A broad stated goal that is challenging yet obtainable is for Carla to resume the amount of visits to her parents that she was doing prior to the rape. Carla was visiting her parents a few times a month prior to the rape. Since the rape she has stopped visiting at all. This goal will be very challenging for Carla, yet with a behavior modification plan over the next six months, it is obtainable.
Two behavioral objectives, which operationalize the broad goal, are visits with her parents or substantial contact with other relatives and telephone calls. These both can be measured by frequency and duration from a short phone call to a lengthy home visit.
Appropriate rewards to reinforce the behaviors are both primary reinforcements—primal or instinctual, and secondary reinforcements—positive verbal praise and material items.  Carla also will be reinforced/ rewarded with positive reinforcements—something given after each positive behavior.  The reward system for Carla will consist of secondary reinforcement, an outfit given to her each week that she makes consecutive progress. She will be reinforced with primary reinforcements of affection—from family members and food and drink—while the family visits.
Although Carla’s plan is for six months, her progress will dictate her reinforcement schedule. The reinforcement schedule for Carla will begin with a continuous schedule, meaning that she will receive the reward every time. When she makes a phone call to her mother, her mother will give her full attention and be affectionate to her throughout the entire call. She will also receive points on her points system. A telephone is somewhat limited to positive verbal feedback, since one cannot physically express emotion via phone. When Carla visits her cousins or other relatives they will embrace her with primary reinforces such as hugs and secondary reinforcements as verbal praise. They will all sit and eat and drink—primary reinforcements—and enjoy each other’s company. Once again she will receive points for this interaction also.
Carla will partake in a points system. Every day that she successfully completes social contact with her family she will receive a point—kept by her father. At week’s end she will get to buy an outfit—or part of an outfit depending on progress. This is a positive reinforcement.
After Carla begins to make progress and become more comfortable with interactions with family, she will begin to receive her rewards intermittently.  An intermittent reinforcement schedule does not reward the behavior each time. Carla will begin to get a part of an outfit for a full week of progress. She may not get points for every phone call. She will receive verbal praise and attention, but not for every behavior. For example, when Carla calls her mother, her mother may not verbally praise her for each telephone call. When she visits her cousins’ house, they will embrace her, but not every visit nor at the level they once did.
Finally, as Carla engages with her family and interactions are at the level they were prior to the rape, she will receive random reinforcements. Her mother will verbally praise her for the phone call every once in a while to maintain. Her cousins will embrace her and show her attention at random occurrences. She will no longer use the points system, but her father will still give her money to buy an outfit every now and again to “reward” her for her behavioral progress and maintain the level she is at.  
