ERIC ED386608: Development of an Orientation Training Manual for Implementation with New Personnel and Volunteers Working in Short Term Transitional Homeless Shelters for Single Parent Families.

289 Pages·1994·4.4 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
CG 026 141
ED 386 608
Kates-Doyle, Susan
AUTHOR
Development of an Orientation Training Manual for
TITLE
Implementation with New Personnel and Volunteers
Working in Short Term Transitional Homeless Shelters
for Single Parent Families.
PUB DATE
94
289p.; M.S. Practicum Report, Nova University.
NOTE
Dissertations/Theses
PUB TYPE Practicum Papers (043)
EDRS PRICE MF01/PC12 Plus Postage.
Economically Disadvantaged; *Homeless People; Housing
DESCRIPTORS
Needs; *One Parent Family; Orientation; *Orientation
Materials; Poverty; Training
IDENTIFIERS
*Shelters
ABSTRACT
Increasing numbers of diverse families, caught in the
web of poverty, are becoming homeless. Homeless shelters have tended
to focus on meeting only critical necessities such as food and
shelter. However, the needs of the homeless are much more complex and
challenging. Homeless families have deep-rooted problems and
fractured relationships. Staff and volunteers require training in
order to respond effectively to such issues since many do not come to
the agency with necessary core knowledge and skills. However,
provision of staff orientation and training has been minimal. The
primary goal of this practicum was to design a comprehensive
orientation training manual that would provide a consistent core
knowledge base for all levels of incoming staff and volunteers. The
strategy used a collaborative team approach with all levels of staff
and volunteers (n=6) within the 10-week implementation period, and
was successful. An additional goal, which was not met, was to
increase interpersonal skills of current employees and volunteers by
50% as measured by the evaluation forms completed by the
participating staff members. Appendices include implementation plan,
questionnaires and results, evaluations and outcomes, and a copy of
the orientation training manual. Contains 45 references. (JBJ)
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
from the original document.
c**************:,AAA***************
**********************:,:.A;,A
CL5
Development of an Orientation Training Manual
for Implementation with
New Personnel and Volunteers
Working in Short Term Transitional
Homeless Shelters for
Single Parent Families
By
Susan Kates-Doyle
Cohort 4F
A Practicum Report Presented to the
Master's Program in Child Care, Youth Care,
and Family Support
in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Master of Science
NOVA UNIVERSITY
1994
U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS
Office 01 EduCal onal Raclin!, aix, irnproyemonl
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
CENTER IERICI
O This document has been reproduced as
gATES- poyLE
received from the person or organization
originating it
O Minor changes have been made to
improve reproduction quality
Points of view or opinions stated in this
TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
document do not necessarily represent
INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC).-
official OERI position or policy
ow
COPY AVAILABLE
Orientation Training Manual
2
Authorship Statement
I hereby testify that this paper and the work it reports are
Where it has been necessary to draw from
entirely my own.
I have
the work of others, published or unpublished,
aCknowledged such work in accordance with accepted scholarly
I give testimony freely, out of
and editorial practice.
respect for the scholarship of other workers in the field
and in the hope that my own work, presented here, will earn
similar respect.
/q/d( L9,4250.
S,.dent
Signature o
te
Orientation Training Manual
3
Abstract
Development of an orientation training manual for
implementation with new personnel and volunteers working
in short term transitional homeless shelters for single
Kates-Doyle, Susan, 1994:
parents and their children.
Practicum Report, Nova University, Master's Program for
Child Care, Youth Care, and Family Support.
Descriptors':
Orientation/Staff Training Volunteer/Training
Nonprofit/Organizations Homeless/Shelters/Single Parent
Families/Staff Volunteer Training.
The trends of homeless shelters has been to meet the
critical needs of the homeless such as food and shelter.
However, the needs of the homeless are much more complex.
The diversity of homelessness is seeing
and challenging.
an increasing number of families caught in the web of
Homeless families have deep-rooted problsms and
poverty.
fractured relationships that require trained staff and
volunteers to respond effectively to the issues.
Homeless shelters are staffed by a diverse spectrum
of professionals, front line staff and volunteers.
However,
there has been minimal staff orientation or adequate
training provided o meet the complex needs of homeless
The author designed an orientation training
families.
The strategy
manual for all new employees and volunteers.
used included the shelter staff, Volunteers and current
literature in the design of the orientation training
manual.
4
Orientation Training Manual
4
Table of Contents
Page
Chapter
Introduction and Background
I.
Staff profile
7
The practicum project
9
An overview of homelessness and
supportive services
10
The Problem
II.
Problem statement
14
Documentation of the problem
14
Analysis of the problem
17
Goals and Objectives
25
III.
Solution Strategy
IV.
Review of existing programs, models,
27
and approaches
28
Existing programs
The importance of an orientation
31
manual
Staff involvement in the design of
33
an orientation manual
Successful programs equal competent
35
staff
Proposed solution strategy
37
Orientation Training Development
5
Action Taken and Results
V.
Review of the problem and solution
strategy
43
Phase One - The collaborative team
Approach
44
Phase Two - The literature review
50
Evaluation process
Phase Three
50
Results of goals and objectives
52
Results of objective one
52
Results of objective two
53
Results of objective three
54
Deviation of proposed strategy
55
Difficult.ies encountered during the
implementation period
55
56
Comparisons with current literature
Conclusions and Recommendations
VI.
Brief review of outcomes and their
58
Implications
Recommendations of practicum results
60
Dissemination of practicum results
61
63
References
Appendices
70
Implementation
A
6
Orientation Training Manual
6
Employee and volunteer questionnaire
and outcome
75
Resident questionnaire and outcome
81
Participation evaluation form #1 and
outcome
87
Participation evaluation form #2 and
outcome
90
Participation final evaluation and
outcome
94
Orientation training manual final
approval
97
Orientation training manual
99
Orientation Training Manual
7
Chapter One
Introduction and Background
The practicum setting located in a rural Western
state; is a transitional shelter for homeless single
The founder of the organization is a
parent families.
member of the Holy Cross Brothers and his philosophy
became the agency's mission to assist homeless single
parent families toward achieving self-sufficiency.
In
December 1990, the organization, a nonprofit agency began
operation supported by private donatio:.s, and federal and
The agency is governed by a fifteen-member
local grants.
volunteer Board of Directors that represents a cross section
of the community; they meet once a month with the Executive
Director.
Staff Profile.
The agency currently employs eight staff members
and their levels of education range from high school
The Executive
level to four year college degrees.
Director and the Administrative Assistant maintain
their office off-site from the actual shelter site.
The Executive Director's responsibilities include
administration, grant writing, maintaining the budget
The Administration Assistant
and the public relations.
Orientation Training Manual
8
assists the Director in maintaining payroll, bookkeeping,
clerical and other secretarial duties.
At the main shelter site, supportive services are
provided by three social workers and three front line
Additional support is provided by volunteers
staff.
from the community, social work students from the local
college and a Vista volunteer.
The professional staff includes the Shelter
Director/Case Manager and two part-time positions: the
Children's Service Coordinator and the K-12 Program Manager.
The Children Service Coordinator is responsible for the
children's assessments, the development of program
activities and shelter operations when the Shelter Director
The K-12 Program Manager helps the children
is unavailable.
in school by providing tutoring in their homes, supportive
services and advocacy services.
The front line staff includes the Shelter
The Shelter
Coordinator and two Night Managers.
Coordinator is a full-time position whose duties include
secretarial, administration, coordination of donations,
The Night Manager
child care, and transportation.
positions consist of one full-time person and one
There is minimal supervision in the
part-time person.
Orientation Training Manual
9
evening's and both Night Manager's work a:one at the
The on-call person or the Shelter
shelter.
Director/Case Manager is their contact person.
The
Night Managers are responsible for cleaning, maintenance
and the general monitoring of night activities.
The volunteers and social work students participate in
various activities such as assisting staff or parents during
the carrying out of program activities, providing community
information and support services.
In addition, the social
work students are provided an agency setting to experience
and learn skills in their field of practice.
The Vista
Volunteer currently assigned to the agency is researching
and developing an aftercare program for former residents.
The Practicum Project
The practicum project is being carried out by the
The Shelter
Shelter Director/Case Manager.
Director/Case Manager is a full-time social worker whose
immediate supervisor is the Executive Director.
Four
years ago as supportive services were being developed,
As the
the author joined the agency as Case Manager.
agency grew in staff the author became Shelter Director
The Shelter Director/Case Manager is
and Case Manager.
responsible for the daily operations of the shelter,
10