SOCW 6121 Week 8: The Beginning Stage
Week 8: The Beginning Stage
Attending the first meeting of a therapy group can be an intimidating experience. Every member of the group is having difficulties in some area of his or her life and now needs professional help. It does not matter if the group members are voluntary or involuntary; it still can feel scary to share problems with individuals who are essentially strangers. That is why strong leadership at the first meeting is so important. The clinical social worker’s role is to create a safe and comfortable environment for everyone. Using introduction strategies is helpful, but understanding how to assess and handle the uncomfortable situations is critical. This is a time when strong clinical skills are necessary so that certain members do not destroy the cohesion and possible clinical success of the intervention.
Learning Objectives
Students will:
· Analyze strategies for working with involuntary and/or negative group members
· Analyze strategies for introducing members in a group
· Analyze strategies that encourage group cohesion
Learning Resources
Required Readings
Toseland, R. W., & Rivas, R. F. (2017). An introduction to group work practice (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
· Chapter 7, “The Group Begins” (pp. 197–230)
· Chapter 8, “Assessment” (pp. 230-263)
Schimmel, C. J., & Jacobs, E. (2011). When leaders are challenged: Dealing with involuntary members in groups. Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 36(2), 144–158.
Required Media
Laureate Education. (Producer). (2013a). Bradley (Episode 1) [Video file]. In Sessions. Baltimore, MD: Producer. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 2 minutes.
Accessible player
Credit: Provided courtesy of the Laureate International Network of Universities.
Recommended Resources
Holosko, M. J., Dulmus, C. N., & Sowers, K. M. (2013). Social work practice with individuals and families: Evidence-informed assessments and interventions. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
· Chapter 3 “Assessment of Adolescents”
· Chapter 4 “Intervention with Adolescents”
Assignment: Human Trafficking
Group therapy is one of the most successful interventions for adolescents. This is because of the nature of this stage of development and the need to belong to a group. Hearing the stories of other teens and knowing that their experiences and feelings are similar is very therapeutic. Another characteristic of the adolescent stage is a short attention span, so the clinical social worker should tailor exercises that initiate and sustain discussion for adolescents.
For this Assignment, watch the “Bradley” video.
In a 600-word paper, identify two opening exercises that you might recommend for a group of adolescent girls who were victims of human trafficking.
· Describe the exercises in detail so that another social worker would be able to implement them.
· Explain ways these exercises might be effective in creating a comfortable environment for these teenage girls.
· Support your rationale with the literature. For example, what does the literature say about teenage girls who have been arrested for prostitution/human trafficking and who openly discuss their experiences?
· How do these exercises promote group cohesion and encourage these teens to talk openly?
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