PDF, 3.8 MB - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services ...

• Through the developed training program, project management expressed appreciation
for past efforts and provided explicit instructions for ways to improve future
performance.
• Interviewing staff were able to share helpful tips with each other.
• Field Supervisors met with their entire team to discuss specific issues for their
assigned area and enhance team rapport.
Veteran training sessions were held at five sites: Baltimore, MD; Cincinnati, OH; Seattle,
WA; Los Angeles, CA; and Newton, MA. Two separate sessions were held, with the A groups
meeting on January 4–6 and the B sessions meeting January 7–9, 2003. In addition to these
early January sessions, a special weekend session was held later in January to train traveling field
interviewers and any veteran interviewers unable to attend the early sessions. Also, throughout
2003, additional veterans who missed the January sessions were trained with permission on an
individual basis. Table 5.1 summarizes the January Veteran interviewer training sessions.
The veteran training program consisted of an initial home study (see Section 4.5.1)
followed by two and one half training days covering topics such as changes for the 2003 study,
data quality, communication and persuasion skills (to help overcome objections), and resource
management.
To provide consistency between veteran training classrooms, a near-verbatim training
guide with 18 sections provided detailed instructions and text to ensure all necessary
instructional points were covered. In addition to the guide, trainers also used a videotape; a
workbook containing exercises on the Newton and laptop computer and printed examples; the FI
manuals for reference; and the two computers (the Newton and the Gateway laptop) loaded with
the new 2003 programs.
5.3.2 Staffing
At each training site, there was a site leader, logistical assistant, and a lead technician
with responsibilities as described in Section 5.2.2 for new-to-project training sessions.
Each classroom was taught by a training team consisting of a pair of FSs. One FS's staff
attended during Session A, and the other FS's staff came for Session B. The FS pair worked
together to divide the responsibility for presenting the various training sections. The presenting
trainer usually trained from the front of the room while the other trainer monitored FI progress,
assisted FIs with questions, and sometimes operated the computer equipment.
Training experience varied considerably among the FS staff. For classrooms with weaker
training teams, site leaders assigned available RSs, survey specialists, or Instrumentation Team
members to support the FS training team or, in some cases, to lead the training.
5.3.3 Training-the-Trainers
To prepare all lead and assistant trainers for their training role and to instruct all project
staff in the changes for the 2003 survey, a Training-the-Trainers session was held in Cincinnati,
50