NCJ Number
79895
Date Published
1978
Length
99 pages
Annotation
Prepared by a committee of professionals and lay people involved in Missouri's juvenile justice system, this handbook presents guidelines for establishing a volunteer program in the juvenile court, including planning, recruitment, training, supervision, and evaluation.
Abstract
An introduction highlights the benefits that volunteers can bring to the juvenile justice system. Preliminary steps in developing a volunteer program are addressed, beginning with the formulation of realistic objectives and proceeding through the planning stage, identifying needs, approaching potential funding sources, and eliciting public support. A section focusing on volunteer workers presents job descriptions for a coordinator, residential facility worker, the big brother/big sister participant volunteer, and assistant to a professional caseworker or group counselor. Following a discussion of recruitment and screening procedures, guidelines for the orientation and training of volunteers consider the training site, equipment, the trainer's personality, and structuring the group. Suggestions are also offered about the assignment of volunteers, supervision, recordkeeping, communication techniques, and terminating an unsatisfactory volunteer. Elements that should be covered in a general program evaluation are described, as well as evaluation approaches which use matched group comparisons. Finally, the manual reviews new trends in volunteerism, including volunteers' participation in decisionmaking and more professional training for volunteers. Tax deductible benefits that volunteers can claim if they work for a program with a tax exempt status are identified. The appendixes contain outlines for volunteer orientation and training courses, a volunteer application, forms on client contacts and activities used by volunteers, and approximately 50 references.