Basic counseling training program for counselors in the court system
Keywords:
counseling, counselor, court, psychosocial services, training programAbstract
Objective: To develop and test the feasibility of a basic counseling training program for counselors in the court system.
Methods: This research and development study consisted of three steps: 1) needs analysis for curriculum development through in-depth interviews and the appreciation influence control (AIC) technique; 2) the construction of the curriculum and the content validity assessment; and 3) the feasibility testing of the curriculum with a single group consisting of court counselors and psychologists from the Thonburi Kwaeng Court. Knowledge and confidence levels before and after training and the performance of counseling practice were assessed using a researcher-developed assessment tools. Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.
Results: The draft of the curriculum consisted of eight topics conducted over two days for a total of 12 hours, employing lectures, discussions, demonstrations, and practical exercises. The content validity index for the draft was 0.96. Testing with a sample of 12 participants (11 counselors and one psychologist) revealed a significant increase in knowledge and confidence levels in counseling. Ten participants met the practical training criteria. All participants used various counseling techniques suitable for the timing and situations. The final draft was revised based on feedback from participants by extending the training duration for addiction and making practical training more flexible to accommodate varying number of trainees.
Conclusion: The basic counseling training program for counselors in the court system shows promise in enhancing knowledge, skills, and confidence of court counselors in in providing effective counseling to defendants and suspects.
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