Evaluation of a participatory, competency-based model of staff training ina community habilitative setting

This study evaluated a participatory model of staff training within a commu nity habilitative setting for adults with developmental disabilities. The o bjectives were to formulate an approach to training that was not time inten sive, included multiple instructional methods. and incorporated all levels of staff involvement. Senior administrative, middle-level supervisory, and direct-care personnel comprised a committee that designed and implemented a training program that targeted performance and verbal report competencies required by 'on-line' staff. Training consisted of corrective feedback, mod eling, rehearsal, and practice procedures that were carried out with three individuals in a multiple baseline design across sets of target competencie s. The training program was effective in establishing staff competencies al though individual learning effects were revealed. The implications of these findings for the design of staff training programs within human service ag encies are discussed. Copyright (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.