MATCHING VOLUNTEERS TO CLIENTS - A HOW-TO-DO-IT AID IN MATCHING

• NCJ Number: 18783
• Author(s): I H SCHEIER; T F FAUTSKO; D CALLAGHAN
• Date Published: 1973
• Length: 75 pages
• Grant Number(s): 72-F1-(S)-J-58
• Sponsoring Agency: Colorado Division of Criminal Justice; US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: National Information Ctr on Volunteerism, Inc
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

RESULTS OF A STUDY IN WHICH CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCCESSFUL CLIENT-VOLUNTEER PAIRS WERE COMPARED TO THOSE OF UNSUCCESSFUL PAIRS TO DETERMINE THE MOST IMPORTANT VARIABLES IN CLIENT-VOLUNTEER MATCHING.

Abstract

THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT WAS TO DEVELOP A RESEARCH DESIGN WHICH WOULD BE OF GENERAL APPLICABILITY, REGARDLESS OF ANY SPECIAL TYPE OF VOLUNTEER PROGRAM IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. SEVEN COLORADO VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS WERE USED AS THE BASIS FOR THE STUDY. CLIENTS AND VOLUNTEERS WERE GIVEN A BATTERY OF TESTS PRIOR TO MEETING EACH OTHER. CHARACTERISTICS MEASURED IN THESE TESTS INCLUDE DEMOGRAPHIC BACKGROUND, INTERESTS AND ACTIVITY PREFERENCES, ATTITUDES, TEMPERAMENT, PERSONALITY AND LIFE STYLES. VOLUNTEERS AND OFFENDERS WERE ALSO ASKED WHAT KIND OF PERSON THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE WORK WITH THEM. AFTER A VOLUNTEER-CLIENT INTERACTION PERIOD OF 4-6 MONTHS, SUCCESSFUL AND UNSUCCESSFUL PAIRS WERE COMPARED. SUCCESS OR FAILURE WAS DETERMINED BY COORDINATOR RATINGS, OUTSIDE INTERVIEWERS, AND STATISTICAL RATINGS. A TOTAL OF 74 VARIABLES WERE CHOSEN FOR COMPARISON. THE RESULTS OF THESE COMPARISONS ARE PROVIDED IN CHART FORM, AND ARE CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO STRENGTH OF PREDICTION.