The Utilization and Training of Volunteers in a Psychiatric Setting

Summary The Volunteer Case Aide Program, which was begun in 1963 atthe Boston State Hospital, Boston, Mass. U.S.A., is ongoingand developing new facets of volunteer intervention in a psychiatricsetting. It is the first program of its kind in the Commonwealthof Massachusetts to utilize the talents of mature communityvolunteers to work in a direct personal, one-to-one relationshipwith the mentally ill and/or emotionally disturbed. The fouroriginal purposes of the program have been carried out. Thecommunity has been brought into closer co-operation with thehospital, and community resources have been utilized in helpingpatients move out of the hospital. Through the creative useof volunteers and part-time psychiatric social workers, theprogram has moved toward diminution of the manpower shortagein the mental health field. The efforts of hundreds of volunteercase aides have contributed to relieving the chronicity of manypatients, and have assisted them to move into community placements. The Associate Leader Training Program, through its weekly trainingmeetings, gives the Associate Leader the responsibility of supervisingnovice case aides. The trained Associate Leader, an experiencedvolunteer, teaches the beginning case aide to understand hisown role with the patient, to relate effectively with the patientand to learn about the hospital operations, treatment modalitiesand pertinent psychiatric and social theories. New volunteergroups under the Associate Leaders' guidance, have proven tobe effective instruments for the expanded teaching and serviceaspects of the Case Aide Program. Given the numerical limitationsof a professional social work staff and with the added resourcesof Associate Leaders, the Program has been able to help manymore patients