CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING - AN EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION PROGRAM IN IMMEDIATE ACTION DECISION MAKING

• NCJ Number: 15906
• Author(s): S TRENHOLM; G WHITENECK
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 123 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: Colorado Dept of Institutions
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROGRAM DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION, AND EVALUATION OF THIS PROJECT WHICH WAS INTENDED TO TEACH CRISIS INTERVENTION TECHNIQUES AND METHODS OF DEALING WITH VIOLENT OR AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR.

Abstract

FINDINGS OF A FORMER EVALUATION STUDY INDICATED A NEED FOR INSTRUCTION IN IMMEDIATE ACTION SITUATION DECISION-MAKING FOR COTTAGE PERSONNEL EMPLOYED BY THE COLORADO DIVISION OF YOUTH SERVICES. A TRAINING PROGRAM UTILIZING VIDEO-TAPE RECORDINGS (VTR) AND ROLE-PLAYING (RP) TECHNIQUES WAS DESIGNED. TRAINEES RECEIVED 12 HOURS OF INSTRUCTION CONSISTING OF VIEWING VTR INCIDENTS, DISCUSSING THE ISSUES INVOLVED IN THE INCIDENTS AND PREFERRED METHODS OF RESOLVING THESE INCIDENTS, AND CONDUCTING ROLE-PLAYING INCIDENTS. BEFORE AND AFTER TRAINING, TRAINEES WERE ASKED TO COMPLETE TESTS WHICH CONSISTED OF 8 TESTING INCIDENTS AND A SERIES OF QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE DECISIONS A COUNSELOR SHOULD MAKE IN RESOLVING EACH INCIDENT. A CONTROL GROUP WAS ALSO GIVEN THESE TESTS. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE TRAINING DID SEEM TO AFFECT THE QUALITY OF SUBJECTS' DECISIONS. TRAINING IN CERTAIN FACTORS, SUCH AS HOW TO SUMMON OUTSIDE ASSISTANCE AND DECISIONS ON ISOLATION AND SURVEILLANCE WAS FOUND TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN TRAINING IN OTHER AREAS. TRAINING DID NOT SEEM TO AFFECT SUBJECTS' ATTITUDES TOWARDS THEMSELVES OR TOWARDS YOUTH.