Performance of administrators, professionals, and paraprofessionals during community-based brain injury rehabilitation training.
OBJECTIVE
Two related studies that evaluated the impact of a continuing education program about community-based rehabilitation on the performance of administrators, professionals, and paraprofessionals are presented. One study contained a second part that examined whether differences between pre-course test performance and post-course test performance might be accounted for by practice effects.


METHODS
Factorial mixed model designs.


METHODS
University classroom.


METHODS
Three hundred and eight professionals, administrators, and paraprofessionals from a variety of community-based rehabilitation programs.


METHODS
The 4-day graduate-level course focused on three content areas: brain and behavior relationships, behavioral and cognitive intervention strategies, and a rehabilitation philosophy that emphasizes individual client rights.


METHODS
An examination completed before and immediately after taking the course.


RESULTS
Professionals and administrators perform better than paraprofessionals when tested at the beginning and end of the training. However, the absolute differences among these groups were not substantial. In addition, the rate of learning course content was the same for administrators, paraprofessionals, and professionals.


CONCLUSIONS
The results support the usefulness of training for all levels of staff and suggest that all levels of staff benefit in an equal fashion.
Willer
B
B
State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14214, USA.
Button
J
J
Willer
C
C
Good
D W
DW
D000288:Administrative Personnel / Q000193:education*; D000488:Allied Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000534:rehabilitation; D004517:Education, Professional; D004521:Educational Measurement; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D009864:Ontario; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012046:Rehabilitation / Q000193:education*