Types of Group Work: Qualities, Definitions, and Models

1. Chapter 1 Types of Group Work Prepared by: Nathaniel N. Ivers, Wake Forest University

2. Roadmap • Qualities of a Group • ASGW Definition of Group Work • Types of Groups • Task/Work • Psychoeducational • Counseling • Psychotherapy • Mixed

3. Qualities of a Group • Groups include two or more individuals who meet face-to-face or virtually • Groups are interactive • Groups are interdependent • Group members are aware of belonging to the group • Groups are purposeful – focus on achieving agreed upon goals (Adapted from Johnson & Johnson, 2013)

4. Group Work • “A broad professional practice involving the application of knowledge and skill in group facilitation to assist an interdependent collection of people to reach their mutual goals, which may be intrapersonal, interpersonal, or work related. The goals of the group may include the accomplishment of tasks related to work, education, personal development, personal and interpersonal problem solving, or remediation of mental and emotional disorders” (ASGW, 2000, pp. 329-330)

5. Types of Groups • Task/Work Groups • Psychoeducational Groups • Counseling Groups • Psychotherapy Groups • Mixed Groups

6. Types of Groups - Conceptual Models

7. Task/Work Groups • Foster “efficient and effective accomplishment of group tasks among people who are gathered to accomplish group task goals (ASGW, 2000, p. 330). • Emphasize accomplishment and efficiency in successfully completing identified tasks through collaboration (Falco et al., 2006)

8. Task/Work Groups Run Best When. . . • the purpose of the group is clear to all participants, • process and content issues are balanced, • the systems of the group as a whole, leader, member, and subsets of members are recognized and acknowledged, • time is taken for culture building and learning about each other, • the ethic of collaboration, cooperation, and mutual respect is developed and nurtured, (Hulse-Killacky, Killacky, & Donigian, 2001)

9. Task/Work Groups Run Best When. . . • conflict is addressed, • feedback is exchanged, • leaders pay attention to the here-and-now, • members are active resources, • members learn to be effective and influential participants, • leaders exhibit a range of skills for helping members address task and human relations issues, • members and leaders take time to reflect on what is happening. (Hulse-Killacky, Killacky, & Donigian, 2001)

10. Task/Work Groups(Tasking) • Focus is on DOING • Group goal is specific • Emphasis placed onaccomplishing the task. • Often product-oriented • Commonly labeled as “task-force”, “work group”, “ad hoc committee.”

11. Psychoeducational Groups • Originally developed for use in educational settings, specifically public schools • “educational groups” • “guidance groups” • “Emphasizes using education methods to acquire information and develop related meaning and skills” (Brown, 1997, p. 1). • Can be preventive, growth oriented, or remedial in their purpose and focus

12. Psychoeducational Groups • Used in a wide variety of settings outside of schools: • Hospitals • Mental health agencies • Correctional institutions • Social service agencies • Spiritual settings • Universities

13. Psychoeducational Groups • Psychoeducational groups include • “discussion groups • guided group interactions • recovery groups • support groups • orientation groups • educational groups • student-centered learning groups” (Rivera et al., 2004, p. 391)

14. Psychoeducational Groups • Elements of designing and planning for a successful psychoeducational group: • stating the purpose • establishing goals • setting objectives • selecting content • designing experiential activities • Evaluating (Furr, 2000)

15. Psychoeducational Groups • Stress growth through knowledge (ASGW, 1991, 2000) • Emphasize transmitting, discussing, and integrating factual knowledge (Rivera et al., 2004) • Content includes but is not limited to personal, social, vocational, and educational information.

16. Counseling Groups • Preventative, growth oriented, and remedial • “Generally considered to be a treatment mode that is equal in effectiveness to individual counseling” (Stockton, Morran, & Krieger, 2004, p. 65) • May be referred to as interpersonal problem-solving groups.

17. Counseling Groups • Counseling groups emphasize improvement of interpersonal relationships and the intrapersonal growth of members. • Although goals are personal, the group as a whole may also share them. • Often, topics covered are developmental or situational.

18. Psychotherapy Groups • Address “personal and interpersonal problems of living . . . among people who may be experiencing severe and/or chronic maladjustment” (ASGW, 2000, p. 331) • Are remedial in nature and emphasize helping people with serious psychological problems of long duration by confronting them with “their unconscious conflicts so that they may be resolved” (Lev-Wiesel, 2003, p. 240)

19. Psychotherapy Groups • Found most often in mental health facilities, such as clinics and hospitals • Emphasize therapy by the group rather than therapy in the group (Grossmark, 2007) • May be open-ended (admitting new members at any time) or closed-ended (not admitting new members after the first session). • A primary aim is to reconstruct or rectify the personalities or intrapersonal function of members of the group (Brammer et al., 1993; Gazda et al., 2001)

20. Psychotherapy Group Leaders • Are mental health experts with specialized training and expertise in dealing with people with emotional problems • Often operate from a theoretical position.

21. Mixed Groups • Mixed groups encompass multiple ways of working with group members and may change their emphasis at different times in the development of the group. • Self-help and support groups, as an example, are often psychoeducational, psychotherapeutic, and task driven. Leadership may be by a professional helper or support group member.