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Group Process Analysis

Paper 2

Ivy Schihl

SW 4010

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Introduction The group that I have been assessing throughout this semester is my interpersonal life skills group from my field placement at Family Youth Interventions. As stated before in my previous paper, the youth involved in within the interpersonal life skills group are ages 12-17 and have been staying at Family Youth Interventions for the past 21 days. Assessment Interpersonal life skills time is an hour out of the day where staff sits down and talks to the youth about a certain topic. The topics given are anger management, family relationships, boundaries, etc. and the youth give their opinions on those certain topics. Interpersonal life skills are significant to the groups development as a whole because the youth can build relationships with each other regarding certain topics and relate them to experiences they have add. In most cases, there is always someone in the group that can relate to something someone has said which makes the group feel more comfortable with each other. Interpersonal life skills are crucial to the members in it because they can openly talk about their struggles and learn how to cope with those struggles with staffs help. The youth involved is very vulnerable and they dont know how to cope with their feelings at times. Throughout the 21 days, the group has changed dramatically. In the beginning of our sessions the group was very untrusting of each other and staff which made it hard to keep the conversation going because the members barely shared any feelings or struggles. As the time went on, the group members began getting more comfortable with each other and staff, and were openly engaged in the conversations. The change of this group was a positive change in terms of the groups development because if the members of the group did not become comfortable with each other, they would have not felt comfortable enough

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to share their experiences and give advice to one another. Without communication within the group, staff would have also not been able to understand the members more. Group Dynamics Evident in These Sessions When the interpersonal life skills group had first gotten together, each member had met with the counselor on staff and made their own family goals and individual goals. The counselor then writes those goals down in the clients file where staff can see and then make the interpersonal life skills topic about what most of the members would like to work on. The members of the group now understand the norms of the interpersonal life skills sessions and know that staff expects them to speak up and join the conversation compared to the first couple of sessions where the members barely spoke and staff had to guide them. According to Cartwright, members are attracted to groups because they have the need of affiliation, recognition, and security(Toeseland. W. R., p. 78). Cohesion of this group included the effective use of other members feedback and evaluations, feelings of self- esteem and self confidence, and perseverance toward goals throughout the 21 day program which benefited the members. In the middle and ending phases of the group, the members begin to have a type of security with the other members and staff. The group culture is similar within the group because the clients tend to share the same values, beliefs, customs, and traditions. If the group culture is not similar about certain topics, the members of the group are exposed to other peoples views, values, beliefs, customs, and traditions. The group culture positively changed as the group progressed which has led to successful discharges of many members. Impressions My first impressions of the group in the beginning of the 21 day period were that no matter what I told them, they werent going to listen or absorb anything that I said. I felt like it

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was a waste of my time because these members were not engaged and participating. Throughout the 21 days, my feelings have definitely changed! I know feel that the group transpired into a group of individuals that now know what skills to use when they are feeling a certain way. If they are angry, they know to take a step back and think about their actions instead of psychically starting an altercation or saying something they didnt mean to say. I believe that the staff and I did an excellent job on leading the group with the conversations that we had and making the conversations fun so the group sessions did not feel like therapy sessions. Ive noticed that when youre working with such a young, vulnerable population you have to make things fun and relate them to their age group or else they wont comprehend or even care to pay attention. I also feel that the group transpired by encouraging the members to have healthy relationships whether it be with their parents, friends, family, or anyone else they come in contact with. Plan of Action I plan to change my groups behavior by encouraging them to stay on the right path and continue using the skills learned to turn their lives around and make themselves feel better. I let the members of the group know that it is important to do good in life so they can have a better future and have all the things they need and want. For upcoming groups to be more effective, I think that staff and I need to come up with better ways of engaging the members in participating in the beginning sessions of the group so we can teach more skills throughout the 21 days. Based on my observation of diversity and the way that it affects the group, Ive realized that when managing a group, the leader needs to stay on their feet and to go into the group with an open mind expecting none of the members to know a lot about the topics being talked about. If you jump to conclusions and assume that a member knows something and they dont, then that may trigger the member to shut down and not be open to discuss their experiences. As accepting

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as I am of diversity, I have also learned to respond to members in an empathetic way so they know that I understand where they are coming from. If a member says something I dont agree with, I nod my head but also give those options on how to react to different situations and have them think about what they are saying so they can figure out solutions on their own. Ending Phase From what Ive noticed at my field placement, the social workers behaviors in the middle phases are similar to their behaviors in the beginning phases. The social worker remains open minded and encouraging but also sets boundaries with the members. The social worker is more guiding with their discussions as well. Towards the ending phase of the group, the social worker starts to turn the discussions around on the members and have them think for themselves rather than guiding them. The social worker also is optimistic about the future behavior of the members and continues to be until their discharge. In closing the groups work, the worker should avoid bringing up new issues, concerns, or items of business (Toeseland. W. R., p. 402). The members role in terms of denial or acceptance is that the member either chooses to use the skills that theyve learned throughout the group process or not use anything they have learned. The member also needs to come to terms with the fact that the group is going to be over and they need to realize that the other group members and staff are not going to be around any longer to help guide them to the right decisions. With this come responsibility and the choices as well. Conclusion Overall, the group process is a transitional way of guiding clients through their lives and opening them up to the many options that the world has to offer. Group members can analyze the choices they have made in the past and learn from their mistakes to make their future bright. The choice is always left up to the client because no one can make someone feel a certain way.

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As much as social workers want to help their clients, it is ultimately up to the client to take responsibility and change their lives on their own.

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Reference Page Toseland, Ronald W., and Robert F. Rivas. An introduction to group work practice. 7th ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 2012. Print.