1. Group Work Practice: Week 1
Introductions-see agenda week 1
Handout: Self Assessment: An Inventory of your views on the process and practice of groups. Have students take 10 minutes to fill it out first response.
Group Work Practice: Week 1
Kim L Stansbury, Ph.D., MSW

2. for the energy you bring
You are responsible
for the energy you bring
into the room
Your own experience as a group member, prior to taking your first group course will provide you with readiness for learning. It is difficult to learn simply by reading about matters that are central to group process such as self disclosure . Working with reluctance, confrontation, giving and receiving feedback non defensively, and connecting with others.

3. Welcome to Group Work 550 Welcome/Ground Rules Ice Breaker
Introductions: Name, What do you like/value about groups? What makes you uncomfortable/challenged by groups?
Syllabus Review
Group Activity: Groups you are a part of
Short Lecture

4. Icebreaker Get into a group of three Share what you have in common
Family
Food
Fun
Icebreaker 20 minutes.
Class discussion.

5. What happened in small group?
Participation
Leadership
Did you stay on task
Did anyone ask questions-process issues
Was there a balance between task and process
Other observations
Participation: who talked, who did not? Dominance vs. non-participation?
Who took a leadership role? What does that mean?
Did you stay on task and did someone call on staying on task?
Did anyone ask clarifying questions, gave supportive feedback? (process issues)
How would you say was the balance between task orientation and focus on on process?
Other observations: did each person felt heard, acknowledged and understood? How satisfying was the experience for each member of the group?
Handout Group Roles and The Group

6. Introductions Name What you like about groups?
What you dislike, feel challenged by groups?

7. Let’s Brainstorm What types of groups can you think of? Group exercise
What groups do you belong to?
Syllabus Review
Group Activity: Discuss importance/influence these groups have had in your life
Support, therapeutic, task,
Family
Peers
Classrooms
Social
Community
Recreation
Work

8. What is a Group Work?
A series of activities carried out by the facilitator during the life of the groups, as it moves through 6 developmental stages:
Planning
Beginning
Assessment
Middle
Ending
Evaluation
Groups provide formal and informal structure in community, workplace, family, etc….decline in clubs and civic organizaion, major increase in web-based social network sites

9. Group Work Definition pg 11 Toseland & Rivas
“Goal-directed activity with small treatment and task groups aimed at meeting socioemotional needs and accomplishing tasks. This activity is directed to individual members or a group and to the group as a whole within a system of service delivery.”

10. What influences group work practice?
A system of personal and professional values
Four Key Values:
Respect and Dignity
Solidarity and Mutual Aid
Empowerment
Understanding, respect, and camaraderie among people from diverse backgrounds
**Supervision assists in awareness of values**
~Toseland & Rivas p 7-8
Respect & Dignity: NASW Code of Ethics
Solidarity: help members grow, develop, heal and be connected. Sense of unity and community
Empowerment: use abilities to help themselves and make a difference in communities
Can decrease ignorance and prejudice

11. Values & Ethics Practice Values American Values Group Work Values
Practice Ethics
What is a value? As defined by the Webster’s dictionary; 1. relative worth, merit, or importance: the value of a college education; the value of a queen in chess.
2. monetary or material worth, as in commerce or trade: This piece of land has greatly increased in value.
3. the worth of something in terms of the amount of other things for which it can be exchanged or in terms of some medium of exchange.
4. equivalent worth or return in money, material, services, etc.: to give value for value received.
5. estimated or assigned worth; valuation: a painting with a current value of $500,000.
The book states that values are beliefs and preferences about how one ought to behave.
What do you value? Social work is influenced by our personal and our professional values. How does the way you believe influence the way you will work with clients in groups? Recognition of ones values is the first step in the ability to put it aside when working with someone who has different values that you might have.
Within our personal values we have added American values-what are examples of American Values? ANSWER= Judeo-Christian doctrine (dignity and worth of people, responsibly to your neighbor). Democratic values (equality and participation, all people’s right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness). The Puritan ethic (responsibility for self, moral life). Social Darwinism (survival of the strongest). These values are imbedded in mission statements, goals, policy, procedures and practices of agencies that have been established to help people. We are also affected by the SW Code of Ethics. What are those main ethics in the code? ANSWER= respect worth and dignity of the individual, respect person’s autonomy and self determination, empowering an individual (self determination, non judgmental attitude, equal access to services and social provisions, affirming interdependence of the individual and society.
What are group values? Participation, cooperation and mutual decision making, importance of individual initiative within the group (everyone has a voice), freedom to participate (ability to express thoughts and feelings), individualization (unique concerns are addressed).
The book speaks about four key values and I wonder if we might discuss those four key values. (page 7) Respect and dignity, solidarity and mutual aid, empowerment and understanding.
One way to deal with personal values is to have regular supervision it is a key to addressing and creating the ability to deal with personal values that get in the way of being an effective leader in a group. Practice Ethics- screening process, development of therapeutic goals, informed consent, ongoing assessment
The truth is that we all are consistently trying to not violate ethical principles but it happens to all social workers. What do we do when that happens? Supervision and continued education are key to helping us deal with ethical principles and to learn how to stay within them.

12. Group Exercise Break into four groups
Each group develop a list regarding one of the following
Potential benefits of group participation
Potential risks/concerns of group participation
Benefits of group work for the practitioners
Issues to consider before leading a group
Group Exercise
Handout Social work with Groups Potential benefits
Discussion around benefits vs. risks

13. Historical Models of Group Work
Social Goals Model
Remedial Model
Reciprocal Model
Social Goals Model-citizen, neighborhood and community residents, settlement houses, neighborhood center setting, girl scouts, YWCA, Jewish community centers, senior centers, PJAL, Center for Justice,
Values cultural diversity, power of a group action, members establish the goals for the group, matching needs to environmental opportunities for growth, autonomy of group members, freedom to pursue their own self defined goals. Use of empowerment strategies.
Remedial Model- client's who are not functioning adequately and need help coping with life’s tasks, formal agency setting, clinical outpatient or inpatient settings.
Restoring or rehabilitation of individuals to help them change their behavior, leader centered approach, this model has increased in use over the years and is used often in inpatient and community based settings with individuals who have severe behavioral problems and social skill deficits. Also used in managed care settings as cost effective alternatives to long term individual and group psychotherapy. Likely places this is used might be drug and alcohol treatment programs, ESH, private practice, maybe group health or other health care management programs.
Reciprocal Model-partners who work together sharing common concerns, compatible with clinical inpatient and outpatient settings and neighborhood and community centers. Also known as interactional model, social workers know this as PIE or ecological model, also group centered, process oriented approach. Members & environment influence each other, SW is mediator exploring new ways to cope with environmental demands. This model is closely linked with the humanistic orientation focus on potential for growth and activation help make social environment responsive to members needs. What agencies would come to mind that use this model? SNAP, VOICES, Homeless Coalition.
The key is that there are many ways to run a group and much depends on the purpose. Understanding why you might choose one model over another will help a social worker’s ability to provide a more successful experience for the members.

14. Advantages & Disadvantages
Individual
Work
Group
Advantages
Privacy/Confidentiality
Delve Deeper
Focus of Attention
Scheduling
Expertise
Members can be helpful to one another
Opportunities for socialization
Learn from others
Feedback from peers
Disadvantages
One view point
Values of Therapist
Relational Element
Complacency
Transference
Can encourage member conformity
Vulnerable to breaches of confidentiality
Scapegoat members
Assertive members monopolizing
Toseland and Siporin 1986 found group tx was more effective than individual tx in 25% of the cases but individual tx was not found to be more effective than group tx in any of the studies.

15. Classifying Groups Formed and Natural Groups Purpose and Group Work
Treatment and Task Groups
Formed and Natural Groups
Purpose-general aims of a group and guides composition of the group
Treatment Support, education, therapy, growth and socialization
Task Accomplish a goal that is not linked to the group members needs
Hand out Classifying Groups and Types of Groups
Formed: come together through outside influence or intervention ie: therapy groups, educational groups, committees, social action groups, and teams
Natural: come together spontaneously on basis of naturally occurring events, attraction, or mutual needs of members; often lack formal sponsorship ie: family groups, peer groups, friendship networks, gangs, cliques
Task Groups: 3 primary purpose: meeting client needs, meeting organizational needs, meeting community needs.
Groups to meet client needs: Teams (wrap around approach), staffings, research by multiple experts support the effectiveness of this practice Table 1.4 pg30, Treatment Conferences, Staff Development Groups
Groups to meet organizational needs: Committees, Cabinets (provide advice and expertise about policy issues to higher ups), Board of Directors (governing and advisory) provide counsel and guidance to mgmt of organizations, no official power
Groups to meet community needs: Social action groups (SWs lobbying for wage increase or resources), Coalitions/Alliances (group of people who come together for a cause), Delegate Councils (facilitate interagency communication and cooperation, by studying communitywide social issues/problems, engage in collective social action, and govern large organizations) ie: state task force to study family violence composed of members from each county

16. Treatment Groups Support Educational Growth Therapy Socialization
Self Help
Just a short intro to treatment groups. Handout Types of Groups in Group Work
Ask students to discuss types of treatment groups.
Support-Single parents support group, Caregiver support group
Educational-Stress Reduction psycho-education group, weight-loss psycho education group
Growth-Preventing substance abuse, preventing teen pregnancy
Therapy-Coping w/depression, recent trauma,
Socialization-book club, art group, knitting circle
Self Help-Alcoholics Anonymous, Alanon, Narcotics Anonymous
Treatment: Six primary purposes: support, education, growth, therapy, socialization, self-help. Table 1.3 pg 21
Support: group of people diagnosed with cancer and their families discussing how to cope
Educational: a group for prospective foster parents by child welfare
Growth: an encounter group for married couples or gay pride group
Therapy: outpt group at mh center
Socialization: Parents without partners group-picnics, dances, movie night
Self-Help: led by members (distinguishing characteristic) who share problem; AA, Cancer Survivors, GamblingAnonymous

17. Task Groups Clients Needs Organizational Needs Community Needs
Just a beginning look at task groups. Have students make list of different type of task groups.
Client Needs-day care after school needs for single parents who work
Organizational Needs-How to work with less budget but provide same quality to clients
Community Needs-Better safety at community parks
Task Groups: 3 primary purpose: meeting client needs, meeting organizational needs, meeting community needs.
Groups to meet client needs: Teams (wrap around approach), staffings, research by multiple experts support the effectiveness of this practice Table 1.4 pg30, Treatment Conferences, Staff Development Groups
Groups to meet organizational needs: Committees, Cabinets (provide advice and expertise about policy issues to higher ups), Board of Directors (governing and advisory) provide counsel and guidance to mgmt of organizations, no official power
Groups to meet community needs: Social action groups (SWs lobbying for wage increase or resources), Coalitions/Alliances (group of people who come together for a cause), Delegate Councils (facilitate interagency communication and cooperation, by studying communitywide social issues/problems, engage in collective social action, and govern large organizations) ie: state task force to study family violence composed of members from each county

18. Best Group Experience What happened to make it a good experience?
Break into small groups of three
Make a list of the variables/characteristics about “good” groups
What are the core ingredients/factors?
After they break into small groups have them discuss their lists.