Measuring the Treatment Outcome of Short-Term School-Based Social Skills Groups

ABSTRACT

Short-term groups are frequently being used in schools today to address the ever-increasing needs among at-risk students. This research was intended to address some of the current gaps in our understanding of how short-term groups affect the functioning of children and adolescents. A combination of qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods was utilized in the study to measure the treatment outcome of these school-based groups. A comparison of the results surfaced from this two evaluation methods was very informative and adds to our current knowledge and understanding of the treatment impact of short-term groups. Study participants and the group facilitators reported more internal areas of change as opposed to external behavioral changes. Future research questions and suggestions for designing more rigorous studies of short-term groups for at-risk students are delineated based on the results of this study.     

Remembering with and Without Awareness Through Poetry to Better Understand Aging and Disability

SUMMARY

Poetry has been described as a universal translator. I offer three poems that are evocative of my experience as a child with my grandfathers and their disabilities; and as an adult attempting to deal with the impending death of my father. My wish is that the first poem will reinforce the idea that connecting with one's own memories of aged and disabled family members might support our interactions with people who are aged and disabled in the here and now. I present the final two poems to encourage those working with family members of seriously ill aged people in a hospital setting to better understand the stress of decision-making and to consider devising short-term mutual aid groups to support them during a time for which no preparation exists.     

Short-Term Employment Services for Homeless Individuals: Perceptions from Stakeholders in a Community Partnership

ABSTRACT

This article examines the importance and feasibility of immediate employment for homeless individuals from perspectives of stakeholders in a community partnership. Using grounded theory and an editing-style approach, in-depth interviews were analyzed with service recipients (n= 13) and providers (n= 9). Stakeholders viewed employment services differently. While recipients were optimistic that short-term employment services could yield immediate employment despite their barriers, providers articulated the importance of providing individualized case management with realistic expectations for homeless individuals to secure long-term, dependable employment rather than low-wage, short-term jobs. Future studies should examine discrepancies in perspectives to strengthen findings presented here and better determine employment services to meet provider and recipient expectations and goals.     

Effects of a Solution-Focused Program on the Reduction of Aggressiveness and the Improvement of Social Readjustment for Korean Youth Probationers

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this investigation was to explore appropriate intervention methods for helping Korean youth probationers reduce their aggressiveness and increase their social adjustment. This study examined the effectiveness of solution-focused group treatment with Korean youth probationers using a pre- and post-test control group design. The researcher randomly assigned the consented 40 participants either to an experimental group that received the solution-focused session or to a control group that took individual supportive sessions on a needed basis. The pre- and post-test scores of each group were compared using the Aggressiveness and Social Readjustment Questionnaire to confirm the levels of statistical significance between the two groups. Results indicate that solution-focused group treatment was followed by positive changes with the participants' aggressiveness and social adjustment problems. This study also suggests that a solution-focused program is an appropriate short-term intervention for Korean probation youth.     

Challenging the Myths of Black Women—A Short-Term,Structured, Art Experience Group: Exploring the Intersections of Race,Gender, and Intergenerational Trauma

ABSTRACT

The authors describe a short-term structured group process for African American women in the suburbs of Washington, DC, highlighting the perspective of the group leaders. The group was started to address the unique needs of African American women who are also survivors of childhood abuse and neglect. The group leaders used discussion and art in the group to explore the intersections of race, gender, and intergenerational trauma. Having shared experiences with the participants of the group, the authors explore the ways the group leaders were changed and challenged in the process.     

The Role of Media in Reporting Child Abuse

ABSTRACT

This study looks at the short-term impact that the media coverage of children in need of protection had on the number of cases reported to child protection agencies. The number of reports (N = 11,646) made to these agencies in Canada was tallied each week during a 24-month period. During the same period, a content analysis of print media was conducted regarding child maltreatment and/or child protection services (CPS) to identify and count the number of articles published (N = 1,211) and single out media frenzy events. Results show a statistically significant relationship between media coverage and the number of cases reported to child protection agencies.     

Association Between Unemployment Duration and Depression in the SouthWest Region of Turkey: A Cross-Sectional Study

ABSTRACT

Unemployment has risen as an effect of globalization in the country of Turkey. To date, no studies have examined the association between the duration of unemployment and perceived mental health. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the association between the duration of unemployment and the incidenence of depression among citizens in the southwest region of Turkey. A questionnaire was developed and distributed to 908 unemployed individuals. The questionnaire gathered sociodemographic characteristics and employment-related circumstances. To measure mental health, a depression inventory was administered and group-wise t-tests and logistic regressions were conducted. The findings show that long-term unemployed persons had more episodes of depressive moods in the past 12 months when compared with the group of the short-term unemployed. In addition, depression levels were higher among the long-term unemployed compared with the short-term unemployed. It was estimated that the duration of unemployment and the measurement of depression had a positive correlation. Risk factors that increased depression in the short-term unemployed were gender (female), older age, and greater periods of unemployment. However, higher education, income, and having social insurance significantly decreased the risk of developing depression for both the short-term and the long-term unemployed. Future recommendations include supportive counseling to increase motivation levels and developing strategies to handle periods of unemployment.     

Advancing Stages of Group Development Theory: The Case of Institutionalized Older Persons

ABSTRACT

Using content analysis to analyze process recordings, the developmental patterns of two groups of older institutionalized persons are presented. The similarities to and differences from the stages of group development described by Bennis and Shepard; Garland, Jones, and Kolodny; and Schiller are discussed. Findings suggest that vulnerability to institutional power and the resultant dependence on the social worker were critical variables influencing how the groups developed over time. Differential principles for applying stages of group development theory to practice are offered.     

Adventure Therapy: Nondeliberative Group Work in Action

ABSTRACT

Nondeliberative group work allows group members to generate their own solutions and provides experiential opportunities to transfer learning to life outside of a therapeutic setting. Adventure therapy is explored as a tool for engaging groups in a nondeliberative manner. The theoretical underpinnings of adventure therapy are presented and contextualized within the larger framework of experiential education. Specific methods and models of adventure work are presented and considered in relationship to nondeliberative social work with groups. Two case examples are presented to illustrate the nondeliberative nature of adventure therapy.     

Single-Session Groups: Issues for Social Workers

ABSRACT

Single-session groups in hospital settings provide a lifeline to overwhelmed patients and family members. Although these groups are becoming more common, they present special issues for the social worker committed to making them as useful as possible to participants. This paper highlights four major issues: handling ongoing recruitment, allowing sufficient time for the beginning phase, setting realistic goals, and dealing with heterogeneous group membership. Illustrative examples are based on the author's experience with single-session groups for family members of liver transplant patients. Learning more about the special nature of single-session groups will help workers prepare for them and also capitalize on the unique opportunities they offer.     

Using the End of Groups as an Intervention at End-of-Life

SUMMARY

Support groups are an effective therapy at end-of-life. Patients with life-threatening illness and caregivers of the terminally ill have benefited from the mutual aid process provided by groups. Mutual aid is fostered by talking about feelings and developing group cohesion. Difficulty discussing the multiple issues of loss faced at end-of-life, including death and dying, can stifle sharing and impede this process. Group endings offer a unique opportunity to symbolically introduce these topics. This article explores the utilization of the group developmental stage of termination when facilitating groups for this population.     

Self-Esteem,Life Satisfaction,and Positive Future Perception among at-Risk and Comparison Group Participants in National Civic Service

ABSTRACT

This study focuses on a program designed to engage at-risk youth in the National Civic Service (NCS) in Israel with the goal of enabling them to better integrate into normative adult lives. This exploratory study employed a cross-sectional design and compared groups of at-risk female volunteers (N = 426) with comparison groups of not at-risk participants in the NCS (N = 456). For both of them, three sub-groups were examined at different stages of their service: the beginning, near the end, and about one year after finishing the service. In both the at-risk and comparison groups, self-esteem was higher among the alumni compared to those at earlier stages of the program. Life satisfaction was generally much lower among the at-risk group, but after service completion, both groups reported higher life satisfaction. There were no significant differences between the groups in their future perceptions. The implications of these findings for policy and practice are discussed.     

Evaluation of Support Groups for Child Abuse Prevention: Outcomes of Four State Evaluations

ABSTRACT

Parent support groups have grown in popularity as a strategy for preventing child maltreatment, but there have been few evaluations of these groups. The purpose of this paper is twofold. One goal is to identify some of the major challenges in the evaluation of parent support groups and to provide strategies for minimizing these potential difficulties. The second goal is to illustrate successful evaluations of parent support groups (i.e., the Circle of Parents® program) in four states. Three of these states used a retrospective pretest method. Outcomes indicated positive performance across all domains of functioning, as measured by a self-report questionnaire. Strengths and limitations of the evaluations are discussed, and recommendations for future evaluations are provided.     

Helping each other: a peer supervision group with facilitators of mutual aid groups

ABSTRACT

Mutual aid groups can help people cope with life’s problems. A peer supervision group can help facilitators to better understand their role and improve their facilitating skills in mutual aid groups. Peer supervision groups aim to support facilitators ability to reflect on their difficulties in working with groups, deepen their methodological questions, and improve their understanding regarding how to best proceed as facilitators. This paper studied a peer supervision group of experts-by-experience facilitators to demonstrate the dynamics of mutual aid that characterized the group’s functioning.     

Grandparents Raising Children With and Without a Developmental Disability

Abstract

This study compared two groups of grandparents, those who were raising grandchildren with a developmental disability, and those raising grandchildren without a developmental disability. Service use, depressive symptoms among grandparents and the impact of welfare reform are considered among other variables. Recommendations are made for the various service systems which impact upon these families. Issues for future research are also identified.     

Passing the Baton: Principles and Implications for Transferring the Leadership of a Group

ABSTRACT

Poor practice in the transferring of groups abounds. This paper examines the process of transferring a group from one worker to another. Five concepts are discussed: giving early notice of the transfer; having one-on-one discussions between the arriving and departing workers; effecting the actual transfer; evaluating the group and establishing a new purpose and goals; and working through members' feelings and reactions to the transfer.     

Crossing Boundaries: Comparing Group Work in the United States and Australia

ABSTRACT

This article compares the teaching and practice of group work in Australia and the U.S., including data on both students and practitioners, group work content in selected schools of social work, the types of groups offered and client populations served. Implications for cross-cultural social work are discussed as are areas of future international collaboration and research.     

Moving Toward Spiritual Competency

Abstract

In spite of growing interest in spirituality and religion, and the prominent position given to religion in social work's educational policies and ethical standards, no studies have explored the profession's level of spiritual sensitivity. Accordingly, we examined the visibility of faith groups and their characterizations in 71 influential social work textbooks. This study found that faith groups, in contrast to a number of comparison groups, were essentially invisible as populations worthy of students' direct attention. Further, when faith groups were discussed, they tended to be characterized in a biased, spiritually insensitive manner. To move toward spiritual competency, social work must increase the amount of material devoted to faith groups and ensure that they are depicted in a manner that is consistent with their worldviews.     

Single Mothers,Nonresident Fathers,and Preschoolers’ Socioemotional Development: Social Support,Psychological Well-Being,and Parenting Quality

ABSTRACT

Using data from two waves of a short-term longitudinal study, the influences of mothers’ social support with respect to parenting from nonresident fathers and significant others on behavioral outcomes among poor and near-poor preschool-aged Black children were examined. The sample consisted of 99 single Black mothers—each with a preschool-aged child (ages 3 and 5 years old, respectively, at Time 1 and Time 2)—who were current and former welfare recipients. Results revealed protective effects of nonresident fathers’ presence in the context of mothers’ parenting stress and depressive symptoms at Time 1 that appeared to operate through decreases in the negative influences of these variables on the children's development of behavior problems 1.5 to 2 years later. Greater availability of instrumental support from significant others, including nonresident fathers, was associated with more adequate parenting at Time 1, and through the latter, with fewer child behavior problems at Time 2. Implications of these findings for program and policy interventions are discussed. Nonresident fathers are described in the Appendix.     

The unheard and forgotten warriors of pandemic in India

ABSTRACT

This narrative tells the story of two groups: Aanganwadi Group and the Nigrani Group. The former consists of women working under the ICDS (Integrated Child Development Scheme), a flagship program of the Government of India. The latter consists of local youth. The groups’ efforts, during the COVID-19 pandemic, are to ensure food security to migrants and other marginalized people. Despite the high risk of them becoming infected with the coronavirus, the Aanganwadi Group and Nigrani Group are working against all the odds. They are risking their lives to save lives, during the total lockdown in India. My story highlights the value of coordinated efforts between groups to optimize relief efforts for migrant workers during this unprecedented time of forced, sudden lockdown.