Static Group

- it is a permanent group of peers and leaders that meet regularly while the residents are in
treatment. It is a sort of “home” group who provides support for one another and to the new members
of the community. This is designed to provide a forum for self-expression and disclosure.

Duration/Frequency: one hour/once a week

Participants: 10-15 residents, Counselor

Procedures:

1. Once a resident enters jail, he/she is assigned to a particular Static Group. It serves as a
permanent group that addresses the general issues in treatment.
2. It utilizes confrontation from peers to evoke changes in behavior though the group is primarily
supportive. The group provides immediate support to new members of the community.
3. Each resident member is encourage in expressing and disclosing personal issues and concerns
and receives feedbacks from the other members. Violence and threat of violence are prohibited.
4. For each session the group may discuss any topic of desire or may follow certain themes for a
more systematic flow of discussion.
5. By using confrontation, identification, support, affirmation and giving feedback, residents learn
and practice the TC norms and values.
6. The residents are oriented to new and positive coping styles which they can utilize to live a new
lifestyle and attain personal growth and better relationship.
7. When their emotional needs and problems are properly addressed, their positive behaviors and
attitudes emerge and they will eventually feel better about themselves.
8. Focuses on the issues of the “here and now” . personal disclosure of the past is allowed if it
affect the present. Confidentiality is strictly observed.
9. The Static group does away with negative socialization and employs positive re-socialization
through a caring relationship with peers.

Peer Confrontation Group

– The group participants in peer confrontation groups are selected by the staff and group
according to peers like adult members will go with the same date of entry in the facility and same goes
with the middle and young members. It is done in a more compassionate way where each resident try to
help one another.

Duration/Frequency: one hour/twice a month

Participants: 10-15 residents, Coordination

Procedure:

1. Participants will sit in a circle position.

2. Staff may sit just outside the circle or there may be no staff.
3. There is no particular order of speaking. It is conventional and free-wheeling.
4. Participants may start with a prayer.
 5. Participants may then say “What do you say about me? Or please give me feedback on my
progress here “or how do you see me?”
6. Any of the other participants may give an honest, straight-forward feedback. Tone and feeling
should be proportionate to the issue.
7. Peer confrontation is done in a compassionate way where each resident try to help one another
and identify certain issues which could be a hindrance to his recovery.
8. At the end of the sharing, the resident is asked a commitment about issue that he feels
uncomfortable dealing with.

Secrets – Secrets are a group activity where participants are given the opportunity to unload emotional
baggage and thus experience freedom from internal psychological conflicts. It promotes trust among the
participants knowing that each will reveal his utmost secrets to the group. It also aims to deepen mutual
respect among the participants.

Duration/Frequency: 1-2 hours/ once a month

Participants: Staff, 10-12 residents

Procedure:

1. Form a group of 10-12 residents, preferably of variedly different persons.

2. Each one is instructed to go to a place they can be alone and free from distractions.
3. In a piece of paper, the resident will write a letter to himself about an event in his life which he
has been keeping as a deep secret because it has caused a lot of pain, guilt, shame or anxiety.
4. The letter is written as if he is addressing it to somebody and could start as “Dear friend”. He
should not state his name or any name and place which could lead the group as to the writer.
He may write it in a way that would not give away any hint. This is done for 30 minutes.
5. The group then converges and all the rolled letters will be placed in a bag. The residents will be
seated in a circle. The first one will be asked to pick up a letter and read it aloud to everyone as
if he is reading his own letter. The rest will provide advice, moral support, motivation or
encouragement to the reader. No criticism or negative comments are encouraged.
6. The facilitator admonishes the participants to refrain from curiously trying to found out the
owner of the letters. Everyone is likewise admonished to keep the discussion strictly
confidential.
7. after all the letters were read, the facilitator will do a brief processing focusing on the feelings of
the participants and how it affected each one of them. The group may choose to pray as a
closing ritual.
8. Before the group adjourns, the facilitator collects the letters and burn them in a clay bag or
garbage bis as a symbolic ritual of letting go of all the hurts and pains and not allowing them to
hinder their future growth.

Encounter Groups – the encounter groups serves as a “safety valve” within the community which is
usually high pressured and structured. It is a forum for members of the community to verbally express
pent-up or negative emotions within a structured and safe environment without resorting to violence or
aggression and without fear of reprisal. The primary goal of an encounter group is to raise awareness of
behaviors and explore the underlying feelings that led to such negative emotions.

Duration/Frequency: 1-1 ½ hours / once or twice a week

Participants: Counselor, 2 co-facilitators, 8-10 residents

Procedure:

1. A resident may drop a slip on another resident stating his name, the name of the person he is
dropping a slip and the reason for dropping the slip. Only feelings of hurt, anger, and concern
can be reason for encounter.
2. The staff will choose his co-facilitators who are also staff members. Once he has gathered 2 or 3
slips, he may schedule an encounter group.
3. The facilitator will arrange the group in a circle in such a way that the two parties involved are
seated opposite each other.
4. The flow of the encounter should pass through the four (4) phases:
a.) Confrontation – this phase involves verbalization of concerns or honest disclosure of
emotions that has been provoked during interpersonal interactions with another resident.
b.) Exploration – In this phase, all the feelings that were expressed are further examined and
explored and find out how it could have resulted in such way in order to evoke awareness
on the connection of behavior, feelings and attitude. Blaming or finger pointing at one party
is avoided during this phase.
c.) Resolution and Commitment – After some realizations and attaining some insights into their
behaviors, the residents are now ready to move to the last phase to practice new behavior.
d.) Socialization – This is a structured social event where all those involved in an encounter will
have ample time to mend fences with those they have offended or hurt in the past.

Extended Group – The extended groups (Probe, Marathon) are usually composed of 5-12 residents and
is being facilitated by 2 highly trained staff members.

Specialized Groups –

Objectives:

1. To provide group support with aim of resolving problems and restoring healthy functioning
of the residents who has particular concern/issues.
2. 2. To create a feeling of university among residents who have similar issues or life
experiences.
3. To explore issues based on certain themes as a guide.
4. To provide a safe environment where residents can freely express their feelings and
concerns.

Indicators:

1. Enhanced coping skills

2. Release of inner feelings