Resource Tag: VOLUNTEER TRAINING

This article discusses the selection & training of lay volunteers, following the procedures widely used in Befrienders International centres.

With training & support for their efforts, students can play an important role in a school crisis plan. They can fill a gap that may occur between adolescents & adults. This chapter presents the Peer Listener Assistance Network (New Jersey high school) as an example of a support group who has taken over a major […]

This training manual for volunteers to the Suicide Beravement Outreach Program is intended to guide their understanding of the bereaved & provide the necessary skills to facilitate the grieving process. Chapters cover program mandate, job procedures, suicide facts & statistics, the aftermath of suicide, suicide risk assessment, interviewing skills, care for the volunteer, resource lists, […]

The Red Deer Suicide Awareness Through Volunteered Efforts was developed to be a comprehensive training opportunity for volunteers of the Suicide Prevention Society of Red Deer program. The premise is that, if individuals will be representing the program in the community, it is essential that they obtain knowledge and skills not only on the information […]

This study examines stress perceived by telephone intervention volunteers at a suicide prevention centre before their shift, during the most high urgency call, and after the shift. Stress during the most urgent call was related first to urgency, then to total length of all calls received, etc.. These findings are discussed as to their implications […]

This manual is in two parts. The first discusses the development of the Help Line, its objectives & services, & the duties of on-call volunteers. In the second part, communication skills & examples of the different types of calls, including suicide, are presented. The last section of this part includes an orientation for the new […]

This book describes a community suicide prevention program based on a top-down strategy. There are 3 parts to the book – prevention, intervention & postvention. Topics discussed under these sections are the characteristics of suicidal adolescents, program rationale, purpose & development, legal issues, community & school strategies, volunteer & peer training, research programs & community […]

Describes the development & implementation of a curriculum used to train volunteers to provide counseling for a suicide follow-up program. The program’s aim is to assist clients in alleviating their problems rather than focusing on client’s possible manipulative behaviour. Each of the program’s modules is described. Overall, community professionals & volunteer trainees described the project […]

This comprehensive training guide includes information about suicide & how to handle suicide related distress line calls; basic information on adult learning; a complete guide to running a training session including advance preparation, conducting the session, how to de-brief & how to follow up. Suggested learning exercises, handouts, lecture notes, & role play ideas are […]

A manual for orienting board & committee members of community suicide prevention programs to the Alberta Suicide Prevention Program which incorporates both provincial & community programs. Also included are appendices covering the topics: suicidal behavior, program organizational structure & responsibilities, provincial program boundaries, & current suicide intervention priorities. (CM)

The author discusses the following topics with respect to suicide prevention centres: who are the volunteers, the structure & organization of the centres, the recruiting & screening of volunteers, the components of a good training program, & the programs offered at the prevention, intervention, & postvention levels by these centres. (CM)

A sample of responses made by telephone line volunteers to crisis centre callers indicated a particularly high level of “advice” was given & that feelings expressed by the callers were mostly ignored. Data was collected over a 3-year period & consisted of responses made by 350 volunteers. The authors suggest careful screening of volunteers & […]

This 2-part study attempts to determine public level of awareness for the PACE crisis line service & suicide prevention program services & attempts to measure the level of suicide behaviors in Grand Prairie. A random sample of 1% of households were surveyed by trained volunteers using a specially developed questionnaire.

An adolescent crisis line, manned by teenage volunteers (ages 15-19) who have completed a comprehensive training program, was put into effect in Columbus, Ohio in July 1985. Volunteer recruitment and training are discussed with particular attention to problem areas specific to teenage volunteers. Evaluation of the program to date is described briefly.

Eight standards for training programs are provided as guidelines for the evaluation or preparation of suicide intervention courses. These behavioral objectives aid in evaluating programs as to on this content, skill, attitude & knowledge level resulting from the training. Each of the 8 standards of the training procedure is rated for how well it is […]

This study was undertaken to determine the effect of death education in producing positive change in death attitudes. Death anxiety levels were measured; Pretest–Treatment–Posttest–Follow-up Posttest in a sample (n=43) of Hospice volunteers & a control group (n=20). A general information questionnaire, the TMS, & the IES were administered. Results indicated that there was no significant […]

Presents an outline of the training program offered to volunteers selected to work with Survivors of Suicide groups. Includes the purpose & objectives of SOS group work, basic assumptions, crisis intervention information, policies, the role of the facilitator, evaluation, & an appendix of relevant program materials. (LH)

Teen Line is a confidential help-line for adolescents, staffed by both trained teen listeners & adult mental health professionals. The service was developed by the Centric for the Study of Young People in Groups, an affiliate of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A. The telephone service is hoped to appeal to youth because of its […]

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of microcounseling, programmed learning with role-play practice & feed back, & a no-training control condition on the development of counseling skills in hotline workers. Subjects were 25 volunteers from CONTACT, a London, Ont. telephone service. Research methodology is provided. Findings suggested that microcounseling & programmed […]