Spring 2024 SOWK 487w Week 11 - Therapeutic Group Models - Mutual Aid Groups

Therapeutic Group Models Mutual Aid Groups Jacob Campbell, Ph.D. LICSW at Heritage University SOWK 487w Spring 2024

Agenda Plan for Week 11 What are mutual aid groups Dynamics of mutual aid groups The phases of helping within the mutual aid process Facilitation of mutual aid

Our America with Lisa Ling Transgender Support Group Meeting

Engage in the Process of Reviewing Practice Together for Development THEMES Understand How Trauma Impacts Students Use Idea Generation Develop New and Novel Ideas Integrated Self-Care Practices Limiting Re-Traumatization Into Group and Encourage Use Within the Classroom Methods for Increasing to Reduce Compassion Fatigue Use Storytelling to Resiliency Factors for Students Make Meaning and Engaging in Self-Care and Include Scholarly Sources and Develop Cohesion Burnout Prevention to Reduce the Develop Connections to Impact of Secondary Trauma Evidence-Based Practice De ne Concepts as a Evaluate and Implement Ideas for Group to Enhance Promoting Systematic Changes Understanding Within a Classroom and School-Wide Review Protocols for Professional Socialization Develop a Tool or Recommendation for How Other School LEARNING STRATEGIES Sta Could Create Similar Growth in Other Schools Follow Mutual Aid Model Incorporate an Interdisciplinary Framework ff fi COMPONENTS IN BUILDING A TRAUMA-INFORMED PLC (Campbell, 2023)

Dynamics of Mutual Aid Creating Many Helping Relationships • Sharing data • Mutual support • “All-in-the-same-boat” • Mutual demand phenomenon • Dialectical process • Discussing taboo areas • Developing a universal perspective • Individual problem-solving • Rehearsal • “Strength-in-numbers” phenomenon (Shulman, 2020)

Sharing Data Life Experiences Knowledge Views Values Image Generated by Midjourney (Shulman, 2020)

• Expands members • • • perspectives Helps members universalize their life struggles Raise level of consciousness to expand their perspectives Develops group empathy support “All-in-theSame-Boat” phenomenon (Shulman, 2020; Gitterman, 2017)

Dialectical Process “ Open place for a debate of ideas dialectical | ˌdīəˈlektəkəl | adjective 1 relating to the logical discussion of ideas and opinions: dialectical ingenuity. 2 concerned with or acting through opposing forces: a dialectical opposition between artistic translation and transcription. Group members can listen as one member presents the thesis, and the other the antithesis. As each member listens, he or she can use the discussion to develop a personal synthesis. (Shulman, 2020, p. 347)

Discussing a Taboo Area “A mutual-aid process in which one member enters a taboo area of discussion, thereby freeing other members to enter as well” Photo by Tech Nick on Unsplash (Shulman, 2020, p. 375)

Developing a Universal Perspective “A mutual-aid process in the group in which members begin to perceive universal issues, particularly in relation to oppression, thus allowing them to view their own problems in a more social context and with less personal blame.” • A special case for “all-inthe-same-boat.” • Can be related to oppression and recognizing the systematic nature • Fits within the concept of consciousness-raising groups p. 384 (Shulman, 2020)

Mutual Support The acceptance and caring of the group p. 378 Mutual Demand “A mutual-aid process in which group members o er each other help by making demands and setting expectations on personal behavior.” p. 379 ff (Shulman, 2020)

Make individual associations Share feelings and connection with group members Easier to see problems of someone else then self Learning process to improve problem solving. (Shulman, 2020) Individual Problem Solving

Rehearsal “The group becomes a safe place to risk new ways of communicating and to practice actions the group member feels may be hard to do” p. 381 (Shulman, 2020)

The mutual-aid process in which group members are strengthened to take on di cult tasks (such as challenging agency policy) through the support of other group members “Strength-in-Numbers” ffi phenomenon (Shulman, 2020)

Tasks, Methods, and Skills Used in Mutual Aid Groups • Directs group members to each other • Identi es and focuses on salient themes • Encourages and reinforces cooperative mutual support norms • Engagement members to participate in collective activities • Give participants the ability to do rehearsal fi (Gitterman, 2017)

Facilitate a group to help facilitate mutual aid of the members focused as a group of students. Directs group members to each other Identi es and focuses on salient themes Encourages and reinforces cooperative mutual support norms Engagement members to participate in collective activities Give participants the ability to do rehearsal fi Mutual Aid for Students

Mutual Aid Groups Vulnerable and Resilient Populations • People dealing with traumatic experiences • Immigrants and refugees • People contending with intimate • Grief partner and other violence • AIDS • Sexual abuse • People with mental health di culties • Homelessness • Health care settings • Older elderly peple and their caregivers • People with alternative sexual • Isolated and physically and emotionally orientation challenged group members ffi (Gitterman, 2017)

Health, growth, & belonging Mediating Function (Schwartz, 1961 as cited in Gitterman, 2017) Env Social Worker iron me nt Organic whole, dynamic system

Mediating Function External Mediation Internal Mediation External Environmental Stressors Internal Interpersonal Stressors (Schwartz, 1961 as cited in Gitterman, 2017)

Ten Common Obstacles in Mutual Aid Groups • Not for this (group/place/type of • Problem-solving leaves most of the • The group does not seem to have • Central authority dominates • The group has no clarity or • Too much sameness/not enough • A hidden agenda drives the • No sense of apparent progress in person) any sense of we-ness direction facilitator’s actions members silent most of the time process stimulation in the group achieving the group’s purpose • Individual problem-solving leaves most of the members silent most of the time (Steinberg, 2014)

Phases in Mutual Aid Groups Case Study 7-1 Working in small groups, discuss the following: A Mutual-Aid Support Group for Persons With AIDS in Early Substance Abuse Recovery In what ways did the group leader help move the group from the beginning through the ending and transition phases of group work? Copyright © 2014. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated. All rights reserved. LAWRENCE SHULMAN Persons with AIDS who are in substance abuse recovery struggling with similar concerns can gain support and resources through mutual-aid groups. This case study illustrates the social worker’s methods in enhancing mutual aid among participants in an intensive, 8-month, weekly group held in a residence sponsored by an AIDS Action Committee. Questions 1. What skills are evident in the group leader’s approach to working with the group and the individuals in the group? 2. What types of follow-up and supplementary services would be appropriate for clients during the life of the group and after completing the group? 3. How did the group leader address the issue of the group member–group leader dynamics referred to as the authority theme early in the first sessions? 4. What did the group leader do to create a “demand for work” in the group during the fourth session when he recognized the illusion of work? 253 LeCroy, C. W. (2014). Case studies in social work practice. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated. Created from ciis-ebooks on 2022-12-24 07:09:38. (Shulman, 2014)

Phases of Helping Preparation Phase Contract Phase Work Phase Ending Phase (Schwartz, 1971 as cited in Gitterman, 2017)

Phases of Helping Preparation Phase Contract Phase Work Phase • Organizational and work preparation • Group dynamics and functions preparation Ending Phase (Schwartz, 1971 as cited in Gitterman, 2017)

Phases of Helping Preparation Phase Contract Phase • Clear and mutual agreement Work Phase Ending Phase (Schwartz, 1971 as cited in Gitterman, 2017)

Phases of Helping Preparation Phase • Find common ground Contract Phase Work Phase • Detecting and challenging the obstacles • Contribute • De ning the requirements and limits Ending Phase fi (Schwartz, 1971 as cited in Gitterman, 2017)

Phases of Helping Preparation Phase Contract Phase Work Phase • Managing feelings • Future planning Ending Phase (Schwartz, 1971 as cited in Gitterman, 2017)

Amount of Facilitation In Mutual Aid Groups Non Facilitated Mutual Aid Highly Facilitated