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The training of telephone crisis intervention volunteers
Author(s) -
Dixon Michael C.,
Burns Jim
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
american journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.113
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1573-2770
pISSN - 0091-0562
DOI - 10.1007/bf00877789
Subject(s) - mental health , crisis intervention , citation , intervention (counseling) , george (robot) , health psychology , library science , telephone call , memphis , psychology , medicine , media studies , sociology , public health , history , psychiatry , nursing , art history , computer science , telecommunications , biology , botany
Telephone crisis intervention services are growing at a very rapid rate. A review of the literature reveals that there are very few references to this new phenomenon and even fewer that deal with evaluating the effectiveness of telephone crisis training. Herein 7 articles are reviewed which deal with volunteer selection and training. These articles demonstrate that no consistent rationale for volunteer selection or training exists. Selection of volunteers typically consists of a gross screening to eliminate any obviously unsuitable persons, with training serving as a further sorting procedure where volunteers who are uncomfortable with the role of a crisis interventionist can be encouraged to drop out. The authors suggest that a training model be built around crisis intervention theory using principles of social learning as the methodology for training.