Alcohol Abuse Group Treatment - Term Paper Example

Group Dynamics Group Facilitation: Alcohol Abuse Introduction Alcohol abuse is a widely discussed topic which has been hitting headlines for years now. Alcohol can be used responsibly, but if its use triggers other inappropriate behaviors in a person to make them behave irresponsibly, then it shows the drug is being abused. Drug abusers can be taken through a counselling program or rehabilitated to regain their original uprightness. However, rehabilitating such a group of people requires group participation and active participation from the drug abusers themselves. The following program was intended to for use on a group of people who are alcohol drug abusers. The program is in six sessions with each session meant to take roughly 30 minutes. The sessions include introduction, brain storming, discussion, personal experience, moving forward and questions sessions. Introduction Session During the fast session, given that the group was made up of different people from different backgrounds, there was a need for introduction. The introduction will involve giving each person the opportunity to introduce themselves by stating their name, status, when they began abusing alcohol and for how long that has been happening. What alcohol abuse has done to their lives and the reason they realized the need to change or seek help. During this introductory session, the group members will be asked to pay attention to each one of them and give each other time to introduce themselves conclusively. As the group facilitator, I will make sure that I set the conditions to allow the group members know what exactly they need to say when introducing themselves to an extent that the session becomes interesting and everyone feels part of it. This session will be meant to take around 15 minutes. After the introduction, I will explain the purpose for our meeting. The explanation will make the participants become aware of the purpose of the meeting in a formal way as well as make them feel free to be able to contribute. During the explanation of the purpose of the meeting, a summary of the whole program and how it will be running will be given to the participants and they will also be explained to, what is expected of them throughout the session. This will also take 15 minutes to make the whole session take 30 minutes. Brainstorming Session The next session will soon follow the first one, and here, the group members will be involved in brainstorming about the issues that they will be provided with. To engage the group members into group participation, they will be provided with a question that they will all engage themselves into brainstorming to provide answers for. They will be asked to brainstorm about the causes of alcohol abuse and its effects in our lives. This brainstorming session will last for 15 minutes to allow at least each group member to contribute towards the issue and bring at least some point to the table. While brainstorming, the group members will be asked to take notes on various points they find of interest and contributed by the other members. As the group facilitator, I will take time to go round to ensure that each member is given time to contribute. Secondly, the participants will be allowed to take the next 15 minutes to divide in smaller groups of twos. In these sub-groups, they will be required to take equal opportunity, each one of the two members, to speak to them disclosing anything they feel about how alcohol abuse has affected their lives. This will be done to let the participants open up further about their situation and feel free to talk it out with the group members so that they may find help. Sharing it out with a member of the group is also meant to increase their level of confidentiality so that they may feel free to talk and become active members of the group. The session will end when each member shall have found time to explain, in brief, something about their alcohol abuse situation, to the other member. Discussion Session After the brainstorming session, the next session will involve members engaging in discussion. This session will also involve active participation of all the group members. Here, all the members will take time to give their findings from the brainstorming and discussion session. At least, there are certain points that the members learnt during the previous session about alcohol abuse. Such points will now be brought to the discussion of all the members with the help of the group facilitator. The group facilitator will have the opportunity to provide time to each member to raise their points. At the same time, the group facilitator will ensure that every member’s contribution is considered and appreciated to motivate all members to participate. At this point, participants will be allowed to react to the contributions by other members. However, the reaction will be controlled and moderated by the facilitator to ensure that no conflicts arise and members discuss in the most peaceful and enriching manner. The discussion session will be controlled to take 30 minutes, after which the next session will be introduced. Before the next session is introduced, members will have a tea break where they will be invited for a joint tea session. During the tea break, there will be entertainment provided to the participants to make them feel entertained, and for a while, forget about their problems and refresh their minds and get ready for the next session. Personal Experience Session After the tea break, the members will be brought back to the room and be given chance to share their personal experiences. The facilitator, again, will ensure that this session is well regulated and each member is given the shortest time possible to share their experiences as all of the participants will be required to at least share something. The participants will be asked to be as brief as possible while giving out their experiences as some of them might take the whole day, when not controlled. At the same time, at the end of each member’s presentation, the group members will be allowed to encourage them or even offer them their sympathies. However, this will be required to take a short time just when the presenter finishes. This will also be allowed to take place without any movements in order to save on time. While giving their experiences, the other members listening will be asked to take note of some major happenings so that they can reflect on them later. However, active listening will be encouraged by the facilitator from the participants. Since there will be some emotional moments, the facilitator will request the participants not to make it too emotional or to take too much time on such (Marsh, Dale, & Willis, 2007). This is one of the sessions where the facilitator will have much control over to ensure things go as planned and in line with the objectives of the program. Where there are controversial issues that are not well understood by the participants, charts, tables and figures will be used as well as gestures to provide more explanation or more light on the issue. Whenever a participant has the opportunity to give their presentation and they seem to be going against the set rules and behaviors that had been set clear to them from the start, the facilitator will take time to remind them of the same so as to put them on course as they discuss. This session will take 30 minutes at most, then the program will proceed to the next session. Moving Forward Session Under this session, the facilitator will take time to compile all the points that have been discussed during the previous sessions. With the material prepared for this session, the facilitator will guide this session by providing them with the points that are summarized and are coming out strongly from the beginning of the program. During this session, the facilitator will begin addressing what actually is alcohol abuse, its causes and its impact on our lives. Various examples about the diverse effects of alcoholism from common figures will be provided to for illustration purposes. The facilitator will then go ahead to discuss various ways to prevent the menace. He will use illustrations such as charts, pictures, drawings, tables and figures to enhance his discussion and his points home. During this session, the participants will majorly be required to take notes and listen actively. In case there are any questions, they will be asked to note them down and preserve them for the next session. To make the participant not to feel bored with the session full of note taking and listening, the participants will be allowed to interrupt in cases where they shall have not understood some point and would like to have put them down. The facilitator will be forced to repeat the points for the benefit of the members who did not get them so that they can be at par with the rest of the members. This session will be controlled to take 30minutes before a break to the last session. Questions Session This will be the last session of the whole program. This session will commence after the group members have come from a 15 minutes break to allow them cool off. The session will be made free or anyone with questions about the whole program to ask. To make it participative and involving all the members, a line will be followed where members will be given chances from the first person and take it round until everyone gets the chance to ask their questions. A part from the questions, the members, or the participants will also be requested to give their final contributions or remarks about the whole program. Fellow participants will be allowed to attempt answering questions posted by their peers first before the facilitator gives the final take. When the peers have failed to provide correct responses to the questions asked, the facilitator will take the opportunity to correct then and provide the right responses or the most appropriate responses to the queries asked by the participants. At the same time, the facilitator will ensure that all thoe who attempt to respond to the questions, even if they don’t provide the correct answers, they get motivated. Conclusion In concussion, the program will end by the group members reflecting on the whole program to find out whether the intended purpose has been met or not. The facilitator will also proceed to find out the strengths and weaknesses of the program in case there were some objective not met. Consideration will be taken to improve the program in the future, in case there were some areas of failure. The good steps will also be taken up to the next programs to enable the achievement of objectives. Reference Marsh, A., Dale, A., & Willis, L. (2007). A Counsellors Guide to Working with Alcohol and Drug Users. New York: Drug and Alcohol Office. Read More