MSW Module 6: Group Intervention Design Assignment

Module 6: Intervention on Group, Community, and Organizational Levels

Group Work Two weeks ago, we looked at various dimensions of groups that need to be assessed to determine how you as the leader may need to make changes so that your group can succeed at its tasks. This week we explore the various interventions strategies that can arise from such assessments, depending on the type of group. We take into account the broad range of groups that have evolved in global social work practice. Dominelli (2012) provides a typology of groups with which social workers practice: GELPS (groups in everyday life practices), therapeutic groups, educational groups, community action- oriented groups, and identity-based social action groups.

GELPS are those groups that form naturally through mutually supportive relationships, such as families and older adults with their caregivers. While we leave these groups primarily to the modules covering family assessment and intervention, we point out here that group dynamics apply to these groups as well, and recognizing them as groups can help social workers think more carefully about group issues such as power, decision- making, and purpose.

Therapeutic and educational groups share a common goal of improving the repertoires for successful living of the group members, but they differ in emphasis between new behaviors that require psychological change and those that require knowledge and skills. Community action-oriented groups and identity-based social action groups also have a lot in common. They form around issues of common concern and seek to address these through collective activism and awareness-raising rather than individual change strategies. Community groups are usually based on a shared geographic location, such as a neighborhood or village, whereas identity-based groups are grounded in membership in a shared identity, such as being trans, being a military veteran, or being an environmentalist. As you can see, these identities can be matters of innate qualities, institutional membership, or shared values.

Think About It

If you are currently involved in group work, does your leadership role match the type of group you are leading?

The type of group with which you are working will help to determine all of the group variables discussed in Module 4. These, in turn, will help decide what type of leadership you are providing: as an informal developer of group potential, as a group process

consultant, as a subject matter expert and coach, as a facilitator of empowerment through stages of problem-solving, or as a participant-observer raising consciousness and channeling grievances into action.

Let's review the variables involved in group assessment, this time adding interventions under each.

Group variable Intervention Strategy

1. Group definition: Groups can fail because they do not

really act as groups, but rather as collections of people. For a

collective to be a group, it must have structure and purpose.

Help the group members to define what they hope to come out

of the group, using open-ended questions and reflections of

meaning. Negotiate a group structure that will best meet the

desired outcome.

2. Group pragmatics: When a group is planned, one needs to

anticipate practical barriers to participation and find ways to

avoid them.

Survey potential group members about potential barriers to

group participation, taking into account their economic

realities and relationships of dependency. Ask them to

propose and mutually decided upon the best solutions.

3. Group composition: Who joins a group can either support

its development or destroy it. Common concerns, risks of

subgroups, and personalities that can work together are

important variables to consider.

Anticipate how group composition may lead to scapegoating,

marginalization, and domination within the group. Have clear

inclusion and exclusion criteria and do not violate them just to

get enough members. Orient potential members to ensure they

can abide by group norms.

4. Group engagement: What keeps group members showing

up? What is their level of commitment? Assessing motivation

for engagement is crucial throughout the life of a group.

Ask yourself why the group should exist. Does it really meet a

pressing community need? Are group members ambivalent

about what it takes to participate and benefit? Help members

connect their engagement with their own goals.

5. Group identity/cohesion: Do group members see

themselves as belonging to the group, do they feel close to

other members and does the group have a collective identity?

Without cohesion, no other goals can be met.

Whenever possible, refer to the group and its common goals,

experiences, feelings, and mutual connections. Ask the group

members what it’s like to be a member of the group,

especially after challenges have been met or disclosures have

been made.

6. Group climate: Each group has an emotional tone that may

change from meeting to meeting. If that tone is not conducive

to group functioning, it needs examining.

Ask these key questions: “What is happening in this group

right now? How does it feel to be in this group right now?

How do we want this group to feel and function? What do we

need to change to get there?” In other words, help the group

help the group.

7. Group interactions: Groups develop patterns in how they

communicate, and sometimes these patterns move the group

toward its goals, but sometimes these patterns interfere.

Insert yourself into maladaptive group communication

patterns. Depending on the type of group, you may want to

redirect the group, help the group examine its own patterns, or

deal with the challenges an individual member or subgroup

brings.

8. Group norms: Group leaders need to shape the informal

and formal rules of group interaction from the beginning.

When group norms undermine its purpose, the group needs

help identifying and changing them.

Facilitate the group in setting its own rules from the outset,

lending your expertise but mostly relying on the group’s

common sense and desire to be fair. Demonstrate why certain

norms that may seem helpful are not, like explaining to other

members why they are wrong.

9. Group leadership: Both the designated leaders of the

group and its members provide different forms of leadership.

Over time if group members don’t assume responsibility for

the group, it can’t reach its full potential.

Empower the group every time you speak. Ask members what

they think about and ho they solve problems. Highlight the

strengths that group members demonstrate. Depending on the

group’s philosophy, you may rotate formal leadership roles to

build community capacity.

10. Group development: Each group goes through stages of

development, on its way from a collection of individuals to a

functioning collective.

See the section below for specific interventions to help the

group move through each stage of its development.

Promoting Group Development Transcript

Phase 1: Forming 

• First phase of the team-building process  • All members are getting familiar with the members of the team  • Objectives and purpose of the meeting are reviewed  • Ground rules are established for communication  

Phase 2: Storming 

• Second phase of the team-building process  • Team members may have differing views  • Conflict may arise that can impact group process and productivity  • Some resistance with changes 

Phase 3: Norming 

• The third phase of the team-building process  • Group begins to accept others’ ideas  • Start building a cohesive approach to group objectives  • Re-energized for completing tasks 

Phase 4: Performing  

• Fourth phase of the team-building process  • Tasks are getting completed  • May see changes in team members or performance   • Working towards the goal of team success 

Phase 5: Adjourning  

• Fifth phase added after the original development  • Group begins to phase out  • Reviews that the objectives and outcomes are met  • May experience some sadness over the demise of the group  • Evaluations may be completed regarding the experience of the teamwork 

After examining the qualities of each group stage below, we will look at how the leader can facilitate movement from one stage to the next - whether the group is therapeutic, supportive, or a task group formed for community development.

From nothing to forming

• What helps a group form? Before the first meeting, a group only exists as a potential. It is made up of separate individuals who do not yet realize what they have in common or how they may be helpful to each other. To go from non- group to a forming group, the leader must assess the need for such a group and the fit of the potential members with that need.

From forming to storming

• Often it can be hard to distinguish what stage one is in at this point in group development. Groups may bounce from tentative attempts to function within the bounds set by the leader, to efforts to gain power in ways that unbalance the group. Generally, the more comfortable people are, the more risks they take. This means that dynamics that were previously kept in check are allowed to play out, for good or ill. The group leader must distinguish between healthy group development that includes conflict and unhealthy storming in which group members try to replicate dysfunctional interpersonal patterns. The latter requires intervention.

From storming to norming

• Before a group develops norms that allow it to function and achieve its goals, it will usually default to the members' existing ideas about how to interact in a group. Some group members will be passive, others will seek to dominate, and norms applying to everyday socialization - such as avoiding conflict, giving advice, or talking about unimportant topics - will tend to regulate group interactions. The leader must assess how and when to establish and reinforce healthy group norms, by understanding what rules of interaction are already being applied. It is not enough to state the rules to help groups move from storming to norming. They must also learn how to deal with intragroup conflict and conflict with you, the leader.

From storming to performing

• Continuing to bolster the development of effective group norms lead to a performing or working group. How do we know it when we see it? A performing group stays relatively on task, accepts individual differences, finds ways to resolve conflicts without discounting anyone, and remains cohesive while addressing challenging topics. This image of the performing group serves as a compass for the group leader. When a group has a difficult climate, poor attendance, or unhealthy patterns, the leader knows this by comparison with the ideal. Then it's time to diagnose the sources of the problem.

From performing to adjourning

• All groups must end. Ideally, your group ends when it completes its tasks, or the group members achieve their individual goals. The processes of review, celebration, and prevention of future problems are as important as any other group processes. However, members drop out, sometimes without saying goodbye; groups dissipate from lack of engagement, or from some practical barrier. You must anticipate the transition to adjourning and be ready to make the most of imperfect circumstances.

Community Functioning Now that you have thought more deeply about group work and how it may apply to your practicum setting, let's look at the various community arenas in which that work may play out through the last two types of groups: community action-oriented groups, and identity-based social action groups. We explored various ways to assess community needs, problems, strengths, and resources in Module 4. We also advised that the word "community" covers a broad range of human collectives, some of which are already vibrant and functioning, and some of which are divided, isolated, or both. Before we go further into intervention at the community level, let's try to understand what a community is in its essence.

According to Fellin (2008), a community is created when ''a group of people form a social unit based on common location, interest, identification, culture, and/or activities'' (p. 118). By understanding which functions a community performs for its members, we can see ways in which communities break down and need group work to address social injustices. Think about these seven community functions (Warren, 1978; Netting et al., 2008):

Functions of Community

(1) production, distribution, and consumption

(2) socialization

(3) social control

(4) social participation

(5) mutual support

(6) defense

(7) communication

When the first, economic function breaks down, communities are at risk of failing at the other functions. For example, factory towns in middle America have suffered from decades of automation and outsourcing. As economic despair has mounted, the traditional social networks in many towns have atrophied, and young people have left or been caught up in opioid addiction and other ways of coping. Crime has increased as a result of addiction and poverty, and the civic associations that provided venues for communication have been supplanted by national media with their own agenda. Communities have had difficulty defending against propaganda that has led them to scapegoat minorities and immigrants rather than putting responsibility on corporations and government institutions for supporting community resilience against the stress of global capital.

Community Work and Democracy The point of the exercise above, besides helping you recognize that community work occurs in a context of finite resources, is that you should not make any decisions about how to implement change by coming up with solutions on your own. Social workers should map assets and social networks, then engage communities in building capacity, resilience, and empowerment. The development of democratic norms for civic engagement may be as important as any concrete victories. Cohen (1985, pg. 68) emphasized the psychosocial dimension of community as essential to its health: ''a system of values, norms and moral codes which provide a sense of identity with a bounded whole to its members (p. 68)." Does the community your agency serves have such a system? Does it see itself as a bounded whole? If not, if it more of a mosaic or anomic community, then developing such an identity can be both a means to achieving justice and an end in itself. By bringing people together and harnessing their common dreams and frustrations, you can help them see their mutual connections and power.

A sense of community cohesion is not always enough, as when a community lacks the internal resources to meet its needs. Forming linkages among communities who have common needs, and between communities and formal resources such as research expertise or development capital, can be important to reduce demoralization and promote community functioning. In the case of social movements, these linkages also serve to empower communities to advocate for change in the larger society. Identifying

decision-makers within the community and finding out what has already been tried to solve problems are essential steps to forming these linkages.

Summary This week we have picked up the thread of macro practice again, moving from group and community assessment to group and community intervention. We have identified ways in which both groups and communities may have trouble fulfilling their functions of protecting and enhancing the lives and well-being of their members. For each of these challenges, we have suggested how you may apply your knowledge and skills to help groups and communities get back on course. The key is to activate collective potential. As the community organizers in the video series point out, the heart of community work is to listen and link: listen to the expertise of members, and link them with the missing knowledge, skills, or resources they need to enact that expertise.

According to Dulmus et al (2102, pg. 64), "Community practice emphasizes working mutually with citizens groups, cultural and multicultural groups, and human service organizations to improve life options and opportunities in communities and to press for the expansion of human rights, political equality, and distributive justice." How does your practicum site engage communities - or does it focus on the problems of individuals within that geographic location, rather than the community as a whole. Think for a minute about how your agency's practice model would look different if it placed more emphasis on macro practice. Would these efforts positively affect the problems that individuals and families bring to the agency? Would such an approach be more efficient in the long run, or are problems so deeply entrenched that it is better to focus limited resources on the needs of each person or family?

We encourage you to keep grappling with these questions throughout your career, to never lose sight of the global awareness that helps you ask "Is there more to this picture?" Our last two weeks will focus on asking such questions as you evaluate the processes and outcomes of your own evolving practice as well as the processes and outcomes of the organization you are practicing within.

References Cohen, Y. (1985). Neighborhoods and friendship networks. A study of three residential areas of

Jerusalem . Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.

Dominelli, L. (2012) Chapter Two: Group Work: A Critical Addition to the Social Work Repertoire. In Dulmus, C. N., Glisson, C. A., & Sowers, K. M. (Eds.) (2012). Social work practice with groups, communities, and organizations: Evidence-based assessments and interventions. John Wiley & Sons.

Dulmus, C. N., Glisson, C. A., & Sowers, K. M. (Eds.) (2012). Social work practice with groups, communities, and organizations: Evidence-based assessments and interventions. 1-40. John Wiley & Sons.

Fellin, P. (2008). Understanding American communities. In J. Rothman, L. Erlich, & J. E. Tropman (Eds.), Strategies of community intervention (7th ed., pp. 118- 132). Itasca, IL: Peacock.

Netting, F. E., Kettner, P. M., & McMurtry, S. L. (2008). Social work macro practice (4th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson.

Tuckman, B. W., & Jensen, M. A. C. (1977). Stages of small-group development revisited. Group & Organization Studies, 2(4), 419-427.

Warren, R. L. (1978). The community in America (3rd ed.). Chicago, IL: Rand McNally.

PreviousNext

Welcome to Module 6! We now turn to those levels of intervention beyond individuals and families: groups, communities, and organizations. It should be noted that in all of these cases, we are very likely working at the level of groups, whether they are designed to benefit individuals struggling with personal problems, task groups convened to address social problems, committees considering policy changes, or teams within organizations that function to fulfill some aspect of that organization's mission. Understanding how to effectively form and lead groups is therefore essential to any ecological level beyond individuals and families.

How might the global perspective inform our work at these levels? In terms of attitudes and values, social workers who embrace a collectivist credo are best positioned to navigate the dynamics of groups formed to deal with community problems.

Being able to perceive the group's climate and the common good that can unite the community helps us to avoid the trap of an individualistic viewpoint that fails to see the forest for the trees. At the level of knowledge and skills, our work in Module 4 in assessing communities forms a foundation for action. This week, we will explore what forms this action can take and create a space for application and discussion of these skills relevant to your agency and the work you do there.