Group Work

I have been working with a family to help motivate them to make positive changes in their life that would enable them to safely parent their children again.  This is hard as they’re in denial and resistant to advice, encouragement, and even bribery (yes, I’ve offered them a gift card if they would participate).  I invited them to participate in SOP (Safety Organized Practice) meetings.  This is a structured group format that is based around the client being the expert of their life.  It is client driven as they invite the participants and I am there to help them identify their additional support network, and their goals in this process.  UC Davis trains our Department in SOP and they refer to this process as holistic (UC Davis, 2012).  I’m not sure I agree with that definition; however, I do agree the results are good when the family participates.  It’s getting the family to participate that is the problem which leads me into my question. 

In the readings this week there is so much positive, productive group work examples and it’s exciting to read and to imagine being able to facilitate such a group.  There’s even some egocentric selfishness I’m recognizing in me to be “the one” that helps a family have that “ah ha” moment so that they become aware that change is within their power and they can control so much of the outcome of their case.     

What I would love to know is how to encourage and motivate a client who is still in denial, still making excuses, and has a partner who is doing the same thing to at least take baby steps towards change.  I am frustrated because if they stay where they’re at and don’t do anything they’ve been ordered by the court to do, they will lose their children, and they know this.     

I finally was able to read the Circle book (it had been on backorder) and was so inspired to try to put one together for this couple and their family.  I don’t think I have the ability or knowledge to do this; but maybe someone else could.  So what I thought I would do is talk to a service provider who might know about this or be able to identify someone who does and then approach the family with it and see what they think.  It’s yet another idea, but I’ve got to keep trying and I think the equality of the circle may be a key as they’ve been told what to do so far without results so this might give them the opportunity to develop their own plan and to realize not only why they live their life a certain way but what experiences in their lives have resulted in those choices being made and with that awareness, maybe then they could make the changes necessary to safely parent their children again.       

http://humanservices.ucdavis.edu/Academy/pdf/121-171-Safety-organized-practice.pdf