Behavioral health plays a vital role in personal, academic, and professional success. Personal strengths are important behavioral health factors but can erode from ongoing stress and adversity. Unfortunately, most individuals are not fully aware of their behavioral health status, nor can they recognize when their personal strengths start to erode.

Terrace Metrics is founded on the principle that personal change comes from collective knowledge. Among adults, Terrace Metrics allows individuals to quickly measure, manage, and monitor their own behavioral health status. Using a highly confidential, highly secure online platform, they can compare their results against thousands of other adults who have completed the same measures.

Terrace Metrics has been used in hundreds of workplaces, school districts and schools, and institutions of higher education across the United States. Its fast, empirically-valid, and easy to use online tool assesses the strongest predictors of interpersonal and intrapersonal functioning. These results are accompanied by empirically-based and easy to use curricula for improvement or intervention (where necessary).

How long is this assessment?

For adults, 95% will complete the assessment in 10 minutes.  For youth ages 17 and younger, most will complete it in 15 minutes.

When are the results available?

Immediately. Adults will have their results presented online right after they complete the assessment.

For youth, members of a school’s response team (counselors, social workers, school psychologists, nurses) will be able to retrieve each student’s report immediately after the student has completed the assessment.

Regardless of age, the assessment can be translated immediately into different languages, and slow/poor readers can select the voice-to-text option and have the items and scoring options read to them.

 

How can I be sure this is confidential and secure?

For workplaces, employers must first sign an agreement that they will not receive individualized information. Only the employee has access to their data. Terrace Metrics complies with all HIPAA standards; it does have access to personalized information.  Terrace Metrics does not sell any information to third-party vendors.

For higher education, only the student has access to their data.  However, should a student self-endorse high distress, a monitor identified by the institution will reach out to ensure the student is aware of campus/community resources.

For schools, Terrace Metrics complies with all FERPA standards.  Only a school’s response team has access to individual data (Terrace Metrics cannot see student-level data).

The Terrace Metrics software meets all cybersecurity standards, including ISO 27001 and General Data Protection Regulation regulations. Terrace Metrics does not collect or store payment information in its system.

Do I have to be identified?

No. The software has the flexibility to administer the indicators without self-identification. For adults, only the email (to send the assessment) is necessary.

For schools, anonymous administration is an option when first using the system. The de-identified data give the district a better understanding of the collective needs of their students. Districts then use this data to determine which community partnerships and resources should be established, prior to using the Terrace Metrics software as designed.

 

Do I have to be on site to complete the assessment?

No. Adults are free to complete the online assessment anytime, anywhere, anyplace. The assessment can be completed using a desktop, laptop, digital tablet, or smart phone. The Terrace Metrics software is compatible with virtually all browsers.

For schools, the system is quite flexible and can be used with students who receive home schooling, remote learning, or during times when school is not in session. The remote administration process is easy to implement and to monitor.

Who determines the indicators on the assessment?

For workplaces and higher education, the employer/campus administrator will choose the indicators.  These indicators can be customized for each department/student population as well.

Likewise, school districts and schools select the indicators they want administered. These indicators can vary for each school.

Do the indicators have norms and scoring options?

Yes. All indicators are validated at the appropriate ages (8-18+) and have norms. No indicator is incorporated in the assessment unless it has strong psychometric evidence (including high reliability, temporal stability, and construct validity). Virtually all indicators are supported by at least three peer-reviewed publications. Scoring options are readily understood by all users regardless of age.

What are some examples of items that are administered?

The assessment provides information on key indicators of behavioral health. It is never designed to diagnose. Thus, the items are not intrusive and do not probe too deeply. Here are some examples of items that are used for ages 12-18+

Global Satisfaction (i.e., happiness)

• I have a good life
• My life is just right

Hope

• When I have a problem, I can come up with lots of ways to solve it

Leadership

• Peers come to me to discuss their problems
• When I see someone doing something nice, I will compliment them

Ostracism

• Others treat me as if I am invisible
• Others invite me to join them for activities or events

Self-Criticism

• I have a hard time accepting mistakes

Trauma Screener

• [in past month] tried hard not to think about the event(s) or went out of your way to avoid situations that reminded you of the event(s)?

Anxiety

• Worrying too much about different things

Are the videos and comprehensive curriculum part of the package?

Yes. Each indicator on the report has accompanying videos. For adults, there is also a self-guided curriculum attached to each resiliency indicator.  This allows users to improve their own behavioral health.

For schools, educators and adults have access to videos, which provide empirically-based suggestions on steps to increase a specific resiliency score, and decrease or address a specific risk score. Further, a curriculum is directly tied to the assessment, which is appropriate for use at the Tier I and Tier 2 levels. Schools use the assessment to identify areas of strength, as well as areas that are relatively low.  They then can use specific curriculum modules as a school-wide, classroom-wide or small-group intervention plan to promote these areas.

Is there someone from Terrace Metrics who can help with questions?

Yes. Terrace Metrics is available for questions and consultation at any time between 8:00am and 9.:00pm, EST.  These conversations can occur by secured internet webservices, telephone, text, or even in person.  Please see the “Contact Us” option for more information.

What is the system not designed to do?   

Diagnose. The assessment is never meant to replace more intensive diagnostic procedures commonly provided in clinics, hospitals, or community agencies.  Data from the assessment is meant to inform the user or parents on areas of strength and areas that may need attention. Adults or parents are can take this information and either address it themselves or share the results with a specialist for the purpose of starting important conversations on next steps.

Who owns the identified data?

Adults own their personalized data. School districts also own their personalized data.  Terrace Metrics will never release or sell identified or deidentified data to third-party businesses. This is clearly written in our user agreement.

Terrace Metrics was created by licensed psychologists, educators, and experts in behavioral health, social-emotional learning, and curriculum development. The system was designed by the co-founders, Dr. Rich Gilman and Dr. Kathleen Chard, because there was no comprehensive behavioral health assessment system that was affordable, valid, easy to use, and could identify the strengths and needs of individuals from ages 8 through adult, over time.  Click here to see their biographies. Drs. Gilman and Chard head a team of licensed mental health professionals (including social workers, counselors, and psychologists) who have vast experience working in schools.

Terrace Metrics has a strong executive team, with each member having years of experience heading national and international projects for large companies (revenues in excess of $10b) or have served in major government positions. Both the Director of Operations and Director of Development have a dedicated support staff under them. Terrace Metrics also has inhouse and contracted legal compliance officers to its software meets the stringent U.S. data security measures (including HIPAA and FERPA compliance), as well as the even more stringent European standards (such as General Data Protection Regulation compliance). The Terrace Metrics’ logo, software and all Terrace Metrics products are trademark protected.

Terrace Metrics is guided by a nationally and internationally renowned leaders in education, developmental science, policy, and testing. This advisory committee meets every quarter and is used extensively during product development and test phases, with differing committee members weighing in on different aspects based on their expertise.