A HELPING SKILLS PROGRAM FOR PARAPROFESSIONALS WORKING IN ADULT PROPRIETARY HOMES.
Item
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Title
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A HELPING SKILLS PROGRAM FOR PARAPROFESSIONALS WORKING IN ADULT PROPRIETARY HOMES.
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Identifier
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AAI8014955
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identifier
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8014955
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Creator
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BLACK, CLEVELAND M.
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Contributor
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Irving Weisman
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Date
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1980
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Social Work
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Abstract
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The deinstitutionalization of former mental patients created massive shifts in service delivery and categories of providers not previously known to the mental health system. The paraprofessional emerges as a definite entity in community support programs and future deinstitutionalization programs. Adequate training can prepare the paraprofessional for a greater commitment in providing services.;This project describes the development of a training program for fourteen paraprofessionals who were the major providers of care for residents living in adult proprietary homes. The presence of former mental patients in adult proprietary homes was relevant to the intended design of this program and its objectives.;In the adult proprietary homes selected for this study, a hierarchical model of organizational structure existed. An exploration was given to training methods that had the potential for increased participation by staff not directly involved in the training program itself. Therefore, the training curriculum included a combination of teaching methods which emphasized the principles and practices of a therapeutic community framework and the introduction of a group support exercise. The training in group support provided the trainees with an orientation on problem solving within the organization and the maintenance functions of groups. Steps were taken so that trainees would not use this aspect of training as "gripe" sessions. The dynamics of group interaction, decision-making, mutual support, and communication were highlighted for the trainees.;The training program hoped to achieve the following objectives: (1) to increase knowledge and skill about mental illness, (2) to provide information on the attitude and behavior of those working with the mentally ill, and (3) to orient participants to the use of group support in problem solving within the organization. Four measures were used to yield information about the effects of the training program: an achievement test, attitude test, audio-tapes of group support meetings and a follow-up questionnaire given three months after the program had ended. The instruments for the achievement and attitude tests were given at the beginning of the training period and at the end of the training period.;One outcome of the project suggest that the use of group support is an appropriate method of training for paraprofessionals. Among the many avenues stimulated by the group support exercise was a feeling that alternatives exist. This project demonstrates that a training program which includes didactic approaches can be enriched with a group support exercise. In order to be effective, paraprofessionals must learn how to communicate feelings, interact with each other and provide input into the organization. Such diversity, as this project showed, can enhance job performance and role expectation.;The results of the project brings into focus a particular category of paraprofessionals in the mental health field. Subjects who participated in this training reflect many of the characteristics attributed to paraprofessionals in related settings. Impressions gained from this project suggest more should be known about their problems, needs, and limitations.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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D.S.W.
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Program
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Social Welfare
