SOCW 6121

Required Readings

Toseland, R. W., & Rivas, R. F. (2017). An introduction to group work practice (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Chapter 7, “The Group Begins” (pp. 197–230)
Chapter 8, “Assessment” (pp. 230-263)

Schimmel, C. J., & Jacobs, E. (2011). When leaders are challenged: Dealing with involuntary members in groups. Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 36(2), 144–158.

Required Media

Laureate Education. (Producer). (2013a). Bradley (Episode 1) [Video file]. In Sessions. Baltimore, MD: Producer. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 2 minutes.
Accessible player --Downloads--Download Video w/CCDownload AudioDownload TranscriptCredit: Provided courtesy of the Laureate International Network of Universities.

Recommended Resources

Holosko, M. J., Dulmus, C. N., & Sowers, K. M. (2013). Social work practice with individuals and families: Evidence-informed assessments and interventions. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Chapter 3 “Assessment of Adolescents”
Chapter 4 “Intervention with Adolescents”

Assignment: Human Trafficking

Group therapy is one of the most successful interventions for adolescents. This is because of the nature of this stage of development and the need to belong to a group. Hearing the stories of other teens and knowing that their experiences and feelings are similar is very therapeutic. Another characteristic of the adolescent stage is a short attention span, so the clinical social worker should tailor exercises that initiate and sustain discussion for adolescents.

For this Assignment, watch the “Bradley” video.

In a 2- to 4-page paper, identify two opening exercises that you might recommend for a group of adolescent girls who were victims of human trafficking.

• Describe the exercises in detail so that another social worker would be able to implement them.
• Explain ways these exercises might be effective in creating a comfortable environment for these teenage girls.
• Support your rationale with the literature. For example, what does the literature say about teenage girls who have been arrested for prostitution/human trafficking and who openly discuss their experiences?
• How do these exercises promote group cohesion and encourage these teens to talk openly?

By Day 7