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SERVICE VOLUNTEER’S HANDBOOK, THE
Dorine Thomas and Ret Thomas Paper, $10.95 128 pages, 4¼" × 7" ISBN 0-89390-442-2 View Table of Contents |
Service work can be a wonderful experience for your students — when they feel properly prepared. The Service Volunteer’s Handbook is the perfect tool to put in their hands before they go out into the field. This little book — it even fits in a pocket planner — tells students how to get organized for service, what their roles and responsibilities are, how to behave in a helping environment, how to maintain good relationships and how to keep a positive perspective. The second half of the book covers basic skills important to service volunteers. Back matter includes client profile sheets and an address book. See also the related manual titled Looking In Reaching Out, by the same authors.
About the Authors
Dorine Thomas has worked in the Alachua County School System in Gainesville, Fla., for more than 25 years. She has taught both middle- and high-school students. She is presently an occupational specialist at Buccholz High School in Gainesville, where she also serves as an instructor and chairperson in the peer counseling department. In addition, Thomas is a certified trainer of Project T.E.A.C.H. and Teaching through Learning Channels. She is a state of Florida licensed mental health consultant. She has conducted workshops in effective communication skills, classroom discipline, student motivation, learning styles, peer helping, professional mentoring, other education services and mental health topics.
Thomas received a bachelor of arts degree in education from the University of Florida in 1971. She is certified in guidance, secondary education, English and Spanish. She earned master’s and specialist of education degrees in counselor education from the University of Florida in 1977.
Ret Thomas has worked in the Alachua County School System in Gainesville, Fla., for more than 18 years. He has been a school guidance counselor at both the middle- and high-school levels. He has 16 years of experience in peer counseling at the high school level, during which he pioneered the “Teenaider” Advanced Peer Counseling program. Thomas is a state of Florida licensed mental health counselor and a mental health consultant. He has conducted workshops related to educational and career planning, alcohol and other drug abuse, AIDS education and sexual responsibility, communication skills and student athlete responsibilities. He also has 17 years of experience as a tennis coach.
Thomas received his bachelor of arts degree in psychology from the University of Florida in 1975. He completed his master’s and specialist of education degrees in counselor education at the University of Florida in 1978.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Purpose/Use
1. Organization
Organization—Why?
What do you need to be organized?
Materials
Information
Record keeping
2. Your Role, Responsibilities, and Guidelines
Your helper role
Your helper responsibilities
When, where, how?
Limits of your role/responsibilities
Referrals for further assistance
3. Fundamentals of a Helping Environment
Tips, guidelines for a caring, healing environment
Respect
4. Ten Suggestions for Good Relations
Simple concepts that make a difference
5. The Positive Perspective
What is meant by positive attitude/positive thinking?
Tips on how to develop a positive attitude
Positive phrasing
6. The Skills
Attending Skills
Active listening
Non-verbal communication/“body language”
Positive silence
Repeating stories
Confidentiality
Gossip and group dynamics
Listening ABC’s
Questioning Skills
Open-ended questions (advantages, limitations, examples)
Closed-ended questions (advantages, limitations, examples)
Comparing questions
Restating Content and Feelings
What is helpful in facilitating a conversation?
What is not helpful in facilitating a conversation?
A powerful combination: questioning and restating
Problem-Solving and Decision-Making
Problem-solving, a model
Personal decision-making, a model
Interpersonal Feedback
What is feedback and what can it do?
Types of feedback
Fundamental steps
Modifying feedback: Issues to consider
Conflict Resolution
Purpose and goals of conflict resolution/mediation
Ground rules and steps in mediation
7. Group Leadership
Issues for group leaders
References
Appendices
Service helper sketch
Service setting sketch
Client profile
Important contacts