SW112. Spring 2013 Week 2.

Group Work is Everywhere.Group work can be used in a wide variety of

settings and has relevance for many disciplines

EfficiencySave time and effort

Experience of CommunalitySense of “universality”

Greater Variety of Resources and ViewpointsMore viewpoints, resources, opinions, and ideas

Sense of BelongingAddresses our human need to belongExperience of being accepted

Vicarious LearningInsight as a result of hearing the experiences of others

Skills PracticeProvides a safe/supportive milieu for practicing new skills and behaviors

FeedbackOffers individuals opportunity to hear perceptions, viewpoints of othersOften must consider feedback, especially if given back as a groupCan be powerful when heard from someone who has “been there”

3. Basic Premises of Group Practice1. Individual development occurs

through group development2. Group process, or group development,

transacts with this individual development

3. Group process has its own “therapeutic factors.” The essence of these factors is the mutual aid system that evolves in the empowered group

4. Primary needs in group process are interpersonal, related to the growth of autonomy(“I”) and interdependence (“WE”) in relation to the purpose and content (IT”) of the group

5. The practitioner can either facilitate or obstruct this process

6. The process needs Trust, Autonomy, Closeness and Interdependence among group members

Effective Group Work – Three dimensions of

group dynamicsCommunicationCohesionGroup culture

“I – We –It” Triangle/Ecosystem approach

I WE

IT

Comparison of Task and Treatment groups (Table 1.2, p.15)

Treatment group: 5 primary purposes Table 1.3 A typology of treatment groups (p.22)

Support: fostering mutual aidEducation: learning new skills and informationGrowth: stressing self-improvementTherapy: focusing on remediation and rehabilitationSocialization: “learning through doing” -social skills (e.g.

assertiveness training group), governance groups in residential settings, and recreational

Task group: 3 primary purposes Table 1.4 A typology of task groupsMeeting client needsMeeting organizational needsMeeting community needs

3. Values and EthicsGroup Values

Respecting the worth and dignity Respecting a person’s autonomy Facilitating a person’s participation in the helping

processMaintaining a nonjudgmental attitudeEnsuring equal treatment

Practice EthicsOrientation and Informed consentConfidentialityLeader competence and training

Are we doing each of the ethical principles discussed in the chapter?

4. Basic knowledge of group workThree Models of Social Group Work: Table 2.1 (p.49)

Social goals model – YMCA, Girls/Boys ScoutRemedial model – therapy focusedReciprocal model – support and self-help

Mainstream model: doing “with”Helping members develop a system of mutual aidRespecting group processes as powerful dynamics for changeHelping members become empoweredHelping members interdependency

5. Influential Theories and therapeutic approachesSystem theory

Bales- instrumental problems and socioemotional problems Group as a whole that arise from the interaction of individual members

Psychodynamic theory Object relations – transference/countertransference Here-and-now approach: common irrational beliefs restructuring

thinkingLearning theory

Clear/specific goal, evaluation (measureable outcomes), reinforcement behavioral modification: psycho-educational groups

Field theory Human interactions are driven by both the people involved and their

environment [B = f (P, E)] Force-field analysis: group dynamic “cohesion”

Social exchange theory Rewards and costs: Outcomes = the rewards (from a relationship) – the

costs (the energy invested in a relationship)

What theories influence your social work practice?

If you develop your own theory for group practice, what would the theory be like?