They should also know who is responsible for supervision and how feedback on their performance will be made available. State health requirements for volunteers must be completed before the volunteers begin working. Once volunteers have been screened and assigned a job they must be appropriately trained. The adequate training of volunteers is critical to a successful volunteer experience. Well-trained volunteers reduce the risk to the program in using such personnel.
Training can be an incentive to the volunteers to stay on the job.
The training program for each volunteer position will vary according to the knowledge and skills needed to perform a particular set of tasks. Programs should develop training for each job the volunteers will be performing, as would be available for paid staff. The following sections provide many examples of how volunteers may be used as staff in a program. Volunteers as Direct Service Providers Volunteers can be used to provide direct services to children and families. In order for volunteers to provide direct services, they need a comprehensive training program, ongoing support and supervision, as well as a specific job description.