Developing, Managing ad Evaluating Groups

1. Developing, Managing ad Evaluating Groups

2. Acknowledgement • This PowerPoint has been adapted from instructional materials developed by Dr. Maureen McGuire-Kuletz, The George Washington University for the Group Counseling class of the Master’s in Rehabilitation Program.

3. Various Types of Groups • Task facilitation groups • aims to foster accomplishing identified work goals • Psychoeducational group • aims to educate group members who want to acquire information and skills in an area of living • Support Groups

4. Professional Training Standards for Group Workers • ASGW (2000) has recommendations for what constitutes competence as a group facilitator – • Knowledge competencies: course work is essential • Skills competencies: specific group facilitation skills are required for effectively intervening • Core specialization in group work: task facilitation groups; psychoeducational groups; counseling groups; psychotherapy groups Groups: Process & Practice - Chapter 2 (7)

5. Ethical and Legal Issues in Group Counseling • Informed consent • Provide members with adequate information that will allow them to decide if they want to join a group • Some information to give prospective members: • The nature of the group • The goals of the group • The general structure of the sessions • What is expected of them if they join • What they can expect from you as a leader Groups: Process & Practice - Chapter 3 (1)

6. Psychological Risks of Group Participation • Although there are benefits to participating in a group, there are also potential risks that group leaders need to monitor — • Members may be pressured to disclose and violate privacy • Confidentiality may be broken • Scapegoating may occur • Confrontation may be done in an uncaring manner • Group leaders may not have the competencies to deal with some difficulties that arise in a group Groups: Process & Practice - Chapter 3 (3)

7. Confidentiality • Confidentiality is the foundation of a working group • Leaders need to define the parameters of confidentiality including its limitations in a group setting • Members need to be taught what confidentiality involves • Leaders talk to members about the consequences of breaching confidentiality • Leaders remind members at various points in a group of the importance of maintaining confidentiality Groups: Process & Practice - Chapter 3 (4)

8. Some Legal Safeguards for Group Practitioners • Take time and care in screening candidates for a group; and for preparing them on how to actively participate • Demystify the group process • Strive to develop collaborative relationships with the members • Consult with colleagues or supervisors whenever there is a potential ethical or legal concern • Incorporate ethical standards in the practice of group work Groups: Process & Practice - Chapter 3 (7)

9. The Role of Group Leader Values • Essential that you are aware of your values and how they influence what you think, say, and do in groups • Groups are not a forum for you to impose your values on members • Purpose of a group: to assist members in examining options that are most congruent with their values • Group members have the task of clarifying their own values and goals, making informed choices, and assuming responsibility for what they do Groups: Process & Practice - Chapter 3 (6)

10. Forming a Group: Setting Yourself Up For Success • Five areas for a practical proposal for a group • RATIONALE – What is the rationale for your group? • OBJECTIVES – Are your objectives specific and attainable? • PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS – Have you considered all the relevant practical issues in forming your group? • PROCEDURES– What kinds of techniques and interventions will you employ to attain the stated objectives? • EVALUATION – How will you evaluate the process and outcomes of the group?

11. Practical Considerations in Forming a Group • Group composition (depends on what type of group) • Group size (up to 12 but 7 or 8 work best) • Open versus closed group • Heterogeneous versus Homogeneous • Length of the group (12 to 15 weeks best) • Frequency and duration of meetings (1/wk; 1hr 30mins) • Place for group sessions • How will you go about getting the information out about your group

12. Desirable Characteristics of a Group • Group balance (ideally dynamic balance b/w cognitive reflective members who talk about their feelings – intellectualizes and emoters – express feelings; self-blamers and blamers of others; genders – differing viewpoints) • No poor-risk combinations (extreme crisis or suicidal, unable to conceptualize or verbalize at the level of the group, paranoid, psychopathic, sociopathic, drug or alcohol involved in a heterogeneous group) • Member acceptance of each other • Willingness to self-disclose (certain level of ego strength)

13. Questions for Screening of Potential Members • The type of group determines the kind of members that are suitable or unsuitable • The key questions are • Should this person be included in this group at this time with this leader? • Other questions -What methods of screening will you use? • How can you decide who may benefit from a group? • And who might not fit in a group? • How might you deal with a candidate who is not accepted to your group?

14. Questions • Explore • Motivation for joining group • Ability to deal with & comment on interpersonal interaction of interview • Ego strength • Environmental stressors (acute & chronic) • Interpersonal relationships (friends – closest prolonged friendship, degree of intimacy with members of both sexes)

15. What are some advantages of a group setting? • Group setting offers support for new behavior and encourages experimentation • The group is a microcosm of the real world – allows us to see how we relate to others • Group setting provides an optimal arena for members to discover how they are perceived and experienced by others • Groups help members see that they are not alone in their concerns

16. Initial Stage

17. Characteristics: Initial Stage • What are the main characteristics of a group during the initial stage? • Participants test the atmosphere and get acquainted • Risk taking is relatively low – exploration is tentative • Members are concerned with whether they are included or excluded • A central issue building trust and focusing on the here and now • There are periods of silence and awkwardness • Leaders set the stage for exploring ground rules and assist members in goal setting

18. Common Fears Experienced by Group Members • Anxiety over being accepted or rejected • Concern about the judgment of others • Afraid of appearing stupid • Concerns about not fitting into the group • Not knowing what is expected • Concern over communicating feelings and thoughts effectively

19. Establishing Goals • Main task – helping members formulate clear goals – check in with group members as the group progresses • Absence of goals – considerable floundering and aimless sessions • Collaborative process in identifying goals • Goals – lead to contracts and homework assignments

20. Characteristics: Initial Stage • What are the main characteristics of a group during the initial stage? • Participants test the atmosphere and get acquainted • Risk taking is relatively low – exploration is tentative • Members are concerned with whether they are included or excluded • A central issue building trust and focusing on the here and now • There are periods of silence and awkwardness • Leaders set the stage for exploring ground rules and assist members in goal setting

21. Transition Stage

22. Transition Stage of a Group • What are some of the characteristics of a group in the transition stage? • Transitional phase is marked by feelings of anxiety and defenses • What kinds of behaviors might you expect at this stage of a group’s development? • Members are: • testing the leader and other members to determine how safe the environment is (trust should be deepening) • struggling between wanting to play it safe and wanting to risk getting involved • learning how to express themselves so that others will listen

23. Common Fears Emerging at the Transition Stage • Fear of making a fool of oneself • Fear of emptiness • Fear of losing control • Fear of being too emotional • Fear of self-disclosure • Fear of taking too much of the group’s time • Fear of being judged

24. Leader Functions During the Transition Stage • Show members the value of recognizing and dealing fully with conflict situations • Help members to recognize their own patterns of defensiveness • Teach members to respect resistance and to work constructively with the many forms it takes • Provide a model for members by dealing directly and tactfully with any challenge • Encourage members to express reactions that pertain to here-and-now happenings in the sessions

25. Group Leader Interventions in Dealing with Difficult Behaviors of Group Members • Avoid responding with sarcasm • State your observations and hunches in a tentative way • Demonstrate sensitivity to a member’s culture • Avoid taking member’s behavior in an overly personal way • Encourage members to explore a resistance – don’t demand they give up a particular “resistive” behavior

26. Silent Members Monopolistic behavior Latecomers and Absentees Persistent Nondisclosers Scapegoating Challenging the Leader’s Authority Bombarding Others with Questioning Examples of Problematic Styles of Behaving in a Group

27. Silent Members • Reasons • Might feel unworthy • Cultural background • Observing or taking it in • Manipulation • Naturally shy, inhibited, embarrassed, fearful, or hesitant • Communicates behaviorally rather than verbally • Intervention • Refrain from initiating a direct response to the silent member • Use strategies that require the group members deal with the silent member rather than the leader • The leader should observe to see if the silent member has psychologically withdrawn or is really involved

28. Monopolists • Reason • Self-centeredness • Anxious • Accustomed to being ignored • Attempting to keep control of group • A way to avoid intimacy • Intervention • Should not be silenced but helped to be heard differently • Help the member recognize the effect his/her behavior has on the group • “What do you want from the group now that you have said this?” • “How do you perceive the group members responding to you?” • “How can you say that in ten words or less?”

29. Latecomers and Absentees • Reason • Form of resistance • Although they might be absent from the group they are not forgotten • Intervention • Help group members deal with their feelings about the absent member • Remove group member (might suggest individual counseling)– have to deal with remaining members feeling through here and now dialogue • Latecomers’ reasons given not response • No negotiating to tolerate lateness • The most productive way to deal with latecomers is within the group context NOT on a one-to-one basis

30. Persistent Non-disclosers • Might be verbally active but not be disclosing in a meaningful way • They have spent a long time blocking affect from their experiences • May perceive self-disclosure as dangerous because it makes them vulnerable to control by others • Interventions – leader should search out answers to the following questions • What feelings does this member have in common with other members? • How may I respond to these feelings and facilitate affiliative feelings among them? • How may I prepare this member and use feedback from fellow members?

31. Scapegoating • Reason • Most often the member is the object of displaced aggression • May sermonize, be contentious, act dumb, ruminate about past events, or remain untouched by the appearance of intimacy • Intervention • Need to find the source of the group’s anger (often toward the leader) • Try not to: encourage members to give feedback to the scapegoat, or try to protect the scapegoat or focus group attention on the scapegoat

32. Storytelling • Initial resistance is demonstrated by the need to use storytelling • Reporting events that happened outside of group is easier than relating to group members • Acknowledging other members’ presence requires the member to recognize personal emotion which the group member considers dangerous • Giving voice to one’s feelings leaves the member vulnerable

33. Challenging the Leader’s Authority • Opportunity for the leader to be a role model • Respond openly and avoid becoming defensive • Share responsibility with the group • Invite others reactions • This is a good thing as the member is able to become less dependent on the leader and feels the group is a safe place to freely express himself or herself

34. Questioning • Reason • May be a way of hiding • Remaining safe and unknown to the group • Direct people toward thinking and away from feeling • Masks the questioner’s feeling toward the member they are questioning • Intervention • Help questioner understand that the questioning is intrusive and elicits defensiveness • Practice making only direct statements • Need to get at what prompted the question

35. Giving Advice • Can be subtle or not so subtle • Interrupts thoughts and feelings • Increases dependency • Reason • A form of defense • Resistance • Intervention • Explore the meaning behind giving the advice • Explore what is gained by giving the advice • Point out to advice giver he/she is not giving enough attention to him/herself

36. Working Stage of Group

37. Working Stage of a Group: Key points of the working stage • There are no arbitrary dividing lines between each stage of group • Group development ebbs and flows – does not stay static • Work can occur at every stage – not just the working stage • Not all groups reach a working stage • Not all members are functioning at the same level in a working stage

38. Working Group There is a focus on the here and now to explore feelings, ideas, & beliefs Goals of members are clear and specific Cohesion is high – a sense of emotional bonding in the group Conflict in the group is recognized and explored Members are willing to make themselves known Trust is increased and there is a sense of safety Members less reliant on leader Nonworking Group Mistrust is manifested by an undercurrent of unexpressed feelings Participants focus more on others than themselves Participants hold back – disclosure is minimal Members may feel distant from one another Conflicts are ignored or avoided Communication is unclear and indirect Characteristics of a Productive Group versus a Nonworking Group

39. Choices to be Made During the Working Stage • Disclosure versus anonymity • Honesty versus superficiality • Spontaneity versus control • Acceptance versus rejection • Cohesion versus fragmentation

40. The Value of Homework in Groups • Group: not an end in itself • Group is: • A place to learn new behaviors • A place to acquire a range of skills in living • Training ground for everyday life • Homework – a means for maximizing what is learned in group • Members can devise their own homework assignments • Ideally, homework is designed collaboratively between members and leader

41. Ending Stage of Group

42. Ending a Group: What are some of the tasks of the final stage of a group? • Reemphasize importance of maintaining confidentiality • Dealing with feelings of separation • Dealing with unfinished business • Reviewing the group experience • Practice for behavioral change • Ways of carrying learning further • The use of a contract and homework • Giving and receiving feedback

43. Giving and Receiving Feedback at the Ending Stage • The sentence completion method can enhance the quality of feedback and can result in focused feedback • Examples: • My greatest fear for you is ... • My hope for you is... • I hope that you will seriously consider... • I see you blocking your strengths by... • Some things I hope you will think about doing for yourself are... • Some ways I hope you’d be different with others are...

44. Sample Proposal for a Group with Adults • In designing a specific group, consider these components • Description of the type of your group • Rationale of your group • Goals of your group • Marketing methods • Screening and selection members • Structure of group – description of sessions • Methods for assessing outcomes Groups: Process & Practice - Chapter 11 (3)

45. Developing, Managing ad Evaluating Groups This information is the intellectual property of the George Washington University and is to be used for educational purposes only.