CATEGORIZATION SYSTEM OF CRISIS CENTER TELEPHONE USE PATTERNS OF INTERACTION

• NCJ Number: 60674
• Journal: Journal of Community Psychology Volume: 6 Issue: 2 Dated: (1978) Pages: 130-138
• Author(s): R R JOHNSON; J R BARRY
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 9 pages
• Corporate Author: Clinical Psychology Publishing Co
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF THE CALLER FREQUENCY CATEGORY SYSTEM (CAFS), DESIGNED TO CATEGORIZE FREQUENCY AND TYPES OF CONTACTS BETWEEN TELEPHONE CALLERS AND A CRISIS CENTER, ARE DISCUSSED.

Abstract

THE GOALS OF THE CAFS SYSTEM IS TO TRACK BASIC INTERACTIONS AND THUS DETERMINE TYPES OF CHRONIC CALLERS AND THEIR DIFFERENCES FROM ONE-TIME CALLERS. THE CAFS SYSTEM REQUIRES THAT ALL INCOMING AND OUTGOING CALLS BE LOGGED AND IDENTIFIED BY SOURCE AND RECEIVER. TYPES OF CALLS INCLUDE THOSE FROM PERSONS IN CRISIS, CALLS FROM OTHERS ON BEHALF OF THE CLIENT, CALLS FROM THE CENTER TO THE CLIENT, AND CALLS FROM THE CENTER TO OTHERS. EXCLUDED ARE ADMINISTRATIVE OR INCOMPLETE CALLS. FREQUENCY CATEGORIES INCLUDE SINGLE CALL, SINGLE CALL WITH FOLLOWUP, MULTIPLE CALLS WITHIN A 2-DAY PERIOD, MULTIPLE CALLS WITHIN A 1-WEEK PERIOD, MULTIPLE CALLS ABOUT A SINGLE PROBLEM OVER A PERIOD GREATER THAN 1 WEEK, AND MULTIPLE CALLS ABOUT MULTIPLE PROBLEMS FOR MORE THAN 1 WEEK. APPLICATION OF THIS SYSTEM TO A SOUTH CAROLINA CRISIS CENTER EVERY THIRD MONTH FOR A YEAR PRODUCED A SAMPLE OF 100 CALLS. THE CALLS WERE CATEGORIZED ACCORDING TO CAFS. RESULTS SHOW THAT THE SYSTEM CAN BE USED RELIABLY AND DOES DIFFERENTIATE AMONG CLIENTS ACCORDING TO TYPES OF INTERACTIONS. THIRTY PERCENT OF CALLERS WERE ONE-TIME CALLERS; 34 PERCENT CALLED ONCE AND RECEIVED AT LEAST 1 FOLLOWUP CALL. TWENTY-THREE PERCENT MADE MULTIPLE CALLS BEYOND ONE WEEK; ONLY ONE CALLER FIT THE 10-CALL, OR CHRONIC, DEFINITION. UNEXPECTED FINDINGS WERE THAT THE MULTIPLE CALLERS TENDED TO BE OLDER MEN OR TEENAGED GIRLS AND THAT THE HIGHEST PROPORTION (44 PERCENT) OF CALLS INVOLVED FOLLOWUP CALLS BY THE CENTER ITSELF TO PEOPLE OTHER THAN CRISIS CLIENTS. THE CAFS SYSTEM IS BEING REVISED TO SUBDIVIDE CALLS FROM THE CENTER TO OTHERS THAN THE CLIENT INTO CALLS TO OTHERS IN THE CLIENT'S HOME AND CALLS TO OTHER COMMUNITY RESOURCES. USE OF CAFS IN RESEARCH IS DISCUSSED. TABLES, A FOOTNOTE, AND A REFERENCE LIST ARE INCLUDED. (CFW)