Evaluation of a Support Group for Parents of Children Hospitalized for Cancer and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

ABSTARCT

Social isolation and high levels of psychosocial stress are common among parents of children who are hospitalized for cancer treatment. Many hospital-based programs offer support groups for parents, however there is little published guidance or systematic evidence on their effectiveness. This study describes the development and program evaluation of a 16-week parent support group offered to parents (N = 10) of children hospitalized for pediatric cancer or bone-marrow transplant. A summary of the pilot evaluation is provided and successes, barriers, and areas for future improvement are discussed.     

Core Themes in a Support Group for Spouses of Breast Cancer Patients

Spouses of breast cancer patients suffer from various symptoms related to coping with their partner's illness. They are more vulnerable to depression and anxiety than are spouses of healthy women. The benefits of support groups for spouses of breast cancer patients are significant for spouses, patients, and their families. This article describes two support groups for spouses of cancer patients, the first of their kind in Israel, and discusses various patterns that emerged in the couples' relationships and the manner in which they were dealt with in the group.     

The Journey of Hope: A Group Work Intervention for Children Who Have Experienced a Collective Trauma

This article presents the Journey of Hope, a school-based group work intervention for children and early adolescents who have experienced a collective trauma such as a natural disaster. This broad-based intervention takes an ecological approach to prevention and treatment and focuses on normalizing emotions and building coping skills after a disaster. Through the use of group work interventions such as use of rituals, group problem solving, and experiential and reflective learning, children and early adolescents work toward enhancing protective factors to help them in their recovery. Considering the short- and long-term emotional strains children may experience after a disaster, such group programs should be more widely accessible in schools.     

The Aftercare Support Program: An Emerging Group Intervention for Transition-Aged Youth

The unique challenges faced by transition-aged youth have received considerable attention in the literature, but few developments for aftercare support interventions have followed. The Aftercare Support Program (ASP) is a group-based intervention designed for such youth. ASP was developed as a zero budget, low-intensity intervention delivered by volunteers from a local college/university and youth-serving agencies to encourage transition-aged youth to pursue postsecondary education and vocational training by utilizing existing community resources and services. The underlying theoretical concepts are derived from solution-focused brief therapy and a strengths-perspective in social work. Case vignettes, including feedback from participants and lessons learned are offered, along with implications for the ASP model and other aftercare support models for transition-aged youth at a time when public and private funds for such programs are limited.     

The Group Topic Evaluation Scale: Preliminary Validity,Reliability, and Use in Psychoeducational Groups

Process measures are important for evaluation of client reaction to psychoeducational group topics. Few scales have been created for measuring client responses in this setting. This study utilized secondary data to determine the initial validity of a Group Topic Evaluation Scale. Group members (N = 190) in a large, urban Driving Under the Influence program evaluated six different group topics using a created scale for a total of 623 responses. Principal component analysis found one factor comprising six items with good reliability. Two of the six topics scored significantly higher, indicating more meaningfulness to the clients. Implications are discussed.     

The Process of Change in Complicated Grief Group Therapy for Bereaved Dementia Caregivers: An Evaluation Using the Meaning of Loss Codebook

ABSTRACT

Caring for a person with dementia has adverse health and mental health effects that, for 9–25% of caregivers, persist as complicated grief (CG). For bereaved dementia caregivers unable to satisfactorily grieve, specialized Complicated Grief Group Therapy (CGGT) can restore healthy grief. We investigated therapeutic change in CGGT participants, using an adapted version of the Gillies’ Meaning of Loss Codebook. Participants demonstrated positive gains in 16 thematic areas, notably in moving on with life, summoning pleasant memories, and ascribing bad memories to disease rather than decedent. Meaning transitioned from negative to positive interpretations of the death over the course of treatment.     

Evaluating Group Work within a Summer Camp Intervention for Children and Adolescents with Asthma

Findings suggest that residential camps and group work within camps are highly valued by children and their parents. Children predominantly valued recreational and educational aspects of camp programming whereas parents emphasized appreciation for the safety that a condition-specific camp can offer a child with illness. Within the camp program, group work and peer support were integrally provided along with clinical monitoring and health teaching. A psychoeducational approach was implemented in which group participants engaged in sessions addressing self-care strategies and constructive ways to integrate childhood asthma in daily life. Participants identified the residential camp setting as a promising environment for group work among children and adolescents with asthma. Implications and recommendations are discussed.     

From Serodiscordant to Magnetic: The Feasibility and Acceptability of a Pilot Psychoeducational Group Intervention Designed to Improve Relationship Quality

Serodiscordant or magnetic couples experience HIV-related issues that can compound daily stressors. Psychoeducational couples group interventions can build coping skills and increase relationship satisfaction. Throughout Summer 2014, 6 gay male magnetic couples (n = 12) collaboratively designed and participated in an 8-session psychoeducational support group. The intervention was feasible (i.e., recruitment was <2 weeks, it was easy to coordinate) and acceptable (i.e., each session was consistently rated very good or outstanding). Relationship quality improved significantly in all couples regardless of whether couples agreed on how to manage HIV within their relationship. Implementation of this model is encouraged to fully evaluate this promising intervention.     

Family Support and Empowerment: Post Autism Diagnosis Support Group for Parents

Receiving a diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder often elicits strong emotional reactions from parents of the diagnosed child. Follow-up services and continued support for these families is a necessary component to help families adapt and meet their and their children's needs. This pilot study measured the effects of a six-session, co-facilitated, support group on the advocacy skills and self-efficacy of parents coping with a child's diagnosis. Statistically significant increases in the average mean scores for the three subscales of the Family Empowerment Scale were found. Implications for practice and research are discussed.     

Multifamily Group Intervention for Chinese Parents and Their Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in a Chinese Context

Despite the empirical evidence of multifamily group (MFG) in helping children with mental health needs in Western contexts, there is a dearth of clinical studies in Chinese societies such as Hong Kong to explore such adaption to help Chinese families of children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. In this article, the authors describe the MFG model adapted to the Chinese context and assess the perceived helpfulness of the intervention, using a client-driven approach in evaluation. The parents’ evaluation toward the MFG program is positive whereas the children’s feedback is less favorable. Modifications have been made including a 30-minute pregroup meeting for the parents and more challenging games and outdoor activities for the children.     

Lessons Learned from the Kinship Education and Support Program (KEPS): Developing Effective Support Groups for Formal Kinship Caregivers

This qualitative study examines the effectiveness of the Kinship Education Preparation and Support (KEPS) program, a group-work program designed specifically to address the varied support needs of formal kinship caregivers. There were a total of 43 participants in this study, including relative caregivers, child welfare workers, and community leaders, all of whom participated in one of six focus groups. Themes emergent from the focus groups were: the need for, and benefits of, support programs for formal kinship caregivers, implementation challenges, and improvements for KEPS. Recommendations for planning supportive and educational groups for relative foster parents will be discussed using components of Kurland's planning model.     

An 8-Year Telephone Support Group for Home-Bound People with Multiple Sclerosis: Adapting Therapeutic Methods to Overcome Isolation and Immobility

This article explores the dynamics of a long-term telephone support group, over eight years, for individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). MS is a progressive neurological disease that frequently affects mobility and engenders isolation. All of the participants in this group are physically disabled by their disease. The mobility challenges of this population led to the idea of using conference call technology as a treatment modality. Incorporating theory from neurobiology research, this article chronicles the implementation of the group and offers observations about the interplay between individual self-esteem, group participation, and the use of technology in mental health treatment.     

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.     

The Faculty Field Liaison: An Essential Role for Advancing Graduate and Undergraduate Group Work Education

The faculty field liaison is responsible for representing a school’s social work program in monitoring agency internship sites and agency field instructors for an assigned cohort of the program’s BSW or MSW internship students. This article focuses on the faculty field liaison’s role in effectively monitoring the internship site and field instruction to ensure the internship experience is successfully providing the group work skills and knowledge the BSW or MSW student intern needs to be an effective group work practitioner. The field instructor role has been given a lot of attention in the social work literature, but the role of the faculty field liaison has been given little to no attention. This is despite the faculty field liaison’s significant responsibility of representing the BSW and MSW program by bridging the relationships between the program, the field instructor, and the internship student. This article identifies the importance of the faculty field liaison responding to concerns in group work education in the classroom and field setting. Practice vignettes illustrating the work of the faculty field liaison in monitoring group work assignments and field instruction supervision for graduate and undergraduate social work interns are provided.     

The serene student: Evaluating a group-based mindfulness training program for MSW students

ABSTRACT

Social work educators are exploring the benefits of mindfulness training for social work pedagogy. The authors evaluate the outcomes of a mindfulness program for MSW students. The authors assessed changes in mindfulness, self-compassion, affect, mood, and impairment due to emotional distress before and after the program, and at 4-month follow-up. The authors examine how the group process may facilitate the development of mindfulness and consider how mindfulness practices can support group development and student learning. Results demonstrate that mindfulness training supports student self-regulation and well-being and suggest that the active ingredients of the group process may play a role in mindfulness training outcomes.     

Common Ground: The Development of a Support Group for Survivors of Homicide Loss in a Rural Community

ABSTRACT

Losing a loved one from human-perpetrated violence can lead to a debilitating process of stigma-generated isolation and trauma. Layers of social services are needed to support surviving family members, all secondary victims of homicide. Although urban populations have enriched access to victims-of-crime services, rural-bound populations often do not. This article describes homicide-specific trauma and the development of a community support group for rural-bound persons suffering homicide loss. The support group process offers potential for real help in areas where few trauma-informed options exist. The authors chronicle their journey of group-work practice with underserved persons coping with homicide loss.     

The HOPE Family Project: A Family-Based Group Intervention to Reduce the Impact of Homelessness on HIV/STI and Drug Risk Behaviors

The HOPE Family Project (HIV Prevention for Parents and Early Adolescents) is an eight- session, family-based group intervention modeled on three evidence-based curricula targeting HIV/AIDS and alcohol and drug abuse prevention. The design and implementation of the HOPE Family Project was carried out by an established community collaborative board. The project aims to educate and provide tailored support to families and their youth (ages 11–14), residing in homeless shelters, regarding HIV and alcohol abuse prevention. The group model proved successful in offering an informal social support network for families living in homeless shelters and improving family functioning and youth mental health outcomes.     

Enhancing Social Support for Migrant Families: A Case Study of Community Services in a Shanghai Urban Village and Implications for Intervention

Recent years have witnessed the growing emphasis of the Chinese central government to develop community services as a method of building communities and strengthening social solidarity. With the increased involvement of multi‐generation households in China's internal rural‐to‐urban migration, however, little is known about what community services are available for migrant families. Nor do we know much about how such services can enhance social support for migrants, which is crucial for their psychological well‐being in managing the ongoing challenges that arise from migration and further integration into cities. This article presents a case study conducted in Shanghai where social services are emerging in a few urban villages. We begin with a brief background on China's rural‐to‐urban migration and the emergence of urban villages, followed by a discussion of community services and social support for Chinese migrant families. We then document existing services in an urban village to explore how they can influence migrant families' social support. Drawing on the perspective of service providers, we highlight the effects social work interventions can have on improving social support for migrant families. Finally, we propose an intervention framework based on multi‐dimensions of social support, emphasizing an integration of formal and informal social support through community services for migrant populations.     

The BSW Social Work Curriculum: Teaching Strategies,Case Material,and Assignments for Teaching Group Work

This article is a companion piece to another article appearing in this special edition of Social Work with Groups on group work content for the generalist practice curriculum. In this article, techniques that assist the instructor in presenting the material on group work in the classroom are identified. These techniques, which include case material and classroom exercises, also help students connect their field and classroom learning about group work. The activities discussed in this article derive from the core group work content discussed in the previous article.     

The Transformation of the Purpose of a School-Based Supervision Group during Tough Economic Times: Challenges and Considerations for the Worker

This article describes the dramatic change in purpose in a group supervision that was faced with an economic crisis. For 7 years the group flourished, providing clinical and emotional support for social work staff and interns. During a time of economic hardship, the program faced the threat of closing, and, in response the group transformed itself from a clinical supervision group to a social-action task group. This article details the trajectory and transformation of the group's focus from clinical supervision to social action with a special emphasis on (1) group supervision, (2) social action, and (3) the concept of purpose in group work. The complexities, consequences, surprises, and rewards of this process, especially for the group worker, are described. The creative use of supervision groups and worker flexibility and self awareness are discussed.