L4A04

RUNNING HEAD: GROUP MEMBERSHIP 1

GROUP MEMBERSHIP 1

Group membership

Name

Institutional affiliation

Date

With my group's mission to reduce the number of teenagers getting involved in drug and substance abuse, the type of members we aim to recruit are mainly teenagers in areas with a high prevalence of drug abuse and those already abusing these drugs. We aim to act as a rehabilitation center and drug use prevention center. Recruiting these two groups of teenagers will help lower the number of drug-addicted teenagers in our areas by offering early intervention techniques (Addiction, 2016).

There are various psychological risks associated with group membership. These include revictimization of members within the group by fellow members, bullying by other members, destructive socialization techniques, harmful confrontations among group members, and invaluable leadership skills. All the risks mentioned above could cause psychological risks in any group setting. They could be prevented by using a simple risk management model. First is the identification of the psychological risks in the group, followed by an assessment of the risks identified and classification of these risks. After the assessment, measures are put in place to prevent the risks. The last step is reviewing the measures to establish their usefulness in preventing the identified psychological risks (Riskology, 2021).

Recruitment of a member into the correct group based on their beliefs and reasons is an essential aspect of group dynamics. Factors such as age, stage of recovery (in case of a rehabilitation group), beliefs, and personal reasons should be considered. A group member whose needs are not met may be referred to other groups or specialists if the group cannot provide such. For example, a group member requires extra special care that can only be provided in a healthcare setting, where a member has difficulty socializing with other group members and has unique needs (Rockville (MD).

An informed consent form aims to give a potential group member or participant in a survey the terms on which they are getting involved. It allows the participant to decide whether they want to participate or not. Apart from the informed consent from, I would offer a separate rights and responsibilities form that contains all information pertaining the group and how the individual will interact with the group and others. A person's willingness to participate will depend on the information in the informed consent form (Lokesh P. Nijhawan et al., 2013).

References

Facing addiction in America: The surgeon general's report on alcohol, drugs and health. (2016). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK424859/

Lokesh P. Nijhawan, Manthan D. Janodia, B. S. Muddukrishna, K. M. Bhat, K. L. Bairy, N. Udupa, & Prashant B. Musmade. (2013). Informed consent: Issues and challenges. PubMed Central (PMC). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3777303/

Riskology. (2021, November 3). How to manage psychological risk in your workplace. Risk Management Software | RiskWare. https://www.riskware.com.au/risk-management-blog/how-to-manage-psychological-risk-in-your-workplace

Rockville (MD). (n.d.). 3 criteria for the placement of clients in groups - Substance abuse treatment: Group therapy - NCBI bookshelf. National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK64215/