LEARNING RESOURCES
· Toseland, R. W., & Rivas, R. F. (2017).
An introduction to group work practice (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
· Chapter 11, “Task Groups: Foundation Methods” (pp. 336–363)
· Chapter 12, “Task Groups: Specialized Methods” (pp. 364–394)
Post the following:
· Describe a task group that you could help develop in your community.
· Describe the problem and the anticipated outcome of the group.
· Explain how the task group would help the group members plan for effective change.
Respond to two colleagues who selected a different task group and/or problem.
· Explain whether you use the same or different strategies to keep this same type of task group focused. Explain why.
RESPONSE1
· Describe a task group that you could help develop in your community.
Name: “Killeen Military Family Support Task Group.”
Goal: To help and support children in Killeen who come from military homes by meeting their educational, emotional, and social needs.
· Describe the problem and the anticipated outcome of the group.
Problem Addressed:
Children often have to deal with problems unique to their families because their parents are in the military. For example, they may have to move around a lot or have a parent who is abroad. If you have these issues, it may be hard to deal with worry, make friends, and do well in school.
Anticipated Outcome:
Short-term: To help people immediately, support groups, training, and social clubs should be set up in communities and schools. Long-term: Better health and well-being for military children, which helps them do better in school, with their mental health, and with integrating into their communities.
· Explain how the task group would help the group members plan for effective change.
A task force is making plans for change that will work. For needs analysis (Chapter 11 of Foundation Methods), polls and focus groups are used to determine what military families need for their children. Join schools and neighborhood groups to find holes in the support system. Read Chapter 11 of Foundation Methods to learn how to set goals and make plans. Based on the needs study, make goals that you can reach. Set up extra programs for kids whose parents are in the military, like after-school tutoring, therapy, and social events. Putting together resources (Specialized Methods, Chapter 12): Get money from funds, local businesses, and military support groups. Find people willing to help, like teachers, tutors, and people from the neighborhood. Set up and carry out (Specialized Methods, Chapter 12) the planned events for schools and community groups. Plan events in the neighborhood to bring people together and make people more aware of what is happening. Ask kids, parents, and teachers for feedback daily to see how well the programs are working (Chapter 11 of Foundation Methods). Feedback and reviews should always be used to change and improve programs. It is called advocacy (Specialized Methods, Chapter 12), and it works to keep and improve programs for kids in the military by pushing for rules and help in the community and at the school level. Get more people to understand the specific issues that military families face. Sustainability (Foundation Methods, Chapter 11) works with nearby schools and groups to ensure the programs last. Show workers and area leaders how to keep the group’s projects going. This is what the “Killeen Military Family Support Task Group” needs to do to meet the needs of military children and give them essential help that can make a big difference in their lives. When the task group talks about these kids’ problems and sets up programs to help them, it can make the area a safe place to feel accepted and like they are part of the community.
Reference
Toseland, R. W., & Rivas, R. F. (2017). Task groups: Foundation methods. In
An introduction to group work practice (8th ed., pp. 336-363). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Toseland, R. W., & Rivas, R. F. (2017). Task groups: Specialized methods. In
An introduction to group work practice (8th ed., pp. 364-394). Boston, MA: Pearson.
RESPONSE2
Describe a task group that you could help develop in your community.
Here in Clarksville, we had a tornado destroy the community my sons live in with their dad. It was devastating to all of us. As you could imaging it was chaotic. After experiencing a loss like that I believe a support group for the families would help people deal with their devastation immediately. A shelter was set up at one of the high schools. Setting up a support group in one or more of the classrooms could have been beneficial. At the end of the group session resources would be provided to give them a little more hope that their lives won’t be turned upside down forever.
Describe the problem and the anticipated outcome of the group.
People were crying because they loss everything. Their homes looked like they were put through a paper shredder. One family loss their little boy who got sucked from their home. The outcome of the group would be to have a safe place for them to express their feelings and establish a healing process (Breen, Croucamp, & Rees, 2019). A loss like that people often don’t know where to start. Having someone to talk to and assisting with the steps can help tremendously.
Explain how the task group would help the group members plan for effective change.
Allowing them to state what their needs are first can help to determine a starting point for the family. It is important to be organized, writing a list of tasks that need completed is crucial. It also makes sure that nothing falls through the cracks. Meeting all of the tasks can effectively get their lives back on track.
References
Breen, L. J., Croucamp, C. J., & Rees, C. S. (2019). What do people really think about grief counseling? Examining community attitudes.
American Psychological Association.