You and Your CP771 Support Group and Assignment

You and Your CP771 Support Group and Assignment

Feedback from a recent BUSSW survey of students about the first year suggests that first year students are not as familiar with group work as they would like to be. As a result, each of you has been assigned to an in-class support group. Your participation in the group is required and your facilitation is the basis for your final assignment.

The purpose of forming our in-class support groups is threefold. First, it is provide students the chance to discuss school and field related issues and find out about the experiences of other students. Second it is to provide students with more support with balancing work and school and the stresses of graduate school. Third, it is to facilitate learning about group facilitation. Each of you is expected to take a turn facilitating the group. As group members you each are aware that everybody is learning, that your classmates may feel nervous. Be “easy” group members: Talk, share, don’t dominate, and don’t whisper to each other when others are talking.

There is no grade attached to participating in the group. Each week, we will have the opportunity to pull back into the larger group and talk about group work issues. This is a chance to learn something about what it is like to be in an on-going group and how good facilitation can move a group along. You may also encounter some of the challenges of group facilitation. Leaving class early to do other things because you don’t want to go to group is not an option, nor is working during the group. You are expected to participate.

I will make some time available in four classsessions for the group. Each group will last for one to one hour and fifteen minutes.

The facilitator’s task for week 1 is to help group members to:

1)Establish group rules

2)Determine the group’s goal

3)Determine individual goals

4)Establish the initial topic for the group’s session

5)Help members to talk to each other and form a ‘group’

What you need to know about beginning a group

• This phase must be well understood as what happens during this phase is vital to the success of the group. This is the period when the correspondence between member goals and group goals is developed and the members try, in the process, to form the kinds of relationships among themselves and with the worker that will sustain the group. When these and related issues are not satisfactorily resolved, the group either falls apart or remains frustrated in its efforts to meet the needs of its members.

• Group processes at the beginning will include interactions between group members that are fairly superficial in nature.

• There will be little sharing of personal, more intimate reactions and experiences.

• The talk will focus, for example, on places people have lived. Usually people talk first with those they see as similar to themselves in things such as age, race and sex.

• Common interests may begin attracting group members to one another.

• In treatment groups, symptom description is an early favorite issue, along with a description of previous group experiences, medications and so on. These types of activities are seen as one way of coping with anxiety posed by group beginnings.

• There are a number of essential tasks of the beginning phase. They are:

1) Clarifying group purpose

2) Establishing group norms

3) Addressing emotional reactions to the group

4) Defining the leader-member relationship

5) Defining members relationships

6) Preventing the developing of coalitions

7) Identifying individual and group goals

8) Developing a constructive atmosphere.

1) GROUP PURPOSE needs to be one of the first orders business. In some cases as we have learned this is done ahead of time in the case of task groups, and in many cases it is at least generally formulated for treatment groups, as well.

There may be covert reasons that members have joined that affect the process of determining group purpose. Examples include a member who joined an assertiveness training group in order to make friends, or a person who joined a job placement group in order to recruit people for a social action project.

A thorough discussion of group purpose during this initial phase of group development will hopefully lead, as we have already discussed, to the development of a group purpose that has the strongest commitment of all members.

Sometimes individual issues that will broaden or change group purposes do not surface until the group moves toward the next phase when activities begin to achieve the group's purpose. Problems in this next phase can be encountered when there is a lack of commitment by some or all members of the group to the group purpose.

2) DETERMINATION OF NORMS

Norms are expectations members place on each other as to proper behavior. Sometimes these norms are explicit--confidentiality; other times normative decisions are implicit, as when members and workers begin to call each other by first names without any formal decision.

A norm that workers seek to develop in groups is that all members have responsibility for the group. Another desirable norm to be cultivated by the worker is that members have the responsibility to be open and honest with each other. One way the people, including the worker influence the formation of norms is through modeling.

3) EMOTIONAL REACTIONS TO GROUP FORMATION

One main emotional issue in the beginning is the conflict between the attraction to the group and the anxiety about the group. This could be described as an approach-avoidance type of reaction. People are attracted to groups for various reasons--gratification of interacting with other people, attaining personal goals, etc. However, they are often apprehensive in that it is unclear whether their participation will in fact help with achievement of personal goals or will participation block attainment? Will other people be hostile or friendly, accepting or rejecting? Will the costs be too high? Will the member fit it? All of these things contribute to the approach-avoidance reaction.

The first few meetings will influence the members' answers to the above questions and whether they remain in the group or not. Addressing this ambivalence openly in an empathic manner can contribute to its resolution. This overt effort to deal with anxieties about beginning group participation can help members work through their concerns, whether it is a treatment group or a task group. Getting all members to contribute to the discussion at this level of group development will facilitate continued participation of all members.

4) RELATIONSHIP OF GROUP WORKER TO MEMBERS

Members, in an emotional sense usually place the workers in a central position because of the presumed expertise and responsibility for the group. They may address much of their communication to the leader and expect the leader to solve both group and individual problems. Too much dependence can be addressed at another appropriate stage of group formation, for this beginning phase this initial dependence is used to nurture relationships between the worker and the members.

Remembering names is important in this effort!

Asking members for comments or contributions indicates interest and contributes to relationships. The worker needs to take responsibility for opening the meeting.

There is a substantial amount of research that indicates that a positive outcome with psychotherapy is influenced by the three worker characteristics of empathy, genuineness and warmth. Much of the research is done regarding individual treatment, but some of it indicates that the factors are as important in group treatment as in individual.

5) RELATIONSHIPS AMONG MEMBERS

Positive feelings that members have toward each other will be a major contributor to members group participation. The trust between them will contribute to their ability to achieve the purpose of the group.

Seeking similarities: Helping members to discover similarities between themselves will help relationships to form in the group. In the beginning, this can be achieved by having people talk about why they joined the group, and as they talk about themselves and their problems the leader can continue to point out similarities, both obvious and more subtle.

Talking to Each Other: One of the major issues in the first meetings is the tendency for members to talk to the leader rather than to each other. It is a very natural tendency, yet one that the leader needs to attend to. This can be done by drawing attention to the tendency. This can be accomplished in several ways:

1.By redirecting questions placed to him or her back to group members.

2.By directly pointing out the value to members helping each other.

3.By identifying commonalties among the members.

4.By choosing to raise the issue of dependency on the leader as a topic of discussion.

6) INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP GOALS

Just as purpose is essential, goals relating to the purpose are important in group work.

Personal goals may be very diverse. Some people may be very aware of personal goals, others may not be. Greater similarity between personal goals of members and group goals results in a greater attraction to the group and more willing to provide resources and assistance to the group. If personal goals are homogeneous, group members are more likely to agree on group goals and experience more satisfaction with the group. Heterogeneous personal goals will not definitely spell failure for the group, but they do require special attention.

7) DEVELOPING A CONSTRUCTIVE ATMOSPHERE

Cooperative atmosphere is marked by open and honest communication, trust, pooling of resources and cohesion. Cooperation among group members increases: creativity, coordination of effort, division of labor, emotional involvement in the group accomplishment, helping and sharing, interpersonal skills, positive self attitudes, divergent thinking, acceptance of individual and cultural differences and problem-solving skills.

A competitive atmosphere is usually destructive. Competition exists when the members perceive their personal goals to be incompatible, different, conflicting, or mutually exclusive.

In a highly competitive group, a member can achieve his/her goal only if all others fail to obtain their goals. There are however, times when some competition is beneficial. But even in team sports, a cooperative atmosphere among the team has been found to enhance the team’s efforts to win.

Reflecting On the Group Session

A critical portion of this learning exercise is the processing that takes place immediately after the exercise. At the end of the group, all students will have the opportunity to reflect on the experiences of the group session and to understand the meaning of what transpired.

This reflection process typically begins with the student group facilitators describing their experience leading the group.

Group facilitators: you are expected to share the thoughts and emotions that you experienced during the group. Most importantly, you will provide a critique of your work that includes a balanced assessment of your strengths and areas for improvement.

Then, each participating group member, should use the ‘round robin’ technique to provide balanced feedback for the facilitators.

All members of the class should consider the knowledge, skills, and values that were demonstrated during the group exercise. In addition, feedback and reflection upon what was absent during the experience that perhaps could have assisted with group progress will make for meaningful group discussion. We hope that during this reflection you are able to consider your own skills and the skills of your colleagues in context with what you’ve learned thus far in your curriculum and in this course in particular.

Facilitation Schedule:

You are welcome to do some advanced planning with your co-facilitators or to work with the facilitation process as it unfolds in the group session. In all of the groups, one session needs one or two volunteers to facilitate. Please let me know who has volunteered to co-facilitate the open sessions by the second group. IF FOR ANY REASON YOU WILL BE ABSENT FROM CLASS ON THE DAY YOU FACILITATE, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CONTACTING YOUR CO-FACILITATOR TO LET HIM OR HER KNOW.

Second Assignment for

Clinical Practice with Groups

CP 771

Group Process Recording Assignment

(adapted from the Big Sister Association of Greater Boston)

You will be provided an opportunity to participate in an in-class support group this semester. The purpose of the group is to offer you an in vivo experience of being a group member as well as an opportunity to enhance your group facilitation skills. This assignment is designed to promote reflection on your group facilitation experience. Please respond to these questions as completely and honestly as possible within the parameters indicated next to each item.

You are not being graded on the quality of your practice. However, a critical analysis of your efforts is essential. A discussion which indicates what you did well and what you would do differently if you had the chance will be valued. You are to integrate sixreadings to support your analysis. At least three need to be drawn from course required readings with the rest coming from the supplemental list, readings from other courses, or form your own research. Of course always be sure to disguise the names of group members. Use of pseudonyms is acceptable. Your responses are to be single spaced under each item and do use headings.

Your name Session of

Part I

1. Briefly describe the session. Include in this description the numbers of members present. Summarize how the session began, evolved and ended. (one to two paragraphs):

1. What, if anything, did you plan as a topic of discussion? Why? (one paragraph)

1. What topic/s were actually addressed? (one paragraph)

1. Describe the group tone/ atmosphere. Was it relaxed, tense distracted, excited etc.? What did people say or do to let you know this? (one paragraph)

1. Did you see any bonding/ connections among members? Among whom (no specific names please)? What bonded them, for example common characteristics such as age, ethnicity and so forth? Common histories or experiences? What did the members say or do that let you know that bonding occurred (one to two paragraphs)

1. What elements of mutual aid were present? What were group members saying or doing that let you know this? Be specific and integrate course readings where appropriate (two to three paragraphs).

1. Were there any new problems, issues or themes brought up in this session? If so how did you manage these new issues? Did you determine it was best to follow members’ leads with regard to these new topics, or alternatively did you try to keep the group focused? Both? Why? (one paragraph)

1. Were there any challenging group dynamics? Conflicts? What do you make of the reasons? What were people saying or doing that let you know this? Integrate course readings where appropriate. (two or three paragraphs)

1. What group member roles did you see played out? (e.g. silent member, dominating, clown, peacemaker…). How did other members respond to the ways these roles played out? Did you feel the need to intervene? Why or why not? Integrate course readings where appropriate. (two paragraphs)

1. What work (growth) was accomplished during this session? What were members doing or saying that let you know this? (one to two paragraphs).

1. Based on your analysis, what did you do well?Support your analysis with course readings and reference your segment of group process below. (two or three paragraphs)

1. Based on your analysis, what might you have done differently? Support your analysis with course readings and reference your segment of group process below. (two or three paragraphs).

1. Choose two interactions from the session: One, that upon reflection, you feel went well and where your intervention worked for the group. What was your goal? Why do you think it went well? AND choose one that you would like to be able to go back in time and do over. What would you have done differently? How might you have been more effective? What (exact words) could you have said or done? the section below, identify the two interactions from the session. Use verbatim accounts to describe these key interactions and your interventions. Use summarizing statements to fill in the gaps.

Content of Contact / Student’s observations/ impressions / Student’s feelings, reactions, thoughts
Content of Contact / Student’s observations/ impressions / Student’s feelings, reactions, thoughts

Clinical Practice with Groups CP 7711