LEARNING RESOURCES
· Toseland, R. W., & Rivas, R. F. (2017). An introduction to group work practice (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
· Chapter 7, “The Group Begins” (pp. 196–229)
TO PREPARE:
Locate a group in your local community to assess what groups are being led by a baccalaureate social worker.
Post the following:
· Describe a local or past group you have witnessed that is or was led by a baccalaureate level social worker.
· Explain why this group is a good fit for a baccalaureate level social worker. What skill set was or would be necessary for leading this group?
Respond to two colleagues who selected a different type of group.
· Explain which skills you might employ to effectively lead the group your colleague selected.
RESPONSE1
Describe a local or past group you have witnessed that is or was led by a baccalaureate-.
We had to have a social worker with us to deal with my mom in hospice care. The social worker gathered the resources she needed and came to the house. I was the primary caregiver, and we may phone conference with the other siblings. Then she let us decide the next step to take with our mother. She also dealt with the family issues we were having. We needed someone skilled in her profession. If I remember right, she was a Licensed Social Worker (LSW). She knew how to set the atmosphere for the meeting. She did an excellent job.
Explain why this group is a good fit for a baccalaureate-level social worker. What skill set was or would be necessary for leading this group?
I must say we had a lot of challenging moments as a family. The baccalaureate-level social worker was needed to help us get through the process. She was well-versed in the resources needed to help the family unite at that tough time. “Training in family systems, group dynamics, and person-in-environment theories positions social workers to model and support effective intergenerational communication, especially if there are challenging dynamics” Fineberg (2010; as cited in Agllias, 2018). The social worker was familiar with our family dynamics and patiently let us resolve our issues. We could not go forward until we dealt with the thing that was present. We had plenty of underlying problems beyond my mom’s health. It was a sad time in my life, the entire process. The social worker did not dictate but she directed the direction to go in, by asking questions.
Reference:
Agllias, K., (2018) A snapshot of Australian social workers in palliative care and their work with estranged clients, Social Work in Health Care, 57:8, 620-636, DOI:
10.1080/00981389.2018.1474163
Links to an external site.
RESPONSE2
Describe a local or past group you have witnessed that is or was led by a baccalaureate level social worker.
The church I used to attend had a social worker that met with first time parents. Though I am not certain what level of a social worker she was, she seems to love what she does. She looked very friendly and spoke with a soft tone of voice. As she gathered everyone in one of the conference rooms she let the new born babies attend as well. She knew they may have anxiety without having the babies with them. She spoke with the parents about resources such as needing formula, diaper changing, breast feeding, and self -care. Teaching parents how to build a healthy parent-child relationship (Maxwell, et al., 2021).
Explain why this group is a good fit for a baccalaureate level social worker. What skill set was or would be necessary for leading this group?
This is a good group for a BSW because it is focusing on new parents teaching them the basics about caring for a newborn. Though each of the parents needs may be different the social worker can provide as many resources as possible. The social worker should apply what he/she knows about the human behavior and the social environment to the group to help the group members with their emotions. Show empathy to them because being a parent is not an easy task. Utilizing intrapersonal skills to engage with each of the group members assessing their needs and setting goals.
References
Maxell, A. M., Reay, R. E., Huber, A., Hawkins, E., Woolnough, E., & McMahon, C. (2021). Parent and practitioner perspectives on Circle of Security Parenting (COS‐P): A qualitative study.
Infant Mental Health Journal.