WORKING WITH VOLUNTEERS

DISCUSSION 1

Working with Volunteers

 

Volunteers and staff are vital members of the program team. Adequate training of these individuals will help ensure that the health education program will be implemented as planned.

 

Part I: Refer to the Community Tool Box website and the other resources listed in this week’s “Required Resources” to complete the following information:

 

• Discuss the importance of volunteer recruitment and training.
• Summarize the steps of developing a volunteer program and provide an example scenario for each step.
• Explain the effective strategies of recruiting volunteers.

Reference a minimum of two scholarly publications cited in APA style, as outlined by the Ashford Writing Center.

 

Part II: Apply these strategies to the following scenario: You are recruiting volunteers for a Senior Mental Acuity program in which the volunteers would visit seniors in skilled nursing facilities. The visits would entail playing games, reading, and current event discussions with the elderly residents. •Devise a recruitment plan describing the details of who, where, and how you would recruit volunteers.

• Explain how you would train these individuals to be culturally sensitive and to communicate well with your program participants.

 

DISCUSSION 2:

 

Data Collection

Information regarding outcomes and participants is collected throughout the implementation of a health education program. Collecting data before, during, and after a health education intervention allows for assessment of the effect of the program. Imagine that you are implementing a physical activity program for employees at a corporate worksite to improve health. You and your team have placed all of the participants on a walking program that will last 12 months. Each month a new encouragement method is used to promote adherence to the walking program. For example, during the first month, health volunteers walk with all the participants during break times and after work. Another month, pedometers are provided to all the participants so they can obtain immediate feedback on the daily number of steps. Sometimes these methods of encouragement are even combined. The main goal of this program was to increase the amount of walking completed by the participants. Other objectives of the program were to enhance the employees’ quality of life, decrease the level of aches and pains associated with a sedentary lifestyle, and reduce weight. Examine the following in relation to this program:

• Describe the kind of data you would you collect?
• Explain how would you collect it.
• Identify when you would collect this information and explain why.