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COLLABORATIVE PLANNING OF FAMILY CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING BY POLICE TRAINEES AND MENTAL HEALTH PERSONNEL

NCJ Number
54447
Author(s)
DOORNINK
Date Published
1975
Length
146 pages
Annotation
A FAMILY CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING PROGRAM DESIGNED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AND MENTAL HEALTH PERSONNEL IS EXAMINED TO DETERMINE ITS EFFECT UPON SKILL DEVELOPMENT, SELF-PERCEPTION AND SATISFACTION WITH THE TRAINING.
Abstract
LAW ENFORCEMENT STUDENTS, 18 INSERVICE AND 12 PRESERVICE, WERE THE SUBJECTS IN THE STUDY. EACH OF THREE GROUPS HAD SIX INSERVICE AND FOUR PRESERVICE SUBJECTS. ONE GROUP COLLABORATED WITH A MENTAL HEALTH WORKER IN THE DESIGN OF THE PROGRAM AND SUBSEQUENTLY PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY, WHILE A SECOND GROUP PARTICIPATED IN A TRAINING PROGRAM OF THE SAME DESIGN, BUT WITHOUT HELPING IN THE PLANNING. SUBJECTS ENROLLED IN A PATROL ADMINISTRATION COURSE SERVED AS THE CONTROL GROUP. THE PRETEST, POSTTEST DESIGN OF THE STUDY AIMED AT ASSESSING THE INFLUENCE OF TRAINING UPON COUNSELOR SKILLS, INTERVENTION BEHAVIOR, AND SELF AND IDEAL PERCEPTIONS. IN ADDITION, AFTER THE TRAINING PROGRAM, PARTICIPANTS WERE ASKED TO INDICATE THEIR DEGREE OF SATISFACTION WITH THE TRAINING. SUBJECTS WERE ASKED TO INTERVENE IN VIDEO-TAPED ROLE-PLAYS OF FAMILY CRISIS SITUATIONS BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER TRAINING, IN ORDER TO ASSESS PARTICIPANT SKILLS. RESULTS OF THE STUDY INDICATED THAT COUNSELING SKILLS WERE NOT SIGNIFICANTLY INFLUENCED BY THE TRAINING PROGRAM, WHILE INTERVENTION BEHAVIOR SKILLS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER IN THE TRAINED SUBJECTS THAN THE UNTRAINED SUBJECTS. TRAINING EMPHASIS UPON INTERVENTION BEHAVIOR DEVELOPMENT RATHER THAN COUNSELING SKILLS, TOGETHER WITH THE SHORT EVALUATION TIME ARE SAID TO EXPLAIN THESE FINDINGS. THE FAMILY CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING PROGRAMS WERE ALSO MORE EFFECTIVE THAN THE TRAINING GIVEN THE CONTROL GROUP IN INDUCING INDIVIDUALIZED SELF-PERCEPTIONS. THE GROUP WHICH PARTICIPATED IN THE PLANNING OF THEIR TRAINING IN COLLABORATION WITH MENTAL HEALTH PERSONNEL SHOWED MORE CHANGE IN SUBJECTS' PERSONALITY AS INDICATED BY INCREASED INDIVIDUALIZATION OF SELF AND IDEAL PERCEPTIONS THAN DID PARTICIPANTS IN THE GROUP NOT INVOLVED IN TRAINING PLANNING. THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO TRAINING GROUPS IN PROGRAM SATISFACTION, AND SATISFACTION WITH BOTH PROGRAMS WAS HIGH. DATA FROM THE STUDY ARE PROVIDED, AND THE APPENDIXES PRESENT COPIES OF THE EVALUATION INSTRUMENTS AND DETAILED INFORMATION ON EVALUATION PROCEDURES. (RCB)