Doing Something Different, Coursework Example

Agenda

1. 10 min – each member introduces themselves by sharing their name, the name of their grandchild, and the positive adjective that describes their family.

• Group coordinator will facilitate registration of grandparents attending the meeting.
• Group leaders will use a flip chart to record the adjectives the members’ adjectives and ask exploring questions or reframing information if group members struggle to use positive terms.

2. 12 min – creating group rules

• Each grandparent will identify a house rule they grew up in when they were children that they thought was important and shaped how they learned. Members will then decide if it is a rule that should be adopted or adapted in some way for the GRG group.
• Group leaders will start the group by sharing rules like: “What happened in the family stays in the family.” What that meant in our family was that we didn’t share family business outside of the home. What that might mean for our group is that we maintain confidentiality when someone shares something.
• Group leaders will record group rules

3. 20 min – psychoeducation about the opioid crisis, addiction and stats about GRG rates to normalize experiences, using the following points from the websites listed below:

• Roughly 3 out of 10 children that live with grandmothers have not graduated from high school.
• Almost half of the grandmothers raising grandchildren are unemployed.
• 10 percent of grandmothers raise their grandchildren due to parent mortality.
• 30 percent of the kids under the care of grandmothers have at some point been victims of neglect and abonnement.

4. 14 min – each family shares their story using the 4 questions

• Which is the main issue you are experiencing that brought you here?
• From the list of problems you have, which one would you like us to discuss first?
• What solutions have you thought that could help solve the problem your grandchild facing?
• What lesson do you want to learn from this discussion group?

5. 15 min – overview of SFBT, description of next sessions and Q&A

• Group leaders will highlight four things about SFBT:
• Focus on the future rather than on the past
• Focus on solutions rather than problems
•  Recognizing that the problem is not the person (separating the person from the problem)
• Looking at what is already going right.
• Group leaders will give the date, time and topic of the next group session.

Problem #1: John is a 13-year 10th grader living with her grandmother from Alabama State. He was recently suspended from school with teachers citing poor academic performance, truancy, and apathy towards school programs.

Solutions: I will remind caregivers that creating meaningful change is possible, and they need to embrace techniques discussed in the therapy program. Further, I will encourage the guardians to shift their perceptions by embracing the strengths suggested and identifying unproductive interactions that may limit their efforts to create a meaningful relationship with grandchildren. Specifically, I will encourage members to focus on the present and future orientation and identify problems that may act as a basis for future solutions (Newsome & Kelly 2021). I will use my interviewing and listening skills to engage clients in deliberate questioning and embrace body language skills to uncover what members may fear answering vocally. Such questions reinforce belief in clients and empower them to recognize and build their unique strengths.

References

Newsome, W. Sean, and Michael Kelly. “Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: A Solution-Focused Brief Therapy Approach in School Settings”. Social Work with Groups, vol 27, no. 4, 2005, pp. 65-84. Informa UK Limited, https://doi.org/10.1300/j009v27n04_06. Accessed 25 Nov 2021.