Observation In Social Work

I chose to visit an Alcoholics Anonymous group for my Understanding Group Dynamics project. I went on March 20th 2016, to an open discussion group titled Pass it On Group for Beginners that are Living Sober. It was held at the First Congregational Church at 14 Brookside Road in Darien, CT 06854 at 6:15 p.m.. I chose to go to this group as I felt it was a group that I could most strongly connect to, as I am a recovering alcoholic. I have been cold turkey for two years now. I choose to live a sober life as the hangovers, pain that myself and loved ones endured and the constant need to escape from reality was taking over my existence. Going to this group reminded me that I am not alone in this journey of recovery and in the journey of figuring out how to live life sober with my friends, family and strangers drinking around me. The group was friendly and one that when you first enter, they make sure that you are there for the right reasons as confidentiality is important. Then right after, they welcome you with open arms and if you choose to just sit and listen that is fine, but I am a vocal person and I spoke and applauded. I am glad that we got to do this assignment, for I think without I would have never gone to an AA group meeting. I would have kept on my journey by myself and just praying when times got hard, now I have people I can reach out to.

In the United States, many Americans can argue that we are facing a drug epidemic whether it is alcohol or illicit drugs other than medicinal marijuana. In response to this drug epidemic, organizations were created that are supported by the government and law enforcement in an effort to give addicts a chance to get clean. For example, Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotic Anonymous are two organizations that focus on helping people who struggle from alcoholism or any addiction cope with the symptoms of withdrawal in efforts to stay clean with the support of their organization’s community. Although these two organization’s goals are similar, they attack these problems differently beginning with step one out of their twelve step program to help addicts get clean.

As being a family support attendee for my stepfather, the Narcotics Anonymous (NA) support group, this group main focus is to stay clean from drugs. The members of NA learn and expressed ways on coping, to staying away from drugs, and live a drug-free life with the help of their 12 Step Program. When present at the meeting, the support group was on Step Seven, reading about asking God to remove their shortcomings. Even though the support group is near the end of reading and using the 12 Step Program as part of their lives, an individual wanting to go into recovery is an attempt in making a change. However, the goal is to stay clean and away from drug to keep from having a relapse to alcohol and substance use. An onset to alcohol and substance

Addiction is a medical condition. It is a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory, and related circuitry (Halter, 2014). There is no real difference between alcoholism and drug addiction, other than the substance of choice being different. In both cases, use of alcohol or drugs continues despite the presence of related problems and a tendency to relapse. This paper includes a student nurse’s experience of two twelve-step meetings: Alcoholic Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA). Tracy Fellowship AA Group had meeting at 2531 North Holly Drive, Tracy, CA-95376 on September 24, 2014. The NA meeting was at 219 East Poplar Street in Stockton at 12 pm on September 25, 2014.

Behavioral Healthcare professionals are likely to encounter individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs). These are highly prevalent and often co-occur with Mental Health Disorders. SUDs affect vital areas of life, such as physical, emotional, and behavioral functioning. Recovery from addiction is a long a road with highs and lows, however having a strong support system makes facing these challenges manageable. Addiction support groups gives the person a safe place to discuss these challenges while maintaining sobriety. They offer invaluable education, guidance, and the encouragement the patient needs to succeed in living a healthier lifestyle.

Twelve-Step facilitative therapy, TSF, seeks to increase attendance and involvement with 12-Step mutual support groups. According to Wells, et. al (2014) research supports TSF therapies to increase attendance and active involvement in 12-Step programs (AA). The attendance appears to effect use outcomes, and have long-lasting effects In Project MATCH (Nowinski & Carroll, 1998) researched how effective 12-step facilitation groups, (TSF), were for alcohol abuse treatment compared to motivational enhancement therapy (MET) and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Kelly (2016), noted that TSF considers alcoholism to be both a spiritual and biological disease and treatment included that 12-step approach of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). The TSF goal

I could not imagine myself socializing with these people. I was hoping they did not think I am one of them. As the meeting is about to begin this tall guy was about to read out of this book. He began to say the purpose of the meeting is… that is when I spaced out. I was so lost in my thoughts all I can remember him saying,“ purpose of recovery from the disease of addiction.” I still could not believe that I was sitting in a room filled with strangers. He stated the third tradition, “ the only requirement for membership is a desire to stop using.” I always put myself in my sister’s shoes; she has been attending NA meetings for 5 or 6 years now. I could not imagine what she felt like attending her first meeting. I believe I would feel cheated

At around 0953 on June 8, 2017, I contacted Mrs. BV the director of the geriatric social worker who is in charge of older adults home, long-term and nursing facilities visitations in the community. She has few different ways of collecting her data, one of them is by interviewing residents face-to-face in their homes. She stated that this method has been efficient because she gets honest information from the residents by speaking to them directly. She also reviews long-term and nursing facilities including the city health department data to compare with her assessment findings. After evaluating all the data, community-acquired pneumonia was identified as the priority health problem due to the lack of knowledge on signs and symptoms of the disease.

My impressions and hesitation for this assignment, I was not looking forward to the 12-step meeting, becoming nervous, angry, and fearful of not knowing no one. There was no prior prejudice on the subject of going to a substance group, there was more of a fear of being out of place, and asked to speak on my non-drug/substance issues, and acknowledge that I was there to observe. After attending the group setting of an AA meeting, I found myself comfortable due to the open arms of the members. The majority of the individuals present were doing it because they promised someone else to go or court orders. One gentlemen stated nobody wishes to be an alcoholic, and as a result virtually everyone attending the meeting wishes that they were someplace else doing something else (Brooks & McHenry, 2009).

The prevalence and participation of various Anonymous groups (I.e. Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, etc.) has grown substantially over the last decade. Researchers suggest that attendance is an important part of recovery from substance abuse disorders, but dropout and relapse is still a common aspect of patient recovery. This review attempts to address what type of individuals would benefit from Anonymous groups, why relapses or dropouts occur in conjunction with participation in the Anonymous groups, and how we can use this information in a clinical setting to facilitate

This worker received a phone call from Holly McAdams. Holly and this worker set up a home visit for April 14 1-2pm. Holly spoke about how Gracie was doing well in school. Holly had just left a conference with Gracie's teacher. The teacher could not say anymore wonderful things about Gracie. The teacher and Holly wonder if Gracie really needs the counseling. The teacher was recommending a quite soft teacher for 2nd grade since Gracie was moving schools. Holly registered Gracie that day for the new school. Gracie was getting involved in gymnastics. Gracie wants to get involved in girl scouts. Gracie was having her birthday party in May due to having a summer birthday. Gracie was having a pool party at the wellness center. Gracie was doing good

Description: The group I have chosen to write about is, Nar-Anon. Nar-Anon, is a group designed to help the individual’s family, cope with having a loved one, addicted to drugs or alcohol. The goal is to help them find a way to become free from the entrapment of the loved ones addiction. When an individual is addicted to drugs or alcohol they are not alone. They bring their family along for the ride. No, they may not be physically taking the drugs, but they are dealing with seeing their loved one loosing quality of life, jobs, cars, homes, children, and always on guard in fear of what they may do, to get the drugs or money they need to purchase them. Anyone, that wishes to join, may do so. The groups are open to the public. These groups are held weekly on Monday evenings at 6:30. The location of the meeting is at St. Marks Church 325 Walnut St. Hazard, Kentucky 41701. This is a very inviting group with a light

Despite all of the positive benefits of community support groups, there is some negativity surrounding them. Membership in a 12-step recovery program offers participants a worldwide peer-support network for recovery from substance disorders. Despite its efficacy in maintaining sobriety, some have claimed that the 12-step program has disempowered participants and discouraged reintegration with community life (Kurtz, 2015). When a person understands the extent and nature of their illness and has developed hope for ongoing recovery, the next therapeutic process is to develop trust. Self-disclosure and risk-taking behavior are encouraged as a means to practice and develop social skills necessary to appropriately cope with stressors, ask for help and support, and develop healthy relationships in recovery (Kurtz, & Fisher, 2003). The attendees in this particular group did not appear to be disempowered but empowered by each other as they shared their thoughts and feelings during the open discussion period of the night.

Residential Treatment 4 hours and 1 hour spent with onsite superviser Richard Turnham {Week 4}.Today I had the pleasure of observing Christine during group discussions. The members in the group introduced themselves one by one. They also stated their reasonings for being in 12 and 12. Additionally, they revealed their drug of choice and some shared their length of addictions. Christy and I participated as well. Furthermore, the guys in the group expressed their feelings and shared their concerns. According to my studies, group therapy is a collaborative form of healing and is an effective tool and very therapeutic to members who have psychological and emotional issues that range from anxiety and depression, to also addiction and abuse. Thus,

PO attended group on time and had a moderate level of participation in the group. PO shared personal experiences and insights related to the topic openly and appropriately. PO seemed to regain trust from his family, and is taking care of family duties. PO reported becoming more involved in the