Some issues in staff training and improvement

In 1988, Norway's parliament instituted the systematic deinstitutionalization of the nation's health care system for mentally retarded persons. Professionals have recognized that deinstitutionalization will succeed only if treatment personnel can provide effective treatment for their clients. A study is presented in which 152 hands-on staff members were assigned to 76 clients with moderate to severe mental retardation. The study asked whether staff training in behaviorally oriented treatment and assessment would produce greater improvement in the behavior of clients and staff than would training in treatment alone. Data failed to support this hypothesis, but did provide clear evidence that both clients and staff improved with staff training. The assessment of such programs is seen to be of great importance in view of the fact that deinstitutionalization will leave the majority of mentally retarded clients in Norway in the care of persons who have received such limited forms of training.