group work
Adolescent Chemical Addiction Group I have decided to use an adolescent chemical addiction group for my hypothetical group. This group will be a closed group and I will be running this group with Northeast Human Service Center in Grand Forks North Dakota. This group will be a fee for service, but some resources will be covered by Northeast Human Service Center. I have decided to go with an eight week group that will meet twice a week. ... The function of this group is to empower the adolescents to better cope with sobriety. This would involve simple education of chemical addiction, group members thoughts and feelings about their own individual addiction, identification of triggers that would cause relapse, barriers to recovery, and how to empower them to problem solve on their own. I have planned out this group using the various stages as outlined in “Group Skills in Social Work” by Sue Henry. By going this route of planning it gives me more flexibility than planning out every individual session; rather it gives more leeway in the event of unexplained developments as the group convenes and progresses. Even thought the group would never see the agenda, they may be resistant to such rigid adherence to one. ... I have selected a number of questions which I believe will help create the best mix of adolescents for a group such as this: Pregroup Interview Questions: 1. ... Do you work function better alone or in the companies of others? Based on these questions and whatever others I feel need to be asked will determine eligibility for the group. It is also during this time I would tell the prospective group member about purpose of group, group duration, meeting times, and meeting places. It is during this time I would spell out my obligations as the group facilitator and the obligations of the potential group member. A reciprocal contract spelling out these obligations and goals of both the worker and the group member will be drawn up if the potential group member is to be included in this group. Convening Stage This stage begins immediately as the group convenes for the first time. ... All group members stand in one big circle. I direct the group to raise their right hands and grab the right hands of someone else in the circle other than the person standing next to him/her. ... The group must work together to untangle the knot by turning and going under or over legs and arms. No one in the group can release hands until the knot has been untangled and the group is again in a circle.