Week 7: The Planning Stage Leading a treatment group requires extensive planning by the clinical social worker. Treatment groups are interventions that tend to focus on a particular emotional and/or behavioral issue that is having a negative impact on a person’s life. A treatment group differs from a support group or task group because it…

Assignment 1: Planning a Group When a client is dealing with several problems at one time, it can be difficult to determine which type of treatment group would be most beneficial. Some types of treatment groups may overlap in addressing certain problems or issues. The literature is helpful in assisting the clinical social worker in…

Week 6: Leadership At some time during your career as a clinical social worker, you will be asked to lead a group. Whether it is a support group, task group, or therapy group, developing effective leadership skills is important. Leading a group can be challenging. The first meeting tends to set the stage for the…

Discussion 1: Group Leadership Skills Leading a group of individuals who have suffered trauma can be difficult because the shared stories may result in further trauma to some of the members. Assessing the members and deciding how they will introduce themselves at the first meeting can be a difficult task. Helping these members begin the…

Discussion: Group Dynamics and Family Dynamics When working with families and groups the priority is for the social worker to understand the process that is taking place.  In both situations there is the overt (clearly stated) dynamics and the covert (hidden) dynamics.  The content (what is being said) in both settings is what is open…

Week 5: Understanding Group Dynamics It is important to understand group dynamics because of their impact on the function and success of the group process. The actual “dynamic” is what influences the behavior of each member of the group and the group as a whole. Every group develops their own dynamic, and it is the…

Discussion 1: Family Assessment The first step in helping a client is conducting a thorough assessment. The clinical social worker must explore multiple perspectives in order to develop a complete understanding of the situation. From this understanding, the social worker is able to recognize the client’s strengths and develop effective strategies for change.    …

Week 3: Intervention With Families Families are complicated systems that continually evolve. The structure of the family system can change due to circumstances that occur within the family or in a social environment. When a family is exposed to a traumatic event, whether it is a spouse returning home from war or a tragedy within…

Week 4: The Knowledge Base of Group Work Practice Groups and group work exist in every social service agency. Every clinical social worker is likely to work in a group at some point in his or her career. Therefore, understanding group methodology is critical for all social workers. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW)…

Discussion: Trauma and Loss With seemingly never-ending violence, natural disasters, and soldiers returning home from wars growing numbers of people are suffering long lasting mental health crises. It is imperative for clinical social workers to implement effective interventions that address trauma and loss within families.   For this Discussion, view the “Levy” video.   By…