Alcoholic Anonymous- Sociology Essay

 

Format of the paper

Book:  Group Work Third Edition

Stills and Strategies for Effective Intervention

Paper should include all of the following sections – Each section should be numbered and answered in the following order:

1.Identify and briefly describe a population (alcoholics anonymous)  that you are working with in field that could benefit from a group-based intervention.  How did this population come to your attention?

2. Using the required readings and course syllabus as a guide to the literature, what are the three key values or benefits of using a group approach with this population?

1.Feeling normal – or all in the same boat

2. Opportunity to hide

3. Evoking different and new aspects of one=s personality

4. Creating new behavioral norms

5. Imitating behavior

6. Growth through giving

7. All of us are smarter than any one of us

8. Reliving early family life

9. Development of social skills

10. Appreciating diversity

11. Getting the job done

12. Empowerment

*From: Wayne, J. & Cohen, C.S. (2001). Group work education in the field. Alexandria, VA: Council on Social Work Education.

3. Using course literature on models and theories of group practice, what type of group approach would you propose?

https://moodle.adelphi.edu/mod/resource/view.php?id=1282016

Support Grouping

4. Using the Worksheet: Planning Guide for Social Work Groups format; discuss your actual or proposed group in relation to each of the 8 headings.

From:  Wayne, J. & Cohen, C.S. (2001).  Group work education in the field. Alexandria, VA: Council on Social Work Education.

Primarily drawn from: Kurland, R.  (1978). Planning: The neglected component of group development.  Social Work with Groups.  1 (2), 173-178

This is an example

 

SAMPLE WORKSHEET: PLANNING GUIDE FOR SOCIAL WORK GROUPS*

 

GROUP NAME: Grandmothers As Mothers Again Group**                                          SITE: Community Service Center 

GROUP WORKER(S): Student Intern & Social Worker                                START DATE: Mid-October

 

1. Agency/Social Context: Would be a new group for agency, but has had groups for fathers estranged from their children, and runs parenting workshops in Prevention Program.  Fits with agency focus on family & vulnerable populations.  Idea came from clients in community (fits with need to be responsive). Potential members live close to Community Center (we have contact there). Growing # of grandparents raising grandchildren (3.2 nationally) and more common in our area with parents incarcerated, disabled with AIDS and substance abuse, and grandparents becoming full time care givers, with or without legal custody.  Requires no extra outlay of funds; group could raise funds if needed for special activities.

 

2. Client Need(s): Possibly include financial (may have to leave jobs, more expenses, etc.), physical (new tasks and stresses), social (isolation, new milieu, possible ostracism, new family arrangements), informational (new systems to learn and negotiate, advocate for services), emotional (grief as parent, feelings of failure, change of life’s plan), etc.

 

3. Group Purpose: To help grandmothers feel supported and more able to cope with raising their grandchildren,

 

4. Group Composition: Grandmothers with responsibility (legal or otherwise) for raising one or more of their grandchildren or great grandchildren due to death or incapacity of child(ren)’s parent(s).  Resident of Central City area.  Can communicate well in English.  Able to travel to group meeting site (wheelchair accessible).  Can be self-referred, current client, or referred from other sources.

 

5. Group Structure: Site: Community Service Center, ground floor room outside kitchen; Fees to Members: None; Membership Policy: Open, new members at any time;  Frequency: Every two weeks; Meeting Time: During school day with time for travel (time to be determined);  Meeting Duration: 2 hours; Duration of Group Life: Open (May break for summer); Decision making: open, structure and content to be further developed by members; Child Care Issues: Infants with grandmothers if necessary (may have babysitting if needed); Meeting notification: Worker to send reminders during initial stage; Outside contacts: Members encouraged to network and contact worker regarding service needs; Worker role: facilitator, enabler, resource gatherer, advocate.

 

6. Group Content: Variable content, expected to include: check-in by members at beginning of meeting, warm-ups & exercises/role-plays, problem sharing and solving discussions brought up by member or worker, speakers or review of materials on topics to be determined by members (e.g., TANF, adoption, schools), advocacy training and/or working with other groups, sharing meals/food, possible opening/closing prayer or ceremony, trips and social activities with or without grandchildren.

 

7. Formation Strategy: Recruitment: flyer to local churches and center, calls to kinship coordinator of child welfare agencies serving area, director’s announcement at agency cabinet meetings and at inter-agency and church community council meetings.  Screening: telephone or in person contact with all prospective members to assess meeting group membership criteria, initial orientation to group and purpose, gather information about child raising responsibilities among prospective members, discuss best day and time for meeting (within our constraints), assess need for child care during group meeting.

 

8.Evaluation Strategy: Monitor recruitment, sources of membership; Identification of individual expectations at intake and periodic review of expectations and achievement; Process recordings of each meeting and ½ pre-group screening meetings; Weekly supervision re implementation and group progress; Consider pre and periodic administration of social support scale (Zimet et.al.1988); Propose group generated scales for social support, stress, group effectiveness, etc.; Develop objectives for student learning, group milestones (e.g.,# of members)&  member goals with  data collection and analysis strategy for each objective.

*From: Wayne, J. & Cohen, C.S. (2001).  Group work education in the field. Alexandria, VA: Council on Social Work Education.

** For more information on this and similar groups, see: Cohen, 1997; Cohen, 1995; Cohen & Pyle, 2000.

5. Identify and briefly discuss three readings from the course syllabus that were particularly useful in developing your plan and beginning strategy.

6. Discuss your plans for an initial group session or describe how you conducted the first session. What are/were your goals for these initial sessions?  Incorporate process recording excerpts, and/or anticipated statements and anticipated reactions.

7. Based on the Skill Inventory in the Standards for Social Work Practice with Groups, discuss three critical skills you used, or expect to use in the beginning stage of the group.  The Standards are available at: http://www.aaswg.org/node/377

8. If you are referring to a group that has taken place, what is your critique of your work and how might you have proceeded similarly and differently?  If you are referring to a proposed group that has not met, what challenges do you anticipate and what are your strategies to address them?