Group Observation Paper

I decided for my social observation the mall would be a good place to start. I came there on a Friday evening when there should be plenty of people to watch. I also sat in the Barnes and Noble café after that to observe. I expected to see a lot of people shopping and conversing. A few things did stand out to me within the few hours I was there. Some things I didn’t expect to see. We are expected to behave a certain way in public determined by our culture as to what is acceptable. Some people stay well within the lines while some might stray outside the norms but never too far typically. Usually the ones to travel to the extremes are adolescents and teenagers. This is what I observed.

In this paper, I discuss my experience with observing a group counseling session with the purpose of evaluating it in terms of how it is set up, how it is run, interventions used, culturally sensitivity, and the contribution toward my professional development as a social worker. The group setting plays a critical role in social work outside of the individual session and can be largely beneficial for clients in the forms of therapy, counseling, self-help, and support. By attempting to better understand group interventions, I will learn how to apply this strategy in aiding clients for whom this method is appropriate by increasing their social supports.

I had the pleasure interviewing Ms. Sabrina Anderson. Ms. Anderson is a Probation Counselor II at Foundations Residential Facility in Fairfax, Virginia. Foundations Residential Facility counsels young women between ages of 12-18 who are mandated by Fairfax Juvenile Court System due to various offences. Most of the women were victims of sexual and drug abuse. There are six residents at the facility whose probation period ranges from eight to twelve months long. The maximum number of ladies that are allowed is twelve: each counselor has two clients. The residents are required to stay at the facility for a week and then may go home on the weekends if they well behaved. In the beginning, Ms. Anderson and her client will come up with a plan/agenda

This essay will be discussing two different situations where skills by social workers are needed when working with groups. I will define the term ‘group’ and will be reflecting on my own experiences of working within groups and what I have observed in regards to individuals, behaviours and group dynamics. My examples are drawn from two particular situations where I have been involved, which include a multi-professional meeting and residential home for children with disabilities. I will be drawing on knowledge from K216 materials and other sources.

In this group there were no disruptive members. I filled the role of an observer, I offered feedback at the end of the session. The counselor filled the role of standard setter. There was an encourager, a harmonizer, an expediter, and a follower.

Group work has been a cornerstone of the social work profession and requires a variety of facilitator skills and awareness of group processes. The SSLDTM Group Program for People with Difficulties in Social Situations (Socialwork1914, 2017) provides an excellent example of a psycho-educational group co-facilitated by two female social workers, Jane and Karen. After viewing the 6th session of this 8-week program, I began to understand how the concepts of group formation/development, interpersonal dynamics, and leadership styles contribute to successful group work outcomes.

Groups talk about goals in different ways, using different words. Some groups have major and minor goals or meta- and micro-goals; others divide goals into mission, purpose or goal, and objectives, while other groups talk about aims and expectations. A group is strengthened to the extent it has clear goals and all members know what their roles are in helping to achieve them (Dimock and Kass, 2008, p.62-63). My placement is currently in the Mental Health field and as mental health workers we have groups that are organized to promote to mental health of all and to support the resilience and recovery of people experiencing mental illness.

Group psychology is a method often used for various experiments on people. It is used by psychologists because most things that people do are in groups. There is a very large significance that comes out of group psychology. It is only human nature for one to feel a need to belong or be a part of a group rather than being isolated from their peers. With group psychology it is studied how a person will change their view on something to conform to what they believe the group consensus would be.

Groupwork can be defined as a method of social work that is utilised in order to help individuals to enhance their social functioning through purposeful group experiences and to help cope with their personal group or community problems (Konopka, 1972). The role of groupwork places emphasis on sharing thoughts, ideas, problems and activities, allowing social action groups for instance, to “empower members to engage in collective action and planned change efforts to modify particular aspects of their social or physical environment” (Toseland & Rivas, 2014, p. 38; Pyles, 2009; Staples, 2004). Therefore, reflecting on the processes of groupwork is an essential mechanism for all professionals in order to develop better communication skills, conflict resolution and enhance future performance. This essay will reflect upon the task group processes that were conducted this semester, while evaluating my own role within the group and what was learnt working within a small group.

As social workers, we want to learn about how to develop a mutual aid group together. Our group chose to do this in a mutual aid group focused on managing stress, as well as recording group process and development. This group analysis and reflection paper will be based on the description of the participants as well as identifying, describing, and explaining the analyzing of the group processes and key concepts. Included will also be a facilitator’s reflection from my behalf of the third session of the mutual aid group.

1) Our last class we were each given a note card with a specific color and age-range. This was done to divide us into groups or “family’s” so that we could discuss how we believe life would have been for each age group in ancient times. The age range that I received was from zero to three years old and the approximate age that I choose to identify with was being a one-year old infant. Some tendencies that we discussed as a family that I would have as a one-year old were the tendencies of communication, exploration, orientation, and activity.

Observation: During this group session I observed a lot of silences. Not just your average counseling pauses these silences were profound and one even lasted about 40 seconds.

The type of group we will be working with is a transitional therapy group for teenage girls that are in the foster care system. This will be a mixed group utilizing both a psychoeducational and counseling group type. The counseling focus of this group will consist of helping these girls through the transition process of being placed with a foster family.

It was the first day of band camp, as a section leader I was filled with excitement. Fresh faces flooded each section as leaders scribbled names onto clipboards. I was the low reed section leader. Everyone was able to play at a decent level; however, one individual struggled. I pulled her aside to check up on her playing skills. Deborah explained that she struggled in junior high but was determined to improve. Marching was even more difficult because she lacked the crucial internal source of tempo. She was labeled as a “shadow” by the directors, someone who marches behind another performer but doesn’t perform at competitions. I realized she was a reflection of my freshman self: a quiet introverted individual who struggled with both aspects

In addition, textbook readings not only expanded my knowledge of social work with groups but also provided knowledge context for our experiences with in-class or external groups. For example, I familiarized myself with the Association for the Advancement of Social Work with Groups, Inc. (AASWG) which is an international professional organization that establishes ethical guidelines for group counselors. The standards are described in six sections which underline the changes in the worker’s tasks relevant to changing and evolving of the group. (Association for the Advancement of Social Work with Groups, Inc., 2012).