title: A comparison of the effects of prejob training and job experience on nonprofessional telephone crisis counselors.
abstract: This study, carried out in a telephone crisis intervention program in which nonprofessional volunteer counselors received 55 hours of prejob training, isolates the effects of prejob training and on-the-job experience. Participants in the study were evaluated on several parameters including knowledge, counseling skills, acceptance of others, and dogmatism. Three groups of volunteers were measured: group 1--measured immediately before and after prejob training, group 2--measured just after prejob training, and group 3--measured after five months of telephone counseling experience. Results indicate that counselor skills and knowledge significantly increased with prejob training, but did not show further improvement as a result of five months of experience. Attitudes such as acceptance of others and dogmatism did not change either as a result of training or experience. Dogmatism was found to be inversely related to both counselor skill and knowledge.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003376:Counseling / Q000193:education*; D003419:Crisis Intervention; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013689:Telephone; D014838:Volunteers; D000092864:Suicide Prevention