Grover L. Wray – BYU

Grover L. Wray, MSW

Office: Thomas E. Ricks 132C

Phone: 496-1576

SW 364 Social Service Practice II - Group

M-W-F

7:45-8:45

Thomas E. Ricks building - Room 130

Course Description:

This course is designed to allow students the opportunity to gain the necessary knowledge and skills required to facilitate groups. The course framework consists of "basic issues in group work" stages of group development" and "application of group process to specific groups." The student will be presented with both a conceptual and practical overview of group counseling that includes: Theory behind groups, types of groups, multicultural perspective on groups, professional development, ethical issues, considerations in forming groups, group characteristics at all stages, dealing with problem behaviors and difficult group members, tasks of the working stage, termination of a group, etc. Issues of diversity will also be emphasized. What you will learn in this course: You will:

Become familiar with the "generalist" role of the group leader and understand the process that occurs between the group leader and the group members
Develop certain counseling skills through the application of various techniques and procedures in groups
Develop skills that will help you to feel more competent when working with diverse cultures
Become ethically and professionally competent as you experience being group members and group facilitators
Become aware of how groups evolve; understanding the several stages of group development
Apply group process to specific group populations
Learn through constructive feedback, both giving and receiving, regarding therapeutic style and interventions

Course Requirements:

Each student will be part of a six-seven person group and will have the opportunity of facilitating a group, either as leader or co-leader. The leader / co-leaders will present and overview of a particular type of group with and emphasis on techniques and cultural applications. The leader and co-leaders will then include the entire class in a group exercise reflecting a technique or techniques that one would employ with that type of group, and then write a ten page research paper as a group.

(NOTES: passing grade of C or better and positive evaluation of student performance)

Successful completion of the curriculum outlined in the syllabus (written exams, papers, exercises and other assignments as outlined)
Portfolio file illustrating the integration of knowledge, values and skills learned in the course
Student evaluation of the course upon completion
Assessment by the instructor of students ability to apply course material to various populations and within group settings.
Assessment by the instructor of students skill level in working with human diversity within group settings
Successful completion of University general education requirements

Textbook: "Learning group leadership - An experiential approach" AUTHOR: Jeffrey A. Kottler

Generalist practice in the BYU-Idaho Social Work program is characterized by:

(1) Entry level social work practice wherein the student has acquired core knowledge for social work practice; including development of knowledge and skill to engage in professional relationship, identifying issues, problems, resources, assessments, appropriate intervention, evaluation, and termination with diverse client systems (individual, family, group, organization, and community).

(2) Operation from a multidimensional perspective i.e. multiple theoretical perspectives, (systems theory, ecological theory) and a holistic foundation.

(3) Generalist practice is carried out using professional values/ethics, appreciation, sensitivity to human diversity, and the pursuit of social and economic justice.

Course Goals & Objectives:

Listed under each objective is the relationship of the course objective to the overall social work program objectives -(pp. 3-7 Benchmark Document has full text of program mission, goals, objectives).

GOALS:

This course will help the student be more prepared for the social work profession through the development of knowledge about the methods used in social work practice and its theoretical frameworks. Each student will learn fundamental skills needed in the social work profession to become skilled communicators, allowing them to work more efficiently with individuals, families, groups, communities and society. This course will stress social work knowledge and competency in working with all populations and cultures.

To help social work students of diverse interests and abilities to become critical thinkers, to become leaders in the areas of working more effectively with social policy, social service delivery systems and wherever they seek professional employment. This course will also assist the student in becoming better equipped to work with individuals, groups, families, communities and society.

Finally, this course will provide the student with the necessary group work skills to be leaders in the community where they can begin to integrate the knowledge, skills and values learned in this course within the specific cultures of their clients.

OBJECTIVES:

The student will:

Develop professional knowledge and skills necessary to be proficient in group facilitating and practicing within different cultures and human diversity.

(3,4,7,10) (goal 1,2)

Understand and apply social work values, ethics and principles of social work practice within the context of group settings. (1,2,6,7) (goal 3)

Be exposed to critical thinking skills within the context of professional social work practice; develop greater knowledge of group work by drawing on their own broad general education background (1,2,3,4,6,7) (goal 2)

Develop a greater understanding of human diversity; understand and appreciate human diversity; be able to identify discrimination and oppression and explore ways to advance social and economic justice within the context of group settings. (3,4,7,12) (goals 1,2,3)

Apply skills of the generalist social work model within the context of group settings and with systems of all sizes. (6,7) (goals 1,2)

Be able to apply and integrate a variety of social work methods and theoretical frameworks when working with individuals, families, groups, organizations, communities, culture and society; Develop a better understanding of the bio-psycho-social context of individual human development and behavior. (3,6,7,10) (goals 1,2,3)

Increase their capacity to communicate in a variety of social work situations and contexts, ie. Communications with clients, co-workers and group settings. (2,3,6,7,10)(goals 1,2)

Develop the skill, leadership and knowledge necessary to work more effectively with organizations, social systems and groups, and to seek necessary change. (2,6,7,10,12) (goals 1,2,3)

Assignments:

RESEARCH PAPER ON A PROPOSED GROUP:

Select a problem that social workers deal within practice. Some ideas include: anorexia, homophobia, racism, death of a parent or loved one, chemical dependency, child abuse, foster care and traumatic brain injury.
Describe the problem, including what the literature says about the problem. Your review of the literature should include a minimum of six journal articles on the topic of your proposed group. This body of literature should be summarized and cited, using APA format
Design a group intervention that would be appropriate for the problem you have chosen and describe in detail the intervention including how you plan to implement it.
The paper should be ten pages long. The point of this paper is to show you can use the research findings in the literature and apply what you have learned in this class. The way to do that is to cite the literature and clearly state how you have applied it. The paper should address the following areas:

NEEDS

A) What do you see as the important needs of the clients served by the agency?
B) Which of these needs do you expect your group to meet?
C) Are there any other specific needs that the clients in your group have?
D) In what ways do you see a group as meeting the needs you have identified?

PURPOSE

A) What is your conception of the purpose of the group you want to form?

COMPOSITION

A) How many group members do you expect to start with? Do you have a minimum and maximum number in mind?
B) What do you anticipate as the background characteristics of the group members?
C) What do you anticipate as the personality characteristics of the members?
D) What are the significant commonalities and differences among members that you anticipate in regard to background and personality characteristics?

4. TIME AND SPACE

A) How many sessions are you planning for the group?
B) Will the group be open or closed?
C) What will be the frequency and duration of sessions?
D) What are the physical arrangements for the group?
E) How will you structure the space?
F) Are you planning refreshments?

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES

A) What will be the content of group meetings?
B) Will they all be group discussions, or do you plan for lectures, outside speakers, films, etc.?
C) What supplies or equipment will you need?

GROUP RECRUITMENT AND SCREENING

A) How will you recruit potential members?
B) What will you communicate about the group to referral sources?
C) What plans do you have for the screening of potential members?
D) What type of information do you want to obtain?
E) What criteria will you use to determine a client's appropriateness for the group?
F) What alternatives will you provide for individuals who a re not appropriate group members?

STAFFING THE GROUP

A) What do you see as the advantages and disadvantages of working with co-leaders?
B) What steps do you think you and your co-leaders need to take to work effectively together?

AGENCY CONTEXT

A) Whose approval will you need to obtain to start and maintain your group?
B) What structural supports are needed for the group to run smoothly? Examples: adequate space; transportation for members; funds; credit for running the group; supervisory time, tect.

(You may also want to read Chapter 6 of Toseland, R. and Rivas, R. (1998). An introduction to group work practice. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon and page 132 of the Corey and Corey textbook for detailed information on planning a group.)

PRESENTATION OF YOUR PAPER:

You will give a presentation to the class on your proposed group paper. The first part of your presentation (.30 minutes) should cover a summary of what you found in your literature review. It should also cover the need you have identified, the purpose of your intervention, a rationale for using this particular intervention and the logistics involved in implementing your intervention. In other words, your presentation should cover the information in your paper. The second half of your presentation (.30 minutes) should include a demonstration of a shortened simulated group, using the plan for your first group session. The presentation should be well-organized and delivered. The delivery will have an impact on your grade. The simulated group activity portion of your presentation will be graded according to the following criteria:

Criteria for Evaluation of Simulated Group Session

_Introduced self

_Introduced group members

_Had each member share something about him or herself

_Dealt with feelings about being in the group

_Accepted positive and negative feelings

_Identified group members and leaders(s) expectations

_Defined appropriate boundaries such as smoking or not

_Seemed aware of cultural and psychological issues
_Took care of concrete needs

_Explained the group purpose

_Located areas of commonality that will provide direction

_Recognized and dealt with resistance in the group

_Reflected upon and validated concerns expressed

_Did not minimize differences
_Introduced structure to the session

_Involved the group members in making decisions

_Offered feedback by sharing perceptions of values, feelings and ideas

_Identified common themes and defined the issue/need

_Sought further clarification about the nature of the problem

_Reached agreement on what the group will work on

_Partialized issues

_Considered alternatives for action and problem-solving

_Arranged for activities that enabled the participants to shine

_Confronted the members to examine consequences of negative behavior

_Related individual issues to the group as a whole

_Encouraged individuals to relate to group as a whole

_Asked the group how members plan to take responsibility for activities

_Validated differences

_Sought areas of agreement

_Demonstrated active listening

_Demonstrated empathy

_Appeared to be genuine

_Was aware of body language

_Started and ended meeting on time

_Asked members what the session meant to them

_Asked members how they will use the gains made in the session

_Discussed the extent to which they believe that their objectives were met in the group

_Discussed confidentiality

SERVICE LEARNING PROJECT:

You will be required to run "FIVE" one hour group sessions in groups of FIVE. Each group member will be allowed to facilitate one group, while others are co-facilitators. This experience will take place toward the end of the semester. After the sessions have been completed, each group member will write a three page reflection paper describing their experience with the group sessions that they facilitated and other groups they participated in. This paper should be a record of what happened each time you met with the group. Example:

What did they say?

Who participated?

What did you say?

What was the emotional content of the experience? What meaning do the events have to you?

What meaning do the events have to those with whom you worked?

How do you interpret what happened?

How will you use the information you obtained from this experience?

Describe what social work techniques and strategies you used in the group sessions.

Evaluate the effectiveness of the approaches you used and what you would do differently in the future.

MADISON COUNTY JAIL: Extra Credit

Students who wish to earn extra credit can attend one group meeting in the women's facility at Madison County Jail. You must go in pairs and the groups are generally held once a week for 1 hour, usually on Tuesdays at 10:30 am. The facility is located on the East side of the court house and the contact person is Brian Mecham. His phone number is 339-2858. It will be the student's responsibility to make the contact with Brian at least 3 days prior to attending the group.

Weekly Schedule:

Sept. 12 Introduction to SW 364

14 Chapter one

17 Chapter one

19 Chapter two

21 GROUP

24 Chapter three

26 Chapter three

28 GROUP

Oct. 1 Chapter four (DEADLINE TO SELECT TOPIC FOR RUNNING YOUR GROUP)

3 Chapter five

5 GROUP

8 Chapter five

10 Exam one: 1-5

12 GROUP

15 Chapter six

17 Chapter six

19 GROUP

22 Chapter seven

24 Chapter seven

26 GROUP

29 Chapter eight

31 Chapter eight

Nov. 2 GROUP

5 Chapter nine

7 Chapter nine

9 GROUP

12 Chapter ten

14 Chapter ten

16 Exam two: 6-10

19 HOLIDAY

21 HOLIDAY

23 HOLIDAY

26 GROUP

28 Chapter eleven (GROUP RESEARCH PAPER DUE)

30 Chapter twelve

Dec. 3 Chapter thirteen(GROUP REFLECTION PAPER DUE)

5 Chapter fourteen

7 GROUP PRESENTATION

10 GROUP PRESENTATION

12 GROUP PRESENTATION

14 FINAL IN CLASS (11-14)

References:

Berg, R.C., Landreth, G.L., & Fall, K.A.(1998). Group counseling: Concepts procedures. Philadelphia: Accelerated Development Philadelphia: Accelerated Development.

Philadelphia: Accelerated Development Philadelphia: Accelerated Development.

Jacobs, E.E., Masson, R.L., & Harvill, R.L. (1998). Group counseling: Strategies and skills (3^rd ed.) Pacific Grove, CA.: Brooks/ Cole.

Nakkab, S., & Hernandez, M. (1998). Group psychotherapy in the context of cultural diversity. Group, 22(2), 95-103

Silverstein, J.L., (1997). Acting out in group therapy: Avoiding authority struggles. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 47(1), 31-45

Toseland, R.W., & Rivas, R. (2001). Group work practice (4^th ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon

Zastrow, C. (1985). Social work with groups. Chicago, IL: Nelson-Hall Inc.