Final Stage Summary: Stage Characteristics

1. Final Stage Summary: Stage Characteristics • Some sadness and anxiety over reality of separation • Members likely to pull back / participate in less intense ways in anticipation of ending of group • Members deciding what courses of action they are likely to take

2. Final Stage Summary: Stage Characteristics (cont.) • Some fears of separation as well as fears about being able to carry over into daily life some of what was experienced in the group • Members may express their fears, hopes, concerns for one another

3. Final Stage Summary: Stage Characteristics (cont.) • Group sessions may be devoted partly to preparing members to meet significant others in everyday life; possible role playing and behavior rehearsal for relating to others • Potential member evaluation of the group experience • Possible talk about follow-up meetings or some plan for accountability

4. Final Stage Summary: Member Functions • Dealing with feelings about separating and termination • Preparing for generalizing learning to everyday life • Offering feedback that will give others a better picture of how they are perceived

5. Final Stage Summary: Member Functions (cont.) • Completing unfinished business, either issues they’ve brought to group or issues that pertain to people in the group • Evaluating impact of the group • Making decisions and plans concerning what changes they want to make and how they will go about making them

6. Final Stage Summary: Member Possible Problems • Avoiding reviewing their experience and failing to put it into some cognitive framework, limiting the generalization of their learning • Members distance themselves due to separation anxiety • Considering the group an end in itself and not use it as a way to continue to grow

7. Final Stage Summary: Leader Functions • Assist members with feelings about termination • Provide opportunity for members to express and deal with unfinished business within group • Reinforce changes made by members & ensure resource information available

8. Final Stage Summary: Leader Functions • Assist members determine how they will apply specific skills in daily life • Develop specific contracts & homework as practical ways to make changes • Assist clients develop a conceptual framework to help integrate learning • Provide opportunities for members to give each other constructive feedback

9. Final Stage Summary: Leader Functions • Reemphasizing the importance of maintaining confidentialty • Administering end-of-group assessment evaluate the nature of individual changes & evaluate the group

10. Postgroup Stage Summary: Member Functions • Finding ways of reinforcing themselves without group support • Keeping some record of their changes, including process and problems, so they can determine long-term effects of their group experience • Finding ways of continuing with new behaviors through self-directed program for change

11. Postgroup Stage Summary: Member Functions (cont.) • Attending an individual session (if scheduled) to discuss how well their goals were met • Attending a follow-up group session to share with fellow members what they have done with their group experience after termination

12. Postgroup Stage Summary: Member Possible Problems • If members have difficulty applying what they learned in group to everyday situations, they might become discouraged and discount the value of the group • Potential problems in continuing with new behaviors without the supportive environment of the group

13. Postgroup Stage Summary: Member Possible Problems (cont.) • Forgetting that change demands time, effort, work, practice, and thus may not use what they’ve learned

14. Postgroup Stage Summary: Leader Functions • Offering private consultations if any member needs it, at least on limited basis to discuss a members’ reactions to group experience • If applicable, providing for follow-up group session or individual interviews to assess impact of the group

15. Postgroup Stage Summary: Leader Functions (cont.) • Finding out about specific referral resources for members who want or need further consultation • Encouraging members to find some avenues of continued support and challenge, to mark the beginning of a search for self-understanding

16. Postgroup Stage Summary: Leader Functions (cont.) • Assisting members to develop contracts enabling them to make use of support systems among the group members and outside the group • Meeting with co-leader to discuss overall effectiveness of the group

17. Postgroup Stage Summary: Leader Functions (cont.) • Administering postgroup assessment to determine the long-range impact of the group