Unit 6 Assignment 1

· Group Structure and Management

In your last assignment, you examined professional literature to plan the structure and management of the group. With support from scholarly literature, present the following:

· Group goal and objectives: Provide a general statement of the desired outcome for group members. List three to five measurable group objectives aligned with the primary group goal and session activities to effectively evaluate group progress.

· Group format: Based on your selected group topic and population, discuss appropriate steps to recruit, screen, and select group members. Describe considerations in the group formation stage, including composition and size, frequency and duration, and open or closed membership.

· Leadership and theoretical perspective: Identify your therapeutic and leadership style. Will the group be led by a single leader or co-leaders? Specify if you plan to apply an integrative approach and techniques that might be appropriate for the selected population.

· Ethical practice: Incorporating ASGW and ACA professional standards, describe ethical and legal considerations in group counseling. For example, how do you plan to address voluntary participation and parameters of confidentiality? How will diversity be integrated into the planning and structure for the group?

Submission Requirements

Your paper should meet the following requirements:

· Written communication: Written communication must be grammatically correct and free of errors that detract from the overall message. Writing should be consistent with graduate-level scholarship.

· APA formatting: Title page, main body, and references should be formatted according to current edition APA style and formatting.

· Number of resources: Minimum of four scholarly resources. Distinguished submissions typically exceed this minimum.

· Length of paper: 5–7 typed, double-spaced pages. Abstract and Table of Contents are not necessary.

· Font: Times New Roman, 12 point.

Resources

· Group Structure and Management Scoring Guide.

· How Do I Find Peer Reviewed Articles?.

· Turnitin.

· u06a1 Paper Template [DOC].

· Ethics and Professional Standards.

· Association for Specialists in Group Work.

TEMPLATE.

[Unit and Assignment Title]

[Learner Name]

[COURSE NUMBER – NAME]

[Date]

[Professor Name]

 

Unit and Assignment Title

Start writing your introduction here (1-2 paragraphs). An effective introduction prepares the reader by identifying the purpose of the paper and providing the organization of the paper. Please double-space and remember to indent all paragraphs throughout your paper (not block form!). Aim to keep your writing objective using 3rd person (see handout in the Discussion board). Unless required for the specific assignment, please do not include a Table of Contents, as it is not APA style. Review paper guidelines on page requirements and number of sources required (if provided.)  Unless citing a classic work, aim to cite research articles and texts published within the past 5 years.  Please use headings throughout your paper that are consistent with the paper’s scoring guide (that way you ensure you are adequately addressing all required areas.)

When you finish writing your paper, re-read it to check for errors and make sure your ideas flow well. A helpful tip is to read your paper aloud to yourself. If it does not sound right to your ear – it is not working on paper! Please submit your papers to Turnitin (link in the course homepage) to check for plagiarism. Also, remember as a Capella learner you have FREE access through iGuide to personal tutoring services with smarthinking.com.

Group Goal and Objectives 

As notes in the assignment instructions, you need to provide a general statement of the desired outcome for group members or group goal. Then, list three to five measurable group objectives that naturally flow from the primary group goal. Include some session activities to effectively evaluate group progress. A more complete plan for the specific group sessions will be included in your final proposal in u10a1. The Distinguished criterion is, “Identifies measurable group objectives appropriate to a specific therapy group with an identified population, describes the anticipated outcomes of meeting these objectives, and explains why these outcomes are desirable”. This information can be covered effectively in a solid page. Use support from the literature as needed.

Group Format 

As described in the assignment instructions, discuss appropriate steps to recruit, screen, and select group members. Describe important concepts to consider in the group formation or planning stage, including composition and size, frequency and duration, and open or closed membership. You may need to review and cite your text to clarify the concepts. The Distinguished criterion are, “Explains group format components and implications for initial group development and supports choices with support from the literature”. This section should be a solid page with support from the literature.

Group Leadership and Counseling Theory

The assignment instructions prompt you to identify your therapeutic and leadership style. The theory should be a major counseling theory such as Cognitive Behavior Therapy or Narrative Therapy. The group leadership style should include whether the group be led by a single leader or co-leaders? While the instructions ask if you plan to apply an integrative approach and techniques, be mindful that integrating more than two theories will be challenging to support. The Distinguished criterion is, “Skillfully integrates theoretical orientation and group leadership and facilitation styles into the group structure and development processes and supports choices with recent academic research”. This section should be two or three paragraphs with support from more than one peer reviewed article located in the Capella Library. Use the resource “How do I Find Peer Reviewed Articles” included with the assignment instructions. While textbooks may provide a decent overview of a theory, it is not specific enough to guide how the theory guides group leadership. This section should be over a page in length with support from the literature. Note- This section will be revised as needed for the second section of u10a1.

Ethical Group Practices

This section incorporates ASGW and ACA professional standards, to describe ethical and legal considerations in group counseling. For example, how do you plan to address voluntary participation and parameters of confidentiality? The Distinguished criterion is, “Evaluates the ethical and legal considerations involved in working with a specific group therapy model and an identified population and identifies potential consequences of ignoring these considerations.”. This section should be two or three paragraphs with support from more than one peer reviewed article located in the Capella Library. Use the resource “How do I Find Peer Reviewed Articles” included with the assignment instructions.

Summary of Diversity Integration

The assignment instructions prompt you to integrate diversity throughout your description of the group structure and management. Use this section to tie together how diversity will be addressed. The Distinguished criterion is, “Consistently, skillfully, and appropriately incorporates multicultural and diversity awareness and knowledge to the processes of structuring and developing a group”. This section should be two or three paragraphs with support from the relevant literature identified in u04a1 and ethical standards.

Conclusion

Please provide a conclusion that summarizes the main ideas of your paper.

 

References

Gladding, S. T., & Newsome, D. W. (2010). Clinical mental health counseling in community and agency settings (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill.

NOTE:  Consult your APA manual for proper examples on citing and referencing APA style. The Capella Writing Center also has helpful tutorials.

Unit 6 Discussion 1

Ethical Crises in Adult Counseling Groups

Jonathan, a licensed counselor, facilitates a relapse prevention group in an adult correctional facility. He has maintained sobriety for 10 years and finds counseling in this capacity the best way to give back. Members are aware of Jonathan’s recovery process. He often encourages group members to receive self-disclosure as a vehicle for trust and cohesiveness.

Jonathan’s recent experience with a traumatic loss led to a brief relapse. He contacted his sponsor and admitted to facilitating group on two occasions in an altered state. He recalls several group members asking if he was all right.

Although not currently engaged in drug use, Jonathan is torn about whether to inform group members of his relapse. He is concerned about the presentation of authenticity by not disclosing the full story. Jonathan is also worried that members may inform administrators, particularly those who commented on behavioral changes.

Which ACA Ethical Codes apply to Jonathan’s behavior of leading the group in an altered state? If you were Jonathan’s supervisor, how would you advise the facilitator to approach this issue? Review guidelines on pages 281–283 of your text and use specific ACA ethical standards and at least one scholarly article to support your position.

Response Guidelines

Respond to the posts of at least two of your peers for this discussion. Responses should be substantive and contribute to the conversation by asking questions, respectfully debating positions, and presenting supporting information relevant to the topic. Please review the Faculty Expectations for any other requirements for peer responses.

Resources

· Discussion Participation Scoring Guide.