as they come up, and
refocusing on work, again and again. Participants will then be oriented to content to be covered
in the next session.

Session 7: Orientation to Distress Tolerance (20-minute session)
In this session participants will be engaged in a brief mindfulness practice (3-5 minutes)
then provided an orientation to distress tolerance. Participants learn distress tolerance, distress,
crisis, pain versus suffering, and the goal of developing the ability to accept and tolerate reality,
without placing demands on that reality to be different. Participants will be introduced to the
concept of acceptance as the path from intolerable suffering to tolerable pain, with the possibility
of moving forward (and ultimately change). Participants will then be oriented to content to be
covered in the next session.

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Session 8: Crisis Survival Skills Part 1 (20-minute session)
In this session participants engage in a brief mindfulness practice (3-5 minutes) then
participants will receive a brief overview of nervous system responses to distress in order to
normalize experiences and facilitate investment in learning/implementing skills to regulate
nervous system responses. Participants will receive an overview of skills to change their
physiology (using temperature, exercise, breathing, and muscle relaxation). Participants will
then be engaged in the practice of 1 skill then oriented to content to be covered in next session.

Session 9: Crisis Survival Skills Part 2 (20-minute session)
In this session participants will receive a brief overview of ways to self-soothe and
ground themselves when in distress. Grounding is a skill that is taught to bring individuals back
to the present moment when they are distracted, distressed, or overwhelmed. Participants can
participate in this practice by noticing what is observable through their senses in the moment.
This could mean focusing on the sensation of their feet on the ground, if they are sitting- the
sensation of being supported by a chair or sofa, noticing what they can see around them, hear,
taste, touch, smell. Often, grounding is done by noticing 5 things they can see, 4 things they can
touch, 3 things they can hear, 2 things they can smell, and 1 thing they can touch. How
individuals participate in grounding skills will be affected by their preferences and what senses
are most effective at assisting them to return to the present moment. Participants will be
engaged in self-soothe practice. An example of a self-soothe practice could be to gaze at a photo
of something they find comforting or soothing such as a beloved animal, place, or person. It
could also be listening to soothing music, smelling something soothing, or by engaging touch.
Participants will then be oriented to content to be covered in the next session.

Session 10: Crisis Survival Skills Part 3 (20-minute session)
In this session participants will be engaged in a brief mindfulness practice (3-5 minutes)
and then will receive an overview of skills aimed at changing their cognitive appraisal of
themselves, the situation or fact of reality. In a DBT informed approached, this would be done
by utilizing the IMPROVE skill, which is an acronym for imagery, meaning making, prayer,
relaxation, focusing on one thing in the moment, taking a brief vacation, and using encouraging
self-talk. Participants will be engaged in a brief practice then oriented to content to be covered in
the following session.

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Session 11: Reality Acceptance Skills Part 1 (20-minute session)
In this session participants will receive an overview of the reasons to accept reality (for
example rejecting reality does not change reality, rejecting reality leads to ineffective behaviors
and keeps people stuck in emotional suffering) and strategies aimed at increasing ability to
accept reality as it is through using the body/facial posture. These skills function as bottom-up
approaches. A bottom-up approach engages the body to change the emotional/mental experience
a person is having rather than using a top-down approach, which seeks to change the experience
through changing cognition. Bottom-up approaches are effective interventions because they
utilize the bi-directional nature of the body affecting the emotional and mental experience. An
example of these skills includes using the muscles in the face to increase acceptance by
participating in a half-smile. A half-smile is a slight upturn of the lips. Another practice would
be to use the skill, willing-hands. Participants will then be engaged in practice of using the body
to increase acceptance and receive orientation to content to be covered in next session.

Session 12: Reality Acceptance Skills Part 2 (20-minute session)
In this session participants will participate in a mindfulness practice (3-5 minutes) and
receive a brief overview of the skill: turning the mind, in which participants learn how to make
an inner commitment to choosing acceptance of reality over rejecting reality. Participants would
create an example of what they would need to accept, and then focus on imagining a fork in the
road between accepting and rejecting. Participants will then be oriented to content to be covered
in the next session.

Session 13: Reality Acceptance Skills Part 3 (20-minute session)
In this session participants will participate in a mindfulness practice (3-5 minutes) and
receive a brief overview of the skill: radical acceptance, in which participants learn what it
means to radically accept what has to be accepted, reasons for accepting reality, what radical
acceptance is not, and how to radically accept. Participants will then be oriented to content to be
covered in the next session.

Session 14: Reality Acceptance Skills Part 4 (20-minute session)
In this session participants will receive an overview of the skill: mindfulness to current
thought and be engaged in the practice of the skill. Mindfulness to current thought is a skill that
focuses on observing a thought, without analyzing it, without necessarily acting on it, reminding
self that a thought is just a thought (or neurons firing in the brain) and allowing it to pass.
Participants will then be oriented to content to be covered in next session.
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Session 15: Distress Tolerance Overview and Integration (20-minute session)
In this session participants will be engaged in a mindfulness practice (3-5 minutes),
including a review of content covered up to this session and a demonstration of how to integrate
the skills. An example is a person getting upset about an interaction, feeling overwhelmed,
having an urge to act on the emotion, noticing their experience of being overwhelmed, and
choosing to implement one or more of the above mentioned skills (ex. IMPROVE, self-soothe,
grounding, changing physiology). Participants will then be oriented to content to be covered in
the next session.

Session 16: Emotion Regulation Orientation (20-minute session)
In this session participants will be engaged in a mindfulness practice (3-5 minutes) and
receive an orientation to emotion regulation. Participants will be oriented through education on
emotions as serving a function, as a physiological experience, and myths about emotions (for
example, there is a right way to feel about a situation, having or expressing emotions is a sign of
weakness, etc). Participants will then be oriented to content to be covered in the next session.

Session 17: Emotions as a Physical Experience (20-minute session)
In this session participants will receive an overview of the physical experience of
emotion by learning common experiences of emotion in the body and language to describe the
sensation of emotion. Participants will then receive an overview of the mindfulness practice:
body scan and engage in practice of the skill. A body scan is a practice that engages participants
in intentionally focusing on noticing their physical experience. Participants will then be oriented
to content to be covered in the next session.

Session 18: Attending to Physical Health as Part of Mental Health (20-minute session)
In this session participants will be engaged in a mindfulness practice (3-5 minutes) and
then introduced to how body awareness is related to mindfulness. Participants will receive
education on the need to attend to physical illness, participate in exercise, avoid or reduce
substance use, attend to sleep needs, and a balanced diet. Participants will receive education on
how substance use can intensify emotional experiences such as sadness or depression, anxiety,
and increase risk for behaviors that may bring painful consequences or be impulsive in nature.
Participants will then be oriented to content to be covered in the next session.

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Session 19: Building Emotional Resilience (20-minute session)
In this session participants will be engaged in a mindfulness practice (3-5) and then
receive an overview of how emotional resilience is developed. This session will cover emotional
resiliency as including activities that could serve as an opportunity for positive emotions (for
example spending time participating in hobbies.) Participants are instructed to choose these
experiences mindfully; they should ignore thoughts about when the positive experience will end,
if the participant is deserving of the experience, or if more will be expected of them for having
participated in it. This session also covers how it is important for participants to engage in
activities that can function as an opportunity to build mastery in order to combat feelings of
helplessness and hopelessness. To overcome these feelings, individuals need to recognize the
feelings and participate in an activity that challenges them in an activity which builds mastery.
Individuals will then increase the level of the challenge, as their skills in an activity improve. An
example of this for individuals who do not participate in exercise regularly could be to challenge
themselves to start walking 15 minutes a day until they successfully can participate in that level
of exercise, regularly. Overtime, the individual could then focus on increasing the challenge by
increasing the intensity of the exercise by increasing the time, stamina or endurance required.
Finally, it will include an overview of the importance of coping ahead of time for stressful
situations. Participants will receive an orientation to content to be covered in the next session.

Session 20: Understanding Emotion and Checking the Facts (20-minute session)
In this session participants will be engaged in a mindfulness practice (3-5 minutes) and
receive an overview of how all emotions serve a function (motivate and organize action,
communicate and influence others, function as a cue). Participants will receive a brief overview
of how actions are responses to specific emotions, and they will learn if these emotions are
justified by the facts of reality (utilizing observe and describe skills from mindfulness).
Participants will then receive an orientation to content to be covered in next session.

Session 21: Changing Emotions and Responses (20-minute session)
In this session participants will be engaged in a mindfulness practice (3-5 minutes) and
receive a brief review of content covered in session 20. Participants will receive an overview of
the skill: opposite action. Opposite Action is a skill used to change emotion when the emotion is
not justified, a change in emotional experience is desired, or acting on the emotion is not
effective for the participant’s goals. Participants will then receive an orientation to content to be
covered in next session.

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Session 22: Reducing Emotional Suffering Part 1 (20-minute session)
In this session participants will participate in a mindfulness practice (3-5 minutes) and
will receive a brief overview of how allowing or accepting emotions is a way to reduce
emotional suffering. Participants will receive education on how rumination is often an effort to
avoid emotional experiencing or regulate emotion, through thought that results in emotional
suffering and prolonging of the experience. Participants will then receive an orientation to
content to be covered in next session.

Session 23: Reducing Emotional Suffering Part 2 (20-minute session)
In this session participants will be engaged in a mindfulness practice (3-5 minutes) and
receive a brief overview of how allowing or accepting emotions is a way to reduce emotional
suffering. Participants will receive an overview of the skill: mindfulness to current emotion
which is a skill that places emphasis on allowing emotion, experiencing the emotion in the body,
and having a non-judgmental stance on the emotional experiencing. This skill will be presented
as one way to solve the problem, by allowing the emotion to be experienced without avoiding it
or placing demands on it to be different, without acting on it, and observing the physical
sensation of emotion as it rises and falls in intensity, before it passes. Participants will then
receive an orientation to the content to be covered in the next session.

Session 24: Emotion Regulation Review and Integration (20-minute session)
In this session participants will be engaged in a mindfulness practice (3-5 minutes),
review of content covered up to this session and receive a demonstration of how to integrate the
skills based on the participant’s preference.

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Future State

At the conclusion of the 24-week sessions, repeating the curriculum is an effective
learning strategy as it increases exposure and rehearsal. In comprehensive DBT, individuals
participate in 2 rounds of skills training that are 6 months in length. Revisiting skills is
individual and situation specific, and dependent on the need. The skills are building blocks and
interdependent.

Mindfulness is effective for individuals due to its focus on controlling attention,
increasing happiness, decreasing suffering, and maintaining goals, etc. Mindfulness informs
other use of skills from different modules (for example, emotion regulation). Emotion
regulation focuses on reducing vulnerability through tending to self-care/resiliency/body, teaches
individuals how to change emotions that may interfere with their overall goals effectiveness and
to reduce rumination or anxiety. The value of normalizing emotions (checking the facts), makes
it easier to be effective. Distress tolerance teaches skills to downregulate the nervous system
responses, enables individuals to have alternatives to acting on distress urges which can change
so much for individuals (for example, not impulsively quitting the job when upset, coming to
accept pieces of the job that are difficult; basically not making hard situations worse).
Individuals struggle because they do not want to make contact with reality—because reality can
be painful—so instead they avoid it and it causes more problems, or suffering. Individuals also
can be afraid to do what would be helpful because they have fear about emotional experiencing
in general. This requires normalization and a reinforced purpose so individuals actually address
causes for mental health or implement problem-solving skills that they may not otherwise want
to because it might mean having to have difficult conversations, respecting limits, etc.

Overall DBT is about building a life worth living and acknowledging that there are going
to be pieces of life that are not problems to be solved, instead realities to be accepted so that
individuals can suffer less and build a life that they want, given the limitation of reality.

This year-long pilot of Virtual Mindfulness Reality will be presented in 24 sessions and
repeated in any order, affording varying practices that will enhance and reinforce the
mindfulness strategies which is highly recommended. With mental wellness as a weekly core
function of the workday, positive emotions and reflections will combat against stressors and
lessen feelings of suicide and suicidal ideations within the participants.

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Appendix F – VMR Capstone Video
Enjoy the experience of VMR - https://youtu.be/qJiL83U--iw

Appendix G – Implementation Plan

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Appendix H – Gantt Chart

Appendix H-1 – Gantt Chart Timeline

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Appendix I – EPIS Framework

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Appendix J – Start Up Budget

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Appendix J-1 – First Full Year Budget

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Appendix K – Measurement PHQ-2

https://www.hiv.uw.edu/page/mental-health-screening/phq-2

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Appendix L – Measurement CD-RISC-2
Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale CD-RISC-2

https://positivepsychology.com/connor-davidson-brief-resilience-scale/

Appendix M – Quantitative and Qualitative Measures

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Appendix N – Likert Scale GenZ

Appendix N-1 – Likert Scale Supervisor

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Appendix O – Studio Flow

Appendix P – Specializations

CAPSTONE PROJECT FINAL PAPER 94
Appendix Q – Strategies

CAPSTONE PROJECT FINAL PAPER 95
Appendix R – Change Management

CAPSTONE PROJECT FINAL PAPER 96

CAPSTONE PROJECT FINAL PAPER 97

CAPSTONE PROJECT FINAL PAPER 98
Appendix S – What Where How

CAPSTONE PROJECT FINAL PAPER 99
Appendix T – Letter of Agreement

Letter of Agreement
Between
Virtual Mindfulness Reality
and
Confidential Entertainment Studio

This Letter of Agreement (LOA) sets forth the understanding between Virtual Mindfulness
Reality (VMR) and Confidential Entertainment Studio (CES) to promote mental wellness, train
and facilitate and partner together on behalf of all Generation Z (GenZ) employees.

Background
The vision of the innovative Virtual Mindfulness Reality capstone is to incorporate an employer
sponsored mental health wellness program utilizing Virtual Reality (VR) technology and
evidence-based Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) into a weekly 20-minute sprint work break
as a preventative measure toward increasing mental resilience and decreasing depression, anxiety
and suicidal tendencies which are prevalent in the Generation Z cohort.

Purpose

Virtual Mindfulness Reality will ensure the following:
• That VMR will provide one-time trainings to be developed with internal legal to be
personalized to the culture and business objectives:
o Change Management
o Mental Health Sensitivity
o VR Immersion
• That VMR will provide a licensed Social Worker certified in DBT to conduct the 20-
minute sprint work break sessions lending integrity, validity and efficacy to the program
VIRTUAL MINDFULNESS REALITY
CAPSTONE PROJECT FINAL PAPER 100
• That VMR curriculum will consist of 24-weeks of DBT and VR sessions, which are
designed to be repeated in any order, and affords varying practices that will enhance and
reinforce the mindfulness strategies
• That the VR Immersion will provide supervisors a glance into the GenZ serene
immersive experience, championing advocating the utilization of VMR during the
workday, alongside deliverables.
• That VMR will offer a mixed method of quantitative and qualitative measures regularly,
providing insight into the GenZ’s mental health
• That VMR will utilize the GenZ’s social media capital to launch a mental resilience
marketing campaign promoting advocacy, self-awareness and transparency toward
breaking down social norms
• That VMR will assist with broadening corporate responsibility to include mental health
awareness and resources, in order to destigmatize mental health
• That VMR in a corporate setting will propel corporate responsibility toward social gains
by including mental wellness as a standard business practice to attract, promote and retain
employees through a holistic approach within the company culture

Confidential Entertainment Studio will ensure the following:
• That CES will reimagine the corporate work break to include bursts of VMR, resulting in
mental strength and confidence
• That CES will provide a private office space in a secure location
• That CES executive leadership and stakeholders will speak with candor and transparency
through VMR trainings to ensure all employees are speaking the same unbiased and
supportive language
• That CES will foster a new culture of mental wellbeing, creating a for-profit environment
of inclusivity

Funding
This LOA has no funding requirement at this time as VMR will be piloted at the CES.

Duration
As a yearlong pilot, VMR will be housed on-site at the CES and available during studio working
hours.

VMR Marketing Video
Enjoy the experience of VMR - https://youtu.be/qJiL83U--iw

CAPSTONE PROJECT FINAL PAPER 101
Virtual Mindfulness Reality offers a sustainable partnership, successfully incorporating dynamic
therapy in the workplace thus elevating and transforming workplace culture and corporate
responsibility.

I look forward to and welcome the partnership between Virtual Mindfulness and Confidential
Entertainment Studio.

Janice Gastelum
Virtual Mindfulness Reality
Founder

Abstract (if available)

Abstract The vision of the innovative Virtual Mindfulness Reality (VMR) capstone is to incorporate an employer-sponsored mental health wellness therapy utilizing Virtual Reality (VR) technology and evidence-based Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) into the daily work break. VMR is a preventative measure to increase mental resilience and to decrease depression, anxiety and suicidal tendencies which are prevalent in the Generation Z (GenZ) cohort. The introduction of comingling VR and DBT in a new corporate arena is steeped in theory yet without steadfast guidelines. ❧ Virtual reality therapy is far reaching and although an unpredicted, avant-garde partnership between corporations and social workers it provides the opportunity to be the catalysts for a groundbreaking business model elevating the social work status within the corporate environment. Within The Grand Challenge of Harness Technology for Social Good, intertwining technology with social work practices will prove to profoundly alter and revolutionize the social work arena, as stated in the Grand Challenges 5 Year Impact Report (2021). Leveraging an innovative eye and lucrative coffers, the entertainment industry will be commissioned for the yearlong pilot of Virtual Mindfulness Reality, which will garner accolades, a competitive advantage and provide ample room for scale.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Gastelum, Janice Christe (author)

Core Title Virtual Mindfulness Reality (VMR)

School Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work

Degree Doctor of Social Work

Degree Program Social Work

Degree Conferral Date 2021-05

Publication Date 02/23/2022

Defense Date 04/15/2021

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag anxiety,corporate social work,DBT,Depression,Generation Z,GenZ,grand challenge,Harness Technology for Social Good,Mental Health,mental resilience,OAI-PMH Harvest,Suicide,Virtual Mindfulness Reality,virtual reality,VMR, Dialectical Behavior Therapy,VR,wellness therapy,work break

Format application/pdf (imt)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Araque, Juan Carlos (committee chair)

Creator Email jgaste05@gmail.com,jgastelu@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-oUC110760035

Unique identifier UC110760035

Legacy Identifier etd-GastelumJa-10401

Document Type Capstone project

Format application/pdf (imt)

Rights Gastelum, Janice Christe

Type texts

Source 20220223-usctheses-batch-913 (batch), University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

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Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA

Repository Email cisadmin@lib.usc.edu