Teaching self-advocacy skills to direct care staff

This study evaluated the effects of a single training on the self-advocacy skills of five direct care staff working in a human service organization. A nonconcurrent multiple-baseline design across participants was used to evaluate the effects of a video-based behavioral skills training package. Participants received training on how to self-advocate in the context of two types of supervisor responses: (1) A supervisor responds positively to an employee's issue but does not provide a solution and (2) a supervisor responds negatively to an employee's issue but provides a solution. Results showed that the training increased self-advocacy accuracy to mastery levels during one target condition for all five participants and during both target conditions for three participants. In addition, all participants' self-advocacy skills generalized to two untrained types of supervisor responses. Participants reported moderate to high levels of satisfaction with the training procedures.