Group Proposal For: Adolescents in Residential Treatment Program OVERVIEW: Lakeland Regional Hospital of Springfield, Missouri, is a hospital to assist youth with emotional and mental disorders. Many times these adolescents need immediate intervention. The young women in this group aged fourteen to seventeen have a history of depression and have problems in peer groups, school, community, and/or their families. The purpose of this group is to focus on creating unique strengths of each member and to identify and utilize various coping skills. The group orientation will be predominantly psychotherapeutic and will facilitate integration of skills learned to enhance each member’s life. NEED IN DETAIL/MEETING THE NEED: Depression is the most common mental health problem in the United States. It affects people of all ages, races and economic backgrounds. In adolescents, as many as one in eight teens suffers with this condition. It can interfere with day-to-day functioning. Many times adolescents feel lost or hopeless and may not know who to turn to for help. This therapeutic environment uses specific objectives and goals to give adolescents the tools and skills they need to cope and function more successfully. This is a positive, caring environment so that each member will feel ready to share and cope with their problems. Currently, there is a lack of support and resources for adolescents with this mental illness and this group fulfills that need. This group is different from other groups of this nature, as members are carefully screened to make sure only those who can truly benefit from it are included. GROUP GOALS AND OBJECTIVES: *Gain a better understanding of mental and emotional self *Acquire skills to manage various em... ... middle of paper ... ...rs to deal with any problems that arise from the group. It is important for them to be alert to the risks of the group. To reduce any unnecessary risks, I will understand each member’s limits, respect their requests, be invitational and not dictatorial, describe their behavior and not be judgmental, and avoid harsh verbal confrontations. These risks will also be discussed during the initial session of the group. I will counteract psychological risks by using various techniques such as blocking, caring confrontation, questioning, and assessing. I have taken precautionary measures as well by contacting my mentors and consultants and alerting them about the risks of the group I am running. If there is an ethical or legal concern, it will be documented and taken to a clinical supervisor. In addition, I have liability protection and malpractice insurance in place.
Group counseling is a viable new option emerging in the school setting. It can be effective and cost-effective for the schooling system by addressing a larger number of students and can be used to address a multitude of topics that children often face. One benefit of group counseling in the school setting is that it teaches children important socializing skills with their peers, as students often learn best from each other (Pérusse, 2009). It provides support, assists with emotional and problem-solving skills, and empowers children to be help each other as well as receive help from their peers (Thompson, 2012). The group setting may be perceived as less threatening, it helps bridge the gap in trust for children by providing a safe environment in which children can connect with others, and it allows for interactions that builds on social skills and the development of empathy for others (Thompson, 2012).
People constantly overlook the severity of depression, more importantly, major teen depression, which presents a legitimate obstacle in society. The intensity of teen depression results from society’s general lack of acknowledgement of the rising affair. In 2012, “28.5% of teens were depressed” and 15.8% of teens contemplated the option of suicide (Vidourek 1 par. 1), due to their major depression going unnoticed or untreated for. Even teenagers themselves often ignore their depression or remain in denial because neither them nor anyone else recognizes the signs. “A sudden change in behavior is a main sign of someone being depressed, which could lead to having suicidal thoughts,” stated Pam Farkas, a clinical social worker in California (Aguilar 1 par. 8). The warning signs and risk factors of teen depression include behavioral issues, social withdrawal, and inadequate interest in activities (Adolescents and Clinical Depression 2 par. 3), yet the unawareness of these signs does not allow professional medical attention to intercede. Deaths, illnesses, rejection, relationship issues, and disappointment present passages down the negative path of teen depression, but treatments, such as psychotherapy, intervention programs, and antidepressants express ways to subdue this major problem. Knowledge of the increasing dilemma needs to circulate, in order to promote stable teen lives in the present and future world. Understanding major teen depression, the events and incidents that lead to depression, and how to overcome the problem will lead to a decrease in major teen depression and its growing issue in society.
a group practice, such as loss of independence, renovating, hiring and firing personnel, relocating, and expanding facilities for consensus requirement. With most issues, there are both positive and negative sides to being a member of a group practice. If you are considering it, you need to be cautious and evaluate the nature of the practice to determine if you would be compatible with the group members.
Jacobs, E. E., Masson, R. L., Harvill, R. L. & Schimmel, C. J. (2012). Group counseling: Strategies and skills (7th ed.), Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole
The roles within the group that present obstacles are the aggressor, monopolize, recognition-seeker/attention-getter, hostile/acting out and the advice-giver (Erford, 2010). The counselor will take on the role of group leader and coordinator. The group leader may explain the dynamics and organization to the group so that self-disclosure and feedback can be positive. The different roles of the members of the group are not necessarily predetermined. Through the communication and rapport between each member of the group, roles will be established (Puskar et al., 2012).
In conclusion, I have once again learned new information pertaining to issues and ethics in therapy, but more specifically group work, which prior to reading this chapter I really didn’t know too much about. I really found the idea of co-leadership interesting and all of the various issues when it comes to confidentiality. I had also never thought about the effect of termination without discussion within a group and how this could hurt other group members. I moreover liked the idea of the screening process and ideas to prepare for participants of group.
Group therapy is considered one of the most resourceful forms of therapy. The benefits to group therapy can be both cost-effective and a great means of support (Corey, Corey & Corey, 2014). The process of experiencing ideas and viewpoints expressed by your peers allows group members to become more susceptible to the counseling procedure. Group counseling also helps individuals to feel a sense of belonging due to similar situations and experiences shared by the group. The sense of support from group members can be an excellent means towards developing long-lasting relationships and developing communication skills needed to move forward during the counseling phase. In this paper, I will discuss my experiences throughout the group-counseling phase.
The first theme is demonstrated through support and communication. Facilitating this technique in group therapy brings awareness to similar issues others in the group are experiencing. Having the supportive network of like-minded group members can significantly increase the rapport, therapeutic alliance, and especially developing self-care strategies. Having motivation and a supportive environment to check-in with is a powerful way for a group member to feel connected to them self if their current support system is absent or toxic. In working with the family or couple utilizing this technique, the second theme involves self-awareness.
Before getting into treatment, professionals should help clients fully understand what they are going to be benefiting from group” (Duvall, Kodet, Slone, & Reese, 2015). In a study about family therapy, there were several ethic code principles that were put into place regarding what is acceptable by a human service professional. They included, “practice with competence, do not exploit, treat people with respect, protect confidentiality, and do not harm” (Brook, 1993). However, “in group, a person has less control over and therapy groups generally value the norms of openness and self-disclosure, but there is a danger that "emotionality per se may become a standard for self-expression in the group” (Haeseler, 2016). It is important that each individual entering into group perfectly understands the rights of confidentiality. Ways that this can take place is for every person to sign an informed consent. The client’s rights should be enforced as well as an understanding that everyone has different culture beliefs and values and everyone should be respected. “Clients privacy means the right for clients to choose the time, circumstances, and information others may know about them. It is up to the leader of the group to ensure that the client feels safe in a group” (Corey, Williams, & Moline,
Forming a counseling group may seem simple, but it’s not. A “major issue in putting a group together is screening it for potential members” (Gladding, pg. 212). The reason it can be a complicated task to complete is because members are not always volunteers. Screening members for a “group counseling session, is a three step process” (Gladding, pg. 212). We’ll discuss how these steps are an important component of having a successful group.
Group therapy is a dynamic and interactive approach for emotional healing. For teenagers and pre-teens, it can be especially effective because so much of an adolescent’s emotional development is affected by how, when, or even if they feel connected to others. Instead of meeting with a counselor for individual or family therapy, a pre-teen or teenager is welcomed into one of our groups as an equal. In group counseling, they are encouraged to explore who they are, who they want to become, and safely challenge questions or issues that come up during this tumultuous period of their lives. They are stretching their comfort levels with the knowledge that they are supported by their peers.
An explanation of the intervention skills needed for working with this group and an explanation
This model is similar to socialization groups in that this model helps the clients build a report within the group and foster mutual aid networks that can be used as a tool for coping even after the group terminates. Unlike a socialization group this group also has another function and that is to help the clients gain valuable skills that will help them in life when they are experiencing a crisis or other issue that causes them emotional distress. This model is different from the remedial model because the reciprocal model is group focused and relays less on worker activity and more on group cohesiveness and mutual support to work through issues after a coping tool is learned. The worker would have regular contact with the clients but would enable and encourage the clients to look to one another in times of crisis for the solutions and help. In group, the worker would take a laze fare leadership style and would allow the members to be the experts on the issues which they have experience and can offer
Depression has become a big issue among the adolescent world these days. It is something that is overlooked much of the time, and is often even hidden by other things.
Empfield, M., Bakalar, N. (2001). Understanding Teenage Depression: A Guide to Diagnosis, Treatment and Management, Holt Paperbacks, New York.