Thesis (Psy. D.) -- Virginia Consortium for Professional Psychology. / Advisor: Foss-Goodman, Deborah. Includes bibliography.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the hypothesis that there would be significant differences in selected personality traits between volunteers and nonvolunteers for a crisis intervention center, a 24-hour emergency telephone service. Volunteers for the center were required to complete a 32-hour training program to qualify for service in the center; a portion of the original volunteer population, however, did not complete the program. The final comparison, therefore, was made between the following three groups: (1) a group of volunteers who completed the required training program for a crisis intervention center, (2) a group of volunteers who did not complete the required training program for the center, and (3) a comparable group of non-volunteers.The five personality variables that were selected for measurement were ascendancy, responsibility, emotional stability, sociability, and dogmatism as measured by Gordon Personal Profile and Rokeach Dogmatism Scale. The selection of the traits was prompted by a review of literature which indicated that the traits were associated with the characteristics of effective counselors, with the intent of implementing the inevitable comparison that will be made between talents of volunteers and the requirements for effective service.A total of 179 subjects participated in the study. In order to validate comparisons that were made between volunteers and non-volunteers, the volunteer sample, the total group of persons attending the initial session of the training, was stratified into male:female and student: non-student groups before the non-volunteer population was selected. Established groups were then met by the examiner, tested, and invited to volunteer for the crisis center; data from those declining the invitation to serve were used to form the non-volunteers.Three statistical procedures were used to test the hypotheses: a one way analysis of variance, an analysis of covariance, and Scheffe's method of comparing means following a significant F test. Of the four null hypotheses, all were rejected. Review of the data led to the following conclusions:(1) Volunteers for a crisis center were more ascendant, more responsible, more emotionally stable and less dogmatic than those who chose not to volunteer.(2) Volunteers who completed the training program and volunteers who did not complete were alike on every trait except emotional stability. Completing volunteers were most stable.(3) A large part of the observed variances were accounted for by the female population. Female volunteers differed significantly from female non-volunteers on ascendancy, responsibility, emotional stability and dogmatism. Male volunteers differed from male non-volunteers only on the trait of dogmatism.(4) Volunteers for a crisis center exhibited the characteristics associated with effective counselors to a more significant degree than did the non-volunteers. These characteristics included open-mindedness, responsibility, stability, and flexibility.Implications were drawn concerning the use of volunteers in mental health programs on the basis of self-selection in conjunction with a short, intense training program. Recommendations were made for further research to determine similarities in other volunteer groups for other mental health projects, to investigate further the wide variances observed in the female population, and to more clearly define effectiveness for mental health roles.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Ashland Theological Seminary, 1985. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 112-115).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Ashland Theological Seminary, 1985. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 112-115).

The purpose of the study was to explore the experience of crisis centre volunteers. The research sample consisted of 134 active and 105 inactive volunteers from five crisis centres in the Lower Mainland. To solicit descriptive and non-descriptive data, an instrument was constructed and pilot tested. The questionnaire contained 49 attitude items which were collected from the literature and interviews with crisis centre staff and volunteers. They were grouped into six subscales suggested by a modified latent partition analysis. These subscales were A: Doing Shifts, B: The Community, C: Personal Change, D: General Impression, F: Other Volunteers. The subscales were found to be internally consistent (Hoyt, 1941). Volunteers responded to a five-point Likert Scale for each item. The research questions were: are there differences among five crisis centres, and are there differences between active and inactive volunteers, on each of the six subscales? The volunteers' self-perceived success in dealing with specific problems presented by callers was also examined. Descriptive data from the sample were analyzed using simple frequency counts on variables from each of the five crisis centres. Data from the attitude scales were analyzed to further examine internal consistency of the attitude questionnaire. Finally a 5 x 2 (centre by level of activity) multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) using Wilks1 likelihood ratio criterion was used to analyze the attitude subscales and Sheffe's multiple comparison procedure was applied where appropriate. Results of the statistical testing indicated differences, significant at .05 level between Crisis Centres #1 and #5 and between #4 and #5 on Subscale E: Staff. Significant differences were also found between Crisis Centres #2 and #5 on Subscale F: Other Volunteers. Active volunteers responded more positively than inactive volunteers at .05 level of significance on all subscales except E: Staff. Results indicated fairly narrow ranges in demographic variables however, tests of significance were not undertaken. The significant differences noted in the attitude subscales may be the result of differences in staff-volunteer contact with each other. In those centres where there was more opportunity for staff to relate to volunteers, the volunteers responded more positively to staff-related items. The crisis centre whose volunteers responded more positively to items pertaining to volunteers, has within its structure more opportunity for contact with other volunteers in the diversified activities in which all volunteers and staff participate. This factor together with the comparative isolation of this centre may account for the significantly more positive responses on this subscale. The attitude of volunteers appeared to be very positive toward their experience. They reported positive changes in self-perception and perception of others as a result of their crisis centre experience. It would appear that more focus on the experience of volunteers at crisis centres would be profitable. Several suggests for further research were discussed, particularly related to "burnout" and motives for becoming inactive. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate

This study explores the teaching role of activists and community advocates who have become involved in the education and preparation of mental health professionals. Placed in the transcultural mental health context, the study aims to identify central features of the 'teaching role' of consumer and carer advocates as they have become employed via participatory strategies and employment scenarios within mainstream teaching programs and transcultural mental health centres. / The research approach used for this exploration is based on hermeneutics and ethnography, where I visit organisations and individual advocates on a participant- observation basis. This approach locates my researcher role as a central reflexive author in generating and interpreting data from experiences of organisational teaching practice, from conversing with advocates and clinical educators and from collecting and reading consumer and carer perspectives on reform in mental health care. Making interpretations from these social experiences means that I make selective use of relevant autobiographical details and knowledge from my employment in the mental health sector. / The central theme of the study is how consumer and carer advocates teach via the notion of lived experience, a key expression of recent workforce development policy in Australian mental health. The research outcomes from this focus indicate that the teaching work of advocates in contributing authoritative knowledge of self and others is influenced by many factors intrinsic to their performed representative role, rather than exclusively by their personal experience as a consumer or carer, as the policy of lived experience would suggest. I argue that the requirements of teaching as defined by the expectations of employing organisations and the clinical audience, and by traditions in representative advocacy and professional education all shape the way in which advocates build and express their knowledge in educational work. / From this broad interpretation, the study also argues that organisations in mental health need to carefully think about the way they construct teaching positions for community advocates and support their work. Performance expectations of representing others, being able to portray cultural understandings, effectively educating clinicians, utilising their personal stories and histories, and meeting other employment related tasks place diverse and possibly contradictory pressures on the consumer or carer wishing to express their perspective to the workers in the sector. / The study's major emphasis on the role requirements of advocate/ teachers and organisational expectations is then connected to a broader conversation about how (consumer) participation models are able to facilitate and support the involvement of community and identity groups not traditionally associated with the consumer movement. This focuses attention on how existing consumer models are bound to the language of consumerism and mental illness. The implications of these boundaries for realizing the ideals of participation in mental health are then discussed. This helps to contextualise the idea of whether the mental health sector is in a position to facilitate a democratic recognition of the service needs of different community groups. / Thesis (PhDNursing)--University of South Australia, 2005

This study explores the teaching role of activists and community advocates who have become involved in the education and preparation of mental health professionals. Placed in the transcultural mental health context, the study aims to identify central features of the 'teaching role' of consumer and carer advocates as they have become employed via participatory strategies and employment scenarios within mainstream teaching programs and transcultural mental health centres. / The research approach used for this exploration is based on hermeneutics and ethnography, where I visit organisations and individual advocates on a participant- observation basis. This approach locates my researcher role as a central reflexive author in generating and interpreting data from experiences of organisational teaching practice, from conversing with advocates and clinical educators and from collecting and reading consumer and carer perspectives on reform in mental health care. Making interpretations from these social experiences means that I make selective use of relevant autobiographical details and knowledge from my employment in the mental health sector. / The central theme of the study is how consumer and carer advocates teach via the notion of lived experience, a key expression of recent workforce development policy in Australian mental health. The research outcomes from this focus indicate that the teaching work of advocates in contributing authoritative knowledge of self and others is influenced by many factors intrinsic to their performed representative role, rather than exclusively by their personal experience as a consumer or carer, as the policy of lived experience would suggest. I argue that the requirements of teaching as defined by the expectations of employing organisations and the clinical audience, and by traditions in representative advocacy and professional education all shape the way in which advocates build and express their knowledge in educational work. / From this broad interpretation, the study also argues that organisations in mental health need to carefully think about the way they construct teaching positions for community advocates and support their work. Performance expectations of representing others, being able to portray cultural understandings, effectively educating clinicians, utilising their personal stories and histories, and meeting other employment related tasks place diverse and possibly contradictory pressures on the consumer or carer wishing to express their perspective to the workers in the sector. / The study's major emphasis on the role requirements of advocate/ teachers and organisational expectations is then connected to a broader conversation about how (consumer) participation models are able to facilitate and support the involvement of community and identity groups not traditionally associated with the consumer movement. This focuses attention on how existing consumer models are bound to the language of consumerism and mental illness. The implications of these boundaries for realizing the ideals of participation in mental health are then discussed. This helps to contextualise the idea of whether the mental health sector is in a position to facilitate a democratic recognition of the service needs of different community groups. / Thesis (PhDNursing)--University of South Australia, 2005

This study explores the teaching role of activists and community advocates who have become involved in the education and preparation of mental health professionals. Placed in the transcultural mental health context, the study aims to identify central features of the 'teaching role' of consumer and carer advocates as they have become employed via participatory strategies and employment scenarios within mainstream teaching programs and transcultural mental health centres. / The research approach used for this exploration is based on hermeneutics and ethnography, where I visit organisations and individual advocates on a participant- observation basis. This approach locates my researcher role as a central reflexive author in generating and interpreting data from experiences of organisational teaching practice, from conversing with advocates and clinical educators and from collecting and reading consumer and carer perspectives on reform in mental health care. Making interpretations from these social experiences means that I make selective use of relevant autobiographical details and knowledge from my employment in the mental health sector. / The central theme of the study is how consumer and carer advocates teach via the notion of lived experience, a key expression of recent workforce development policy in Australian mental health. The research outcomes from this focus indicate that the teaching work of advocates in contributing authoritative knowledge of self and others is influenced by many factors intrinsic to their performed representative role, rather than exclusively by their personal experience as a consumer or carer, as the policy of lived experience would suggest. I argue that the requirements of teaching as defined by the expectations of employing organisations and the clinical audience, and by traditions in representative advocacy and professional education all shape the way in which advocates build and express their knowledge in educational work. / From this broad interpretation, the study also argues that organisations in mental health need to carefully think about the way they construct teaching positions for community advocates and support their work. Performance expectations of representing others, being able to portray cultural understandings, effectively educating clinicians, utilising their personal stories and histories, and meeting other employment related tasks place diverse and possibly contradictory pressures on the consumer or carer wishing to express their perspective to the workers in the sector. / The study's major emphasis on the role requirements of advocate/ teachers and organisational expectations is then connected to a broader conversation about how (consumer) participation models are able to facilitate and support the involvement of community and identity groups not traditionally associated with the consumer movement. This focuses attention on how existing consumer models are bound to the language of consumerism and mental illness. The implications of these boundaries for realizing the ideals of participation in mental health are then discussed. This helps to contextualise the idea of whether the mental health sector is in a position to facilitate a democratic recognition of the service needs of different community groups. / Thesis (PhDNursing)--University of South Australia, 2005

Thesis (doctoral)--La Salle University, 2005. / ProQuest dissertations and theses ; AAT 3227729. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 45-53)

M.A. / The Institute of Child and Parental Guidance at the Rand Afrikaans University presents a training course in Christian Lay Counselling. The aim of the course is to train people with a christian background as lay counsellors so that they can do counselling in a congregation and/or a church environment. This research entails a critical, scientific evaluation of this training programme to determine whether the experimental group's (n = 30) theoretical knowledge, counselling skills and attitudes was significantly enhanced by the training programme in comparison to the control group (n = 30). Chapter one addresses the problem and objective of the project. An overview of lay christian counselling is given in chapter two and in chapter three the training programme for christen lay counsellors of the Rand Afrikaans University is presented. The research procedures of the project are discussed in chapter four and the results of the research are given in chapter five. The results of the research are interpreted, conclusions are drawn, critique and recommendations are made based on the research findings in chapter six. The pass rate for the course in christian lay counselling was 100%. There is a negative correlation (r = -0,254) between the theoretical and practical mark for counselling skills. The growth in counselling skills is measured by using the "Group Assessment of Interpersonal Traits" (GAIT) by menas of pre- and post test procedures. The experimental group showed a marked, positive growth (p = 0,0160) in their application of counselling skills within a counselling framework. The control group showed a marked decline (p = 0,0156) in terms of the application of counselling skills within a counselling framework. The improvement in attitudes (personal growth) is measured by using the "Personal Orientation Inventory" (P01) by means of pre- and post test procedures. The experimental group showed a marked, positive growth in the following four scales of the PO1: Time Competent (Tc)(POI 1)(p = 0,0296), Inner Directed (1)(POI 2)(p = 0,0242), Feeling Reactivity (Fr)(POI 5)(p = 0,0255) and Intimate Contact (C)(POI 12)(p = 0,0013). The control group showed a marked decline (p = 0,0229) in terms of post test scores in relation to the Inner Directed scale (1)(POI 2). It would appear that the training programme for christian lay counsellors did in effect have a distinct positive influence on the experimental group's theoretical knowledge of counselling, the application of counselling skills in practise as well as the personal growth of course attendants.