Support Group Observation

Unit Title: 521 Facilitate and development of effective group practice in health and social care or children and young people’s setting

The process of running a group therapy session is a unique time to tests a person’s skills abilities when it comes to facilitating that group. This paper will mainly look at ways when it comes to my learning's of this class that I took ways; I will also show examples and skills to run a good group therapy session. This whole paper is a reflection of the many things that I took was on being an active group counselor facilitator.

In this paper I will identify the need for the group that was chosen. Part of the discussion will concentrate on the three key values used in the group approach with this population. The other will address models and theories of group practice, and the approach used by this group. The paper will also look at the key challenges or obstacles in group interventions with this population. Using the worksheet planning guide for social work group’s eight headings will be discussed. Briefly the readings from the course syllabus will be used in the development plan and incorporated in the paper will be the plans for an initial group session. Based on the skills inventory three critical skills will be addressed. Lastly a critique of a proposed group will be conducted.

As social workers, we want to learn about how to develop a mutual aid group together. Our group chose to do this in a mutual aid group focused on managing stress, as well as recording group process and development. This group analysis and reflection paper will be based on the description of the participants as well as identifying, describing, and explaining the analyzing of the group processes and key concepts. Included will also be a facilitator’s reflection from my behalf of the third session of the mutual aid group.

A mutual aid group is a group of people with similar challenges, helping one another to overcome the obstacles they each face and become a system of support for one another. This mutual aid group is composed of five female members of a Social Work 420 course at St. Augustine College in Chicago. The topic of the group is self identity. This group analysis and reflection paper provide a review of the mutual aid process as it relates to a mutual aid group and examines and reflect on a group session led by the author.

I was filled with anxiety at the beginning of the semester when I found out that I would have to go to at least three support group meetings. Filled with thoughts about how they would receive me, knowing that I did not have nor ever had an addiction. I did not want them to believe that I was just there to dissect their lives and that I did not care. The last thing that I desired was to complicate a safe space for people who may have never had that. Nevertheless, once I got to each meeting, I realized that those feelings were my own negative self-talk.

The Prevention of Marijuana Consumption through Education and Social Support group is designed to serve high school adolescents. The group is a psychoeducational group that offers information on marijuana, while also allowing space for the participants to process their emotional and psychological reactions and experiences to the topic (Hepworth, Rooney, Rooney, & Strom-Gottfried, 2016a). The group was intentionally designed as a psychoeducational group so that the leaders can offer educational materials and coping skills while also leaving space to process the students thoughts and emotions on the subject as well (Hepworth et al., 2016b). The freedom to openly discuss the information taught, instead of simply digesting the information and leaving,

If I were to start a support group it would be for people who have lost a loved one to the military. As discussed above I have personal experience in dealing with this. When having the group meeting an example of a metaphor I would use when speaking to the group in order to get them to open up and foster conversation comes from Sarah Brabant’s “Metaphors as Tools in Clinical Sociology” is “loss is a tear in piece of fabric” (Brabant 81) This leads to the persons current status as being a torn fabric and through time and work it can be mended and you can move past the grief you feel for the lost. In addition to sharing their own narratives and to encourage more people to share their own I would find and share narratives from both family members,

: Blog style groups on the website to allow people to express their daily concerns and receive feedback from others around the world going through the same condition or helping someone going through this same condition.

There is increasing evidence to show the combination of substance use disorder treatment and association with a mutual-help group (e.g., Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous) increases the ability of individuals to remain abstinent in the long-term (Ferri et al., 2006; Moos & Moos, 2006a; Tonigan et al., 2000). There is also research that supports the effectiveness of changing social networks and embracing a mutual-help group (Bond et al., 2003; Ferri et al., 2006; Litt, Kadden, Kabela-Cormier, & Petry, 2007; Pagano, Friend, Tonigan, & Stout, 2004; Tonigan et al., 2000). One study reported that, in a 15-month period, AA attendees reported 70% days abstinent versus 62% of those who chose to not attend AA meetings (Litt et al., 2007).

Attached a proposal for a support group that I would like to offer to parents of any gender and age that have children with any disability. I believe that there is a need for this group in our community because there are many parents that struggle with their children. This agency can make a change in many parents and children’s lives.

I interviewed a representative form Region 3 who was the on call for the Emergency Community Support Program. The program works with a wide variety of ages dealing mainly with mental health needs. They also do different types of referrals and some therapy. There are many programs with in this agency that can pertain to the age of the young to middle adult class. Some of these programs that would help the young to middle adult class is Network Management, Regional Consumer and Family System Coordination, Emergency Community Support, Trauma Informed Care, Regional Prevention System, and Youth System of Care Coordination, Youth Suicide Prevention. All of theses service helps with the mental status of the person by providing information on where they could get further help to having somewhere safe to go when something happens.

I’m glad you discussed the peer support statement from the group meeting’s perspective. When I completed this survey and read this statement, my mind went quickly to a service participant working closely with a peer specialist. I feel that a peer specialist along with their learned personal experiences can be a valuable asset to those in recovery. For the past five years or so, I have had the opportunity to work with several peer specialist and have gained a better understanding of mental illness and recovery due to their guidance and input.

The purpose of this analysis and reflection paper is to convey the necessary planning skills and knowledge needed for a mutual aid group to develop. . This paper analyzes the very first session as trust is being developed. As a facilitator of a mutual aid group, it is absolutely necessary to evaluate and examine each and every member. It is essential that we understand the dynamics of the group as a whole, but also, of each of its parts. This is critical in order to make the members within the group feel like they belong. Providing a safe environment of non- judgmental, understanding individuals with similar experiences would promote a feeling of acceptance. This is necessary in order to be able to assist in the process of guiding within the

The first day at the convention I arrived at the hotel and I changed into a simple steampunk cosplay to attend a meet and greet dinner with my favorite band. The band members visited each table individually to talk to everyone. I was shy. My table was filled with older adults who had very little in common with me.