UAGM Social Work With Groups and Communities Essay – Description
Case vignette
First year university students sought help from the Dean of Student Affairs since their personal problems were negatively affecting their studies. The Dean of Student Affairs decided to create a group to assist these students in resolving their identified areas of opportunities. The group is made up of seven first generation college students belonging to various multicultural groups, who will be meeting once a week. For a period of an hour and a half. The group will be facilitated by a clinical social worker.
The meeting began at 10:30 am, with all members present. The social worker introduced himself by stating, “Since we have already spoken individually, you all know me”. The Social Worker commented “It seems that you all have requested help for similar reasons, coming together as a group to discuss our feelings, in addition to assessing possible solutions to our everyday problems can be very positive”. As the Social Worker spoke the members of the group remained attentive but silent. To foster cohesiveness among the members the Social Worker followed up with an icebreaker activity, which consisted of each member introducing themselves by sharing what they were studying and what their expectations were related to the group.
The group members participated of the icebreaker activity and became more relaxed in the process. At the end of the icebreaker the Social Worker was able to collect a summary of the group’s goals, which consist of improving their academic performance, self-regulating their emotions, and improving their overall university experience.
One of the group members, Carlos, commented “I wonder, how are we going to achieve those expectations? I mean this is a whole new experience for me. I am not used to sharing my problems with other people!”. On the other hand, Mari?a expressed feeling very calm with the idea of belonging to the group: “I don’t feel pressured at all, and I need the help”.
The social worker commented on the specific group dynamics taking place “I am noticing that there are some concerns about the group and the process we are going to share. It is natural to have concerns about what will happen”. Armando, another member of the group, went on to share Carlos’s sentiment “It is difficult for me to discuss my problems with other people, I feel a little pressured to be here, but I really want to do better, so, I do not mind the pressure. Ana mentioned that they needed to face reality “all of us went to the Dean of Student Affairs in search of help because we do not feel well and are not performing at par with our classmates. It should be noted that the other members remained silent for the rest of the meeting.
The Social Worker told the group “Remember that beginnings in any group can be difficult, you folk still do not know each other and there might be a certain level of mistrust”.
Minutes before the end time the Social Worker indicated that the stipulated time was running out and indicated the date and time for the next meeting. The Social Worker briefly reviewed the initial meeting, which was generally positive.
Outline:
Introduction
• Content development:
o Describe if the group was open ended or close ended
? Was this the best option for this specific group? Why or why not? Explainyour answer.
? Is the size of the group appropriate? Why or why not? Explain your answer.
? Is the Duration appropriate? Why or why not? Explain your answer.
o Explain what type of group is being implemented (treatment, task, focus, etc.). ? Is this the best type of group to work with the goals? Why or why not?
Explain your answer.
o Based on the identified areas of opportunity, and group’s stated goals, develop
three measurable objectives, one objective per goal. o Describe each of the group stages
? Intake
? Selection of members
? Assessment and planning
? Group development and intervention,
? Evaluation, and termination
? The social worker mentioned “Since we have already spoken individually,you all know me”. At what stage did the social worker speak with themembers individually
? In this first meeting, is the contract negotiation carried out? Why or whynot? Explain your answer.
o What specific model of group development do you believe best describes the
group in the vignette? Why or why not? Explain your answer.
Garland, Jones, and Kolodny Model
? Tuckman Model
? Northern and Kurland model
? Sequential Stage Model of Group
? Bales Model
? What characteristics of the first stage of development of a group does thismeeting present? Explain
o What roles are assumed by social workers when working with groups? At least
describe 5 different roles (coordinator, negotiator, etc.)
? What specific role do you think the social worker in the vignette assumed
during the group meeting?
o Describe the difference between task and maintenance roles amongst membership
(Bales, 1950)
? What task and/or maintenance roles were present in the case vignette?
? Did the social worker use empathy, reflection, and interpersonal skillseffectively when interacting with group members? Why or why not? Explain your answer.
What group norms would you have implemented and why? ? How would you have implemented those norms?o Describe the homework you would have given the group members at the end of the session.? Specify the goal and objective of this homework and how does it align with the overarching goals established for the group.
Conclusion
o Critically analyze your future commitment with social justice, equality, and
respect for human rights when working with groups.
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