Evaluation of a Video Based Training Package on Staff Treatment Integrity Levels

Abstract

Staff training is a critical element in assuring the effectiveness of behavior change agents in human services. Expense and time often limit the amount of training provided to staff members. Video based methods of training allow for flexible and repeated viewing. There has been no evaluation of the effectiveness of such methods on treatment integrity. To answer the question of whether an interactive video could improve performance in a meaningful way, an entirely video based training package was developed from methods that have been most effective in producing best outcomes according to the training literature. The package consisted of competency based instructions with modeling and video feedback evaluated across two different skills and four participants. The training package comprised three parts: competency based instructions with modeling, written feedback, and observational feedback. Each part of the training was evaluated for its efficacy. A multiple baseline design across participants counter balanced for skills was used and staff treatment integrity was measured as a percent correct of critical elements. All four participants achieved 100% treatment integrity on at least one of the skills trained. Two of the participants did not reach 100% on one of the skills. Maintenance and generalization probes conducted 4-8 weeks after completion of training showed that all three of the participants evaluated maintained high levels of treatment integrity.