The Practice of Social Group Work: Planning and Beginning the Group

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The Practice of Social Group Work Planning and
Beginning the Group

• Lita D. Allen
• Lecturer
• SW38C Applied Social Group Work
• Department of Sociology, Psychology and Social
  Work
• The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus

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• PLANNING THE GROUP
• (Pre-group planning and group formation)

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8 Areas within a planning model

• 1. Establish the NEED
• 2. State your PURPOSE
• 3. Evaluate AGENCY CONTEXT
• 4. Evaluate SOCIAL CONTEXT
• 5. Organize a PRE-GROUP CONTACT / SCREENING
• 6. Decide on the COMPOSITION of the group
• 7. Decide on the STRUCTURE of the group
• - organization (place, time/frequency, how
  long)
• - expectations, guidelines (contract)
• - roles, responsibilities, process
• 8. Decide on the CONTENT to be discussed
• 
  Kurland Salmon, 1999

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Reflect also on

• Solo (single) or co-leadership?
• How to get the group off the ground
• How you could sabotage your own efforts
• Other obstacles to be overcome
• How to evaluate for effectiveness

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• BEGINNING THE GROUP

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BEGINNNING THE GROUPEntry, Clarification and
Engagement

• Introduction
• Belongingness
• Overall Purpose
• Confidentiality

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BEGINNNING THE GROUP Direction, mutual aid,
balance

• Focused guidance and facilitation
• Consensus on goal(s) and objectives
• Feeling that needs will be met task and
  socio-emotional
• Establishing contract

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BEGINNNING THE GROUP Sample Contract

• As individuals and as a group we agree to
• be there for each other
• be punctual
• practice open, non-defensive communication
• adopt leadership actions as needed
• be respectful of each others views and feelings
• maintain focus on achieving our goals
• practise confidentiality
• etc.

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BEGINNNING THE GROUP Involvement and
Participation

• Stimulating interest
• Highlighting benefits
• Setting the tone
• Modelling
• Managing fears, anxieties, defences, resistances
• Anticipating obstacles
• 
  Toseland Rivas, 2005

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What is a skill?

• A skill is a specific action or intervention
• that accomplishes a purpose and is based
• on knowledge and understanding. Skills are
• more than techniques alone. Skills involve
• action that are purposeful and informed.
• Kurland
  Salmon, 1999

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BEGINNNING THE GROUPSome specific group practice
skills

• Scanning
• Selecting communication patterns (purposefully)
• Verbalizing norms
• Referring to purpose / goals/ objectives

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BEGINNNING THE GROUPSome specific group practice
skills

• Reaching for information
• Building on strengths
• Reaching for a feeling link
• Inviting full participation
• Kurland
  Salmon, 1999

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• Review group leadership skills as
• described in Toseland and Rivas (5th
• ed.), pages 105 118.

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BEGINNNING THE GROUPSome useful opening
statements

• What were you thinking and feeling while coming
  to the group?
• What and whom are you most aware of in this room
  right now, and why?
• Are you here because you want to be?
• Lets have a brief round robin (go-around). Each
  of you say what you would most like to be able to
  say and/or do by the end of this session.

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BEGINNNING THE GROUPSome useful opening
statements

• Could each of you briefly complete this sentence
  Today, I would like to get actively involved by
  ..
• What are you willing to do to get what you say
  you want?
• How can the other members help you to get what
  you say you want?

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BEGINNNING THE GROUPSome useful opening
statements

• How do you think you might sabotage (interfere
  with) yourself and prevent yourself from getting
  what you say you want?
• How do you think other members could prevent you
  from getting what you say you want?
• Gerald Marianne Corey, 1997

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• What are the essential factors
• that will enable the sustainability
• of any (small) group?