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  

I think what I am learning from my classes now is to be open to change and to try to encourage and engage my clients to do the same.  It may be a difficult task as I have my own ideas on how to meet with my clients and yet I am being exposed to different ways to do this.  One of the current challenges I am facing is working with ICWA; their goal is to maintain the Indian child with their family; however it is not always so easy as often the child’s parent is no longer connected to their family who are no longer connected to the tribe so in effect, we skip the parents and move on to the extended family for that connection.  The difficulty I face is that staying or introducing a child to their extended family may not always be healthy because that family may be living the same life as their parents who would be dysfunctional or unhealthy otherwise the Department wouldn’t have gotten involved.  So what do we do; do we work at keeping the child connected to the tribe and introducing them to a family member they may not know or supporting them in their current placement which is probably their permanent placement choice and the child may not have any connection to their tribe.  My dilemma is whose interest is most important?  Do we consider the tribe because they want to keep their young tribal members connected because in all cultures it is our youth that will be able to make changes and strengthen our culture or is it the youth’s best interest.  Often they may be more connected to a non-tribal member family; i.e. their foster family and we don’t want to disturb that connection either as that is their strongest connection.  What do we do?  Best interest of child or best interest of tribe?       

This is a test anyone who is looking.  Thanks Crystal!