Discussion Post: The Middle Stage
Once a group has met several times and is entering the middle stage of group progress, the clinical social worker should assess if the goals of the group plan are being met. This is especially important in groups that have a limited number of sessions. One of the ways a clinical social worker can keep the group on track is by preparing an agenda that parallels the needs of the members. Another way is by implementing strategies that create an atmosphere that feels safe for the members to share their personal stories. By the middle stage, the clinical social worker should have a familiarity with the different personalities in the group. This makes it much easier to implement strategies that empower the members and make them feel that they are received with positive regard.
Learning Objectives
o Analyze the purposes of group types
o Analyze positive regard in group work
o Analyze strengths-based strategies
o Analyze empowerment strategies
Learning Resources
Note: To access this week's required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.
Required Readings
Toseland, R. W., & Rivas, R. F. (2017). An introduction to group work practice (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
o Chapter 9, "Treatment Groups: Foundation Methods" (pp. 264-294)
o Chapter 10, "Treatment Groups: Specialized Methods" (pp. 295-335)
Farber, B. A., & Doolin, E. M. (2011). Positive regard. Psychotherapy, 48(1), 58-64.
Piper, W. E., Ogrodniczuk, J. S., Lamarche, C., & Joyce, A. S. (2006). Use of the social relations model by group therapists: Application and commentary. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 56(2), 191-209.
Required Media
Laureate Education. (Producer). (2013b). Johnson (Episode 3) [Video file]. In Sessions. Baltimore, MD: Producer.
Task: Positive Regard
Carl Rogers, a humanistic psychologist, believed that individuals must feel accepted for who they are in order to have a high level of self-worth (Farber & Doolin, 2011). Rogers coined the term "positive regard" to explain this concept of feeling accepted. Also, he believed that positive regard is essential to personal growth and self-actualization.
For this Discussion, view the "Johnson" video (Episode 3).
Post your description of the purpose of this group. Explain the use of empowerment and strengths-based strategies. How does "positive regard" impact the group session in this video? How might you respond to Talia when she voices her skepticism of the usefulness of group sharing?
Respond to a colleague who has a different response to Talia. Discuss the benefits of using a strengths-based strategy in this group setting.
Homework: Assessing Group Process 4: Group Project Goals
As a clinical social worker, evaluating the effectiveness of clinical strategies is an expectation of the NASW Code of Ethics (2017). Sometimes, clinical strategies and techniques that are effective in one setting may not work in another situation. It is important to understand what works and what doesn't.
Also, self-assessment is an integral part of becoming a clinical social worker.
Describe the strategy you implemented in your Group Project.
1) Describe the process and the level of difficulty/comfort you found in doing this Homework.
2) Explain how this strategy may or may not have empowered or supported the group.
3) Describe the progress of the group in completing the project/goal.
Format your homework according to the following formatting requirements:
(1) The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
(2) The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the homework, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
(3) Also include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.