Week 4 Discussion

Cohort Group Proposal Project Guidelines

The Cohort Group Proposal Project is the major assignment for the Group Process and Dynamics class. You will work throughout the term in a small cohort of your peers to develop a group proposal appropriate for a community mental health setting. Each group will submit one group proposal and receive one grade for the collaborative effort. The Cohort Group Proposal Project is due on Day 7 of Week 10.

In addition to developing a group proposal, you will notice and track your experience during the project to enhance your self-awareness as a member of a small group. This knowledge will be integrated into your Cohort Group Experience Self-Reflection Assignment, which is due Week 11. Each individual will submit a Group Experience Self-Reflection.

The Cohort Group Proposal Project should be no more than 10 pages (not including cover or reference pages). Please alphabetize the group members’ names by last name on the cover page. APA formatting is required. Grading of the group proposal will be based the level of development and effective presentation of the following areas:

· Rationale including:

· Description of the population

· Prevalence of the problem, including risk factors

· Type of group proposed.

· Literature review: A well-organized review of the current literature indicating best practices

· Objectives: Clearly stated specific and measurable goals, both subjective and objective

· Practical considerations, including:

· Screening procedures

· Informed consent & cancellation policy

· Group rules

· Time, location, and frequency of meetings

· Necessary community resources

· An outline or brief narrative of what is expected to be addressed during each session

· Planned strategies or interventions that may move the group to reach the group goal(s)

· Diversity: Explain how diversity might be addressed in the group

· Termination procedures

· Evaluation of the group experience (subjective)

· Evaluation of measured progress toward group goals (objective)

· APA reference page

The Cohort Group Proposal Project will be developed over the quarter with corresponding Discussion boards during Weeks 3, 4, and 8. The final proposal is due on Day 7 of Week 10.

In Week 2, your Instructor will assign you to a small group (4–5 people) with whom you will be collaborating on the Cohort Group Proposal Project throughout the quarter. Your first milestone with the group will be a Discussion in Week 3 to develop the rationale and objectives for your group. You will receive feedback and guidance from your Instructor on the Discussion board. You are encouraged to engage with your group members synchronously using Collaborate, Skype, OneDrive, Google Docs, or other tools that allow for participation in real time by multiple group members.

In Week 3, you will develop the rationale and objectives for your group proposal. This will require you to consider and respond to the following:

· Identify a population who may benefit from your proposed group. Explain the prevalence of the problem and associated risk factors.

· Identify the type of group that you believe will best serve the population’s need.

· Find initial support from the current literature for your proposal (these should be current, peer-reviewed journal articles applicable to professional counseling). What strategies have been shown to be effective with your proposed population?

· State your initial objectives/goals in measurable terms.

In Week 4, you continue to develop your group proposal. You will locate peer-reviewed journal articles that support your rationale and begin to narrow down and determine how to measure the group outcome (i.e., what changes are the members expected to experience as a result of attending your group?). As a reminder: Although you are required to share ideas and plan on the Discussion board, you should also be applying the ideas discussed here in your Group Proposal working document, which should be accessible to and a product of all cohort members. You will continue to search the Walden Library databases for peer-reviewed articles that support the rationale for your Group Proposal. Remember, a good Group Proposal will require several drafts and edits to polish the final product. This stage of your proposal will require you to respond to the following:

· Each member should select at least one recent (published in the past 5–10 years), peer-reviewed journal article in APA formatting that supports the rationale for the group. Provide a brief summary (1–3 sentences) for your article(s) explaining why it supports your rationale. Be sure to include the Walden Library permalink or DOI so your colleagues and faculty may review the article.

· In conjunction with your cohort members, select the resources that best support your rationale. Use these to begin a draft of your brief literature review in your working proposal document.

· Refine and clearly state your group objectives in measurable terms. (What can group members expect to change as a result of participating in your group?)

· Outline the practical considerations for your group. This should include group size, screening procedure, location of meetings, and necessary informed consent. Determine if the group is to be an open or closed group, how you plan to recruit members, the number of expected sessions, and the group structure.

· Consider potential inclusion and diversity themes, such as how diversity may impact early group process or how you might address bias.

· Add any proposed curriculum or theoretical underpinning that would be appropriate for your group. (This may emerge from the literature.)

· Consider any additional leadership skills and/or training that might be required.

Continue to refine your ideas with your cohort members throughout the week. This is your opportunity to have a dialog with your faculty in developing your group proposal. Be sure to take notes on your cohort experience with an emphasis on your role as the small group dynamics unfold.

In Week 8, you should continue to work on your Cohort Group Proposal Project with your cohort. You should have a complete rough draft by Week 9. This is the time to revise any rough edges of your work. Each member should contribute to the final editing. You will need to respond to the following:

· Explain how you will terminate your group. Be specific in describing the strategies you would use.

· Provide at least two supports or resources that you would provide to members in need of help outside the group.

· Explain how you would evaluate the group experience. (This can be a more subjective gauge of group satisfaction.)

· Explain how you would measure progress toward group goals. (This should be an objective measure of group outcomes, such as a rating scale, standardized instrument, a questionnaire.)

Continue to make notes on your small group dynamics and process as you prepare for the Group Experience and Self-Reflection Assignment in Week 11.

Consider the following as you make your revisions, and be sure to also check the Group Proposal rubric, which contains the criteria your Instructor will be looking for when grading the assignment.

· Make sure you have a well-written introduction and conclusion.

· Make sure you write clearly and concisely.

· Check to see if each component is thoroughly addressed. (See the Group Proposal Rubric.)

· Use accurate sub-headers to organize your work.

· Proofread your work for compliance with APA formatting.

· Check for any changes in your citations and/or reference page.

In Week 10, you will submit your final Cohort Group Proposal Project. Although all group members will be submitting the exact same paper, each group member must submit the proposal in the grade center to receive credit. The group proposal should be an identical submission by all group members. Your Instructor will provide feedback and return the graded paper to each member of your group with the Group Proposal grade and comments so that each member will have a copy for future reference.

You will submit your completed Group Proposal by Day 7 of Week 10.