Department of Health and Human Services

CNSL 507 Methods in Group Facilitation

Spring 2000

Professor: Dr. Jane Fried
Telephone: 860-832-2119
Office 217 Barnard Hall
Office Hours: M 1-3;W 1:30-3; Th 2-3:30
email - friedj@ccsu.edu

Course Description:
The impact of a facilitator's behavior on a group; Students will experience leading a group, observe different leadership styles and didactic presentations on group theory and leader interventions. Prereq: CNSL 500 and 501

Required Texts:
Gladding, Sam.GroupWork (3rd ed.) NJ: Prentice Hall, 1999
Mindell, Arnold. Sitting in the Fire. Portland,OR: Lao Tse Press,1995

Text for School Counselors:

Reference Text:
Yalom,I. The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy (3rd ed.) NY:Basic Books, 1985


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Course Objectives

Students in this course will:
1. Develop and demonstrate effective facilitation techniques for use in counseling, and psychoeducational groups.
2. Learn to observe and describe both the content and process dimensions of group development and dynamics
3. Assess personal leadership styles and modify styles if necessary for more effective facilitation
4. Learn to choose and implement interventions that are appropriate to group goals, dynamics and stages of development
5. Learn to design and implement structured workshops and theme oriented groups for different populations
6. Demonstrate understanding and appropriate use of ethical guidelines for groupwork
7. Read and discuss empirical studies of various kinds of groups


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Course Requirements

1. Students are expected to attend all classes. This course is a laboratory and most learning cannot be accomplished outside the class. Missing more than one class will affect a student's grade.
2. Each student will cofacilitate a group in an appropriate profession setting for a minimum of eight sessions. A qualified professional staff member in that setting will provide supervision in addition to the supervision the student receives in class.
3. Students will maintain a journal of their group facilitation experiences to be handed in weekly. A copy of the format for journal entries is attached.
4. Students will make a class presentation about the group they are facilitating elsewhere, including a discussion of the theory on which the group is based, the group goals and process, design considerations if any and an analysis of the group as a system. Following the presentation, students will submit a summary paper.
5. Students will submit five reaction papers to the group process that occurs in class during the course of the semester. All reaction papers must be submitted no later than April 25.
6. Each student will access the website of a professional association which addresses group issues in counseling ( see.p.18 of Gladding text) and submit a summary of the information provided (no more than one page) to share with classmates.
7. Each student will read four articles in current professional journals on various issues related to group work, submit four abstracts and participate in a class discussion based on their learning. Students will make copies of their abstracts to share with the rest of the class.
8. Final exam- the content of this exam will be ethical issues in group work.

Grading

1. Class participation 30%
2. Reaction papers p/f
3. Paper and journals on external group 40%
4. Journal Abstracts 10%
5. Final exam 20%


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TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE

 DATE  TOPIC  READING
 1/25  Course Introduction; Goal Setting  
 2/1  Group Dynamics  Gladding 3
 2/8  Effective Group Leadership  Gladding 4
 2/15  Stages of Group Development  Gladding 5,6
 2/22  Stages (cont.)  Gladding 7,8
 2/29  Power, Rank and Difference  Mindell 1-4
 3/7  Self-Assessment;Appropriate Self-Disclosure Presentations  
 3/14  Ethics  Gladding 10
 3/21  BREAK  
 3/28  Feedback and behavioral observation  Gladding 16
 4/4  Process Observations and Appropriate Interventions  Mindell5-10
 4/11  Cofacilitation and Trainer dilemmas Presentations  
 4/18  Age Appropriate Groups  Gladding 11,12
 4/25  Age (cont.)  Gladding 13,14
 5/2  Workshop design and facilitation  
 5/9  Broader Views of GroupWork  Mindell 11-16
 5/16  Final  

 


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JOURNAL FORMAT FOR EXTERNAL GROUP

Use this format to make your journal entry, but do not write the entry on this page. Each journal entry should be at least two pages long, typewritten.

Name______________________
Date of Group Meeting
Place of Group Meeting
Type of Group

Demographics ­ who was there according to age, gender, ethnic/racial identity, and any other category which you think is significant. Do not use names.

Goals of the group ­ For the first meeting, give the overall goals for the group. In your next seven papers, give the goals for each specific meeting.

Critical Incidents - critical incidents are those which have implications for the entire group even if the entire group was not involved. They do no happen during every group session. If one occurs during a session, describe the incident and its consequences.

Content Issues ­ what were the topics of conversation?

Process Issues- Describe the processes that occurred

Stage of Development

Leadership functions

Summary and themes

Personal Reaction


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