‭ OWK 411: Social Work Practice with Groups Notes‬

S
‭Candy Avila‬
‭Fall 2023‬
‭Social Group Work‬
‭-‬ ‭A method through which individuals in groups in a social agency setting is helped by a‬
‭worker.‬
‭+‬ ‭More‬
‭Characteristics of Group Work‬
‭-‬ ‭Multiple relationship‬
‭-‬ ‭Group leader -> group members -> Group as a whole‬
‭-‬ ‭Multi person process‬
‭-‬ ‭Meets basic needs‬
‭-‬ ‭Strengthens human capacities‬
‭-‬ ‭Uses program media‬
‭-‬ ‭Role play‬
‭-‬ ‭Arts and crafts‬
‭-‬ ‭discussions‬
‭-‬ ‭Nonverbal communication‬
‭-‬ ‭Based on humanitarian philosophy: encourages individuals to help each other‬
‭Values and ethics‬
‭Values- belief that delineate preference about how one ought to behave‬
‭Ethics-‬
‭CH1. cont‬

‭ efinition of Group Work: describes group work as goal directed activity that refers to planned‬
D
‭orderly worker activities carried out in the context of professional practice with people.‬

‭ lassifying groups:‬
C
‭Formed groups‬‭- are those that come together through‬‭some outside influence or intervention.‬
‭They usually have some sponsorship or affiliation and are convened for a particular purpose.‬
‭Ex. therapy groups, educational groups, committees, social action groups‬
‭Natural groups:‬‭come together spontaneously based‬‭on naturally occurring events,‬
‭interpersonal attraction, or mutually perceived needs of members.‬
‭Ex. family groups, peer groups, friendship networks, street gangs, cliques‬

‭PRIMARILY CONCERNED WITH FORMED GROUPS‬

‭ urpose and group work:‬

P
‭Treatment group‬‭is used to signify a group whose major‬‭purpose is to meet members‬
‭socioeconomic needs. Ex. mutual aid, support, education, therapy, growth, socialization‬
‭Task group‬‭is used to signify any group in which the‬‭overriding purpose is to accomplish a goal‬
‭that is neither intrinsically nor immediately linked to the needs of the members of the group.‬
‭Ex. accomplish a goal that will affect a broader constituency‬
‭Treatment group‬
‭-‬ ‭Solve personal problems‬
‭-‬ ‭Change behaviors‬
‭-‬ ‭Cope with stress‬
‭-‬ ‭Improve quality of life‬
‭Advantages of‬‭group treatment‬
‭-‬ ‭Empathy from multiple sources - vicarious identification with and understanding of‬
‭members situations by peers and the worker‬
‭-‬ ‭Feedback - multiple points of viewed shared by group members‬
‭-‬ ‭Helper - therapy - providing help and mutual support‬
‭-‬ ‭Hope‬
‭-‬ ‭Mutual aid‬
‭-‬ ‭Normalization‬
‭-‬ ‭Practice of new behavior‬
‭-‬ ‭More page 16 and 17‬
‭Disadvantages‬
‭-‬ ‭Groups can encourage member conformity and member dependency‬
‭-‬ ‭Groups can scapegoat individual members‬
‭-‬ ‭Groups sometimes focus on a few particular assertive or talkative members‬
‭-‬ ‭Breach of confidentiality sometimes‬

‭ ocial workers should consider recommending group treatment for individuals who suffer from‬
S
‭isolation or who have other difficulties with interpersonal relationships and individual treatment‬
‭for those who do not want to be in a group‬

‭ dvantages and disadvantages of‬‭task groups‬

A
‭Primary goal accomplishing a single actional goal or fulfill a series of identified objectives‬
‭Not designed to meet socioemotional needs‬
‭Types:‬
‭Group projects‬
‭Program committees‬
‭Task forces‬
‭Advantages‬
‭-‬ ‭Free flowing participation is often highly desirable.‬
‭-‬ ‭Helps members feel they have a stake in the organization or community‬
‭-‬ ‭Increased quantity of info‬
‭Disadvantages‬
‭-‬ ‭Group problem solving may take more time than individual problem solving‬
‭-‬ ‭Poorly run groups can cause members to feel bored or unappreciated and they often‬
‭accomplish little.‬
‭-‬ ‭Group meetings can be costly for an organization‬
‭According to research the limits of confidentiality are discussed… C. Rarely‬

‭Treatment groups‬
‭-‬ ‭support‬
‭-‬ ‭Educational groups‬
‭-‬ ‭Growth groups‬
‭-‬ ‭Therapy groups‬
‭-‬ ‭Socialization‬
‭-‬ ‭Self-help groups‬
‭Tasks groups‬
‭-‬ ‭Groups to meet clients needs‬
‭-‬ ‭Teams‬
‭-‬ ‭Treatment conferences‬
‭-‬ ‭Staff development groups‬
‭-‬ ‭Groups to meet organizational needs‬
‭-‬ ‭Committees‬
‭-‬ ‭Cabinets‬
‭-‬ ‭Board of directors‬
‭-‬ ‭Groups to meet community needs‬
‭-‬ ‭Social action groups‬
‭-‬ ‭Coalitions‬
‭-‬ ‭Delegate councils‬
‭Stages of Groups‬
‭-‬ ‭Planning‬
‭-‬ ‭Beginning‬
‭-‬ ‭Assessment‬
‭-‬ ‭Middle‬
‭-‬ ‭Ending‬
‭-‬ ‭Evaluation‬

‭ uesday 9/5‬
T
‭Historical development‬
‭-‬ ‭Not initially a part of the mainstream profession of social work‬
‭-‬ ‭Influenced by‬
‭-‬ ‭Self help‬
‭-‬ ‭Seetment houses‬
‭-‬ ‭Progressive education‬

-‭ ‬ ‭ re 1930s: social group work and group psychotherapy develop along parallel paths‬
P
‭-‬ ‭1930: first course in group work offered.‬

‭Weakening of group work‬

‭-‬ ‭Weakening of group work sequences in schools of social work‬
‭-‬ ‭Generalist social work versus casework, group work and community organization‬
 ‭-‬ ‭Greater focus on individual work especially in mental health settings‬

‭Revitalization of group work‬

‭-‬ ‭International association for the advancement of social work with groups‬
‭-‬ ‭Social work with groups, international journal of group psychotherapy‬
‭-‬ ‭Journal of groups in addictions, journal for specialists group work, small groups‬

‭Influential theory‬
‭-‬ ‭Systems theory‬
‭-‬ ‭Psychodynamic theory‬
‭-‬ ‭Learning theory‬
‭-‬ ‭Field theory‬
‭-‬ ‭Social exchange theory‬
‭-‬ ‭Constructivist, empowerment and N.. theory‬

‭Systems theory‬
‭-‬ ‭Developed by ludwig con bertalanffy in 1968‬
‭-‬ ‭Systemic behavior- the interactive patterns and subsystems of a group‬
‭-‬ ‭The family therapy movement influential in systemic thinking‬
‭-‬ ‭Homestasis: always seeking balance of the system‬
‭Systems theory: Basic Assumptions * Good slide for midterms or test‬
‭-‬ ‭We cannot treat a person without looking at the system as a whole‬
‭-‬ ‭Groups function in systems; disruption of one person or one system disrupts the entire‬
‭group‬
‭-‬ ‭Each group has a set of rules‬
‭-‬ ‭Methods are eclectic as one method will not fit every group‬
‭-‬ ‭The therapist enters the group system and walks alongside with the group‬
‭-‬ ‭The therapist is not just an observer‬
‭-‬ ‭Large component of strength- based perspective and identifying resiliency skills within‬
‭groups‬
‭Psychodyncamic theory‬
‭-‬ ‭Basic assumptions‬
‭-‬ ‭Nonconscious emotional processes shape interpersonal behavior in groups‬
‭-‬ ‭Lack of awareness of these processes inhibits effective work in groups‬
‭-‬ ‭Bringing these processes to members awareness will help remove inhibition‬
‭-‬ ‭Two approaches‬
‭-‬ ‭Psychoanalytic‬
‭-‬ ‭humanistic‬

‭ nowledge Check‬
K
‭Corrective emotional experiences in social group work are connected with what theory?‬
‭-‬ ‭B) Psychodynamic theory‬
‭In the 1940s and 1950s group work focused more frequently on?‬
‭-‬ ‭B) mental health and therapy‬
‭Learning theory‬
‭-‬ ‭Focuses on individuals more than group dynamics, relates to individual behavior‬
‭-‬ ‭Explains how behavior of a person is learned through observation‬
‭Field theory‬
‭-‬ ‭Developed by kurt lewin‬
‭-‬ ‭Groups have living space and movement‬
‭-‬ ‭Important concepts‬
‭-‬ ‭Roles- rights the duties of the members‬
‭-‬ ‭Norms - rules governing the behavior of the group members‬
‭-‬ ‭Power- the ability of the member to influence‬
‭-‬ ‭Cohesion- a feeling of group members towards one another‬
‭-‬ ‭Valence- goals and objectives in the living space of the group‬
‭Social exchange theory‬
‭-‬ ‭Explains the process of exchange and the transaction of givging and receiving‬
‭-‬ ‭Homans (1961) and Blau (1964) developed exchange theory to explain behavior of‬
‭members within the group‬
‭-‬ ‭Individuals try to maxamize individual reward and minimize punishment‬
‭-‬ ‭Social behavior is an exchange of material and non materials (e.g. approval or‬
‭prestige)‬
‭Constructivist Theory‬
‭-‬ ‭Created in opposition to psychoanalytic‬
‭-‬ ‭Acknowledges the role of culture to shape our perspective‬
‭-‬ ‭Basic assumptions‬
‭-‬ ‭Client is the expert -> they assign meaning‬
‭-‬ ‭Everything client says is true‬
‭-‬ ‭Essence of respecting its the clients truth due to their perception vs what the actual truth‬
‭may be‬
‭Empowerment Theory‬
‭-‬ ‭Every indidical, group, family and community has strengths‬
‭-‬ ‭Trauma and abuse, illness and stuggle may be injurious, but they may also be sources‬
‭challenge and opportunity‬
‭-‬ ‭Social workers should assume that they do not know the upper limits of the capacity to‬
‭grow and change and take individual, group, and community aspirations seriously‬
‭-‬ ‭Social workers best serve clients by collaborating with them‬
‭-‬ ‭Every environment is full of resources‬
‭Narrative Theory‬
‭-‬ ‭Developed by micheal white and david epston‬
‭-‬ ‭Goal -> shift from clients historical truth to narrative viability‬
‭-‬ ‭Goal -> bring exceptions and experiences to light to create a new narrative‬
‭-‬ ‭Core belief -> the person is never the problem, the problem is the problem‬
‭-‬ ‭Externalizing the problem:‬
‭-‬ ‭Someones alignment become their identity vs being a component of their life‬
‭Tues Sept 12‬
‭Communication‬
‭ ne way communication‬
O
‭Listener’s role‬
‭-‬ ‭Receive the senders messages‬
‭-‬ ‭Carry out instructions and orders‬
‭Advantages‬
‭-‬ ‭Messages and instructions are given quickly‬
‭-‬ ‭Leader does not have to deal with questions/concerns of listeners‬
‭Two way comm‬
‭Advantages‬
‭-‬ ‭Improves cohesion, group morale, trust, and openness‬
‭Disadvantages‬
‭-‬ ‭High authority members are reluctant to reveal limitations or vulnerabilities‬
‭-‬ ‭Reduces honest and open communication‬
‭Influences‬
‭-‬ ‭The perceptual process‬
‭-‬ ‭Physiological influences‬
‭-‬ ‭Taste‬
‭-‬ ‭Smell‬
‭-‬ ‭Temperature‬
‭-‬ ‭Hearing‬
‭-‬ ‭vision‬
‭Socio Psychological influences‬
‭-‬ ‭Defense mechanisms‬
‭-‬ ‭Beliefs, attitudes, and values‬
‭-‬ ‭stereotypes‬
‭Effective communication‬
‭-‬ ‭Sender‬
‭-‬ ‭Matching nonverbal and verbal messages‬
‭-‬ ‭Receiver‬
‭-‬ ‭Ask questions that will clarify the senders intentions and reasoning‬
‭-‬ ‭Listening skills‬
‭-‬ ‭Develop good listening skills‬
‭-‬ ‭Active listening‬
‭-‬ ‭Recommended when listening to a problem‬
‭-‬ ‭I-messages‬
‭-‬ ‭“When __ you (sender identifies the irritating behavior), I feel ___ (sender‬
‭describes his or her feelings).‬
‭-‬ ‭Collisions of values‬
‭-‬ ‭Resolve value conflicts‬
‭Group think is when a group comes together and thoughts coheis‬
‭The interaction in a group where group members go around and share their thoughts is round‬
‭robin‬

‭Group Dynamics‬
 -‭ ‬ ‭The social process by which people interact and behave in a group environment‬
‭—-->>> Four Dimensions:‬
‭-‬ ‭Communication and interaction patterns‬
‭-‬ ‭The cohesion of the group and its attraction for its members‬
‭-‬ ‭Social controls such as norms, roles and status‬

-‭ ‬ ‭ tages of group development‬

S
‭1.‬ ‭Forming‬
‭2.‬ ‭Storming‬
‭3.‬ ‭Performing‬
‭4.‬ ‭Norming‬

‭ /28‬
9
‭Orienting group members: once we have recruited, a salad orientation is the first step in keeping‬
‭them.‬
‭-‬ ‭Review group norms‬
‭-‬ ‭Organizational structure‬
‭-‬ ‭Group space/environment‬
‭-‬ ‭Group purpose‬

‭ 0/24‬
1
‭Middle stage‬
‭-‬ ‭Initial period of testing, conflict and adjustment is possible as members work out‬
‭relationships‬
‭Middle stage skills‬
‭-‬ ‭Preparing for group meetings‬
‭-‬ ‭Structuring the groups work‬
‭-‬ ‭Involving and empowering group members‬
‭-‬ ‭Helping members achieve goals‬
‭-‬ ‭Working with reluctant and resistant group members‬

‭ nowledge checl‬
K
‭Which is not part of the activities of the middle stage treatment grouos?‬
‭Deciding on program activities for terminating goals‬
‭10.26‬
‭Selecting intervention strategies: Evidence Based Practice‬
‭Seven steps for EBP‬
‭- Cultivate a spirit of inquiry‬
‭- Ask clinical questions in the Picot method‬
‭P- Population of interest‬
‭I - Intervention of interest‬
‭C - Comparison intervention or group‬
‭O - Outcome‬
‭T - Time, how much time do we need to implement this intervention‬
-‭ search for the best evidence‬
‭- critically appraise the evidence‬
‭- integrate the evidence with clinical expertise‬
‭- evaluate outcomes‬
‭- disseminate EBP results‬
‭Concerns: does EBP ignore importance of self determination, individuality and therapeutic‬
‭alliance?‬

‭Interpersonal‬

‭ ask Groups 11/7‬

T
‭Primary purpose‬
‭-‬ ‭Problem solving‬
‭-‬ ‭Decision making‬
‭Meeting client needs‬
‭Ex. treatment teans‬
‭Meeting community needs‬
‭Social workers spend a lot of time in task groups particularly‬
‭-‬ ‭Committees‬
‭-‬ ‭Teams‬
‭-‬ ‭Treatmentment conferences‬
‭During meetings‬
‭Introducing new members‬
‭Seek approval for minutes and obtain a minute taker‬
‭Follow the agenda 0 make sure to sace time for all items‬
‭Model the behavior expected of members‬
‭ENding of meetings‬
‭Summarize the meeting’s accomplishments‬
‭Praise members for their efforts‬
‭Identify issues and agenda items that need attention and the meeting schedule‬
‭Mention major topics for the next meeting‬

‭ etween meetings‬
B
‭Work on meeting decisions and tasks‬
‭Prepare reports for the next meeting‬
‭Prepare for the next meeting‬
‭-‬ ‭Call for agenda items befor the next meeting‬
‭Meeting agenda outline‬
‭-‬ ‭Examin and approve minutes/notes‬
‭-‬ ‭Make information announcements‬
‭-‬ ‭Vote to include special agenda items‬
‭-‬ ‭Have officer and committee reports‬
‭-‬ ‭Work on less controversial easier items‬
‭-‬ ‭Work on more difficult items‬
-‭ ‬ ‭ ork on for discussion only items‬
W
‭-‬ ‭Consider any special agenda items‬
‭-‬ ‭adjourn‬