Psychoeducational Group Demonstration - Essay Example

Psychoeducational Group Demonstration [Affiliations] Section One Introduction For a very long time, many people have had to live in apartmentsin which they are more probable to consent a formal contract with the landlord or landlady. When such agreements are made, each of the parties commits to performing certain duties and responsibilities. On their part, the tenants are expected to pay rent and keep the apartment clean at all times. At the same time, they are expected to live in peace with their neighbors. On the other hand, the landlord or landlady, as the owner of the apartment pledges to provide and maintain a good and conducive apartment. Meaning, it is their responsibility to make their tenants comfortable at all times. This is done by providing a clean and hygienic environment and ensuring that there is adequate security within and without the apartment (Fischer, 2012). Although each of these parties is expected to honor their pledges, cases of conflicts have erupted as a result of inevitable failure. Many tenants have, on several occasions, complained about poor living conditions in their apartments. These have been blamed on the apartment owners who are often accused of laxity and negligence. Besides, they have been blamed for being irresponsible and breaching the agreements made. Such instances have caused a lot of tension between these people to an extent that they have disagreed and engaged in a fierce duel. While this happens, the tenants blame the landlord or landlady for failing to execute their duties of providing them with good living conditions. The psycho-education group is exclusively aimed at a group of tenants who are protesting the poor living conditions in their apartment. As a matter of fact, the apartment owners should always be ready to cater for the welfare of their tenants. However, this is not always the case since many apartments are not properly managed thus exposing the lives of the tenants to different sorts of either physical or psychologically inflicted danger (Kanas, 2005). Therefore, to resolve such a problem, tenants have to be mobilized and educated to come up and advocate for their liberation. Hence, it is clear that this will be a closed group targeting the troubled tenants who are willing to be supported in a protest against such maltreatments. It would be a closed ended group because it is strategically designed. Meaning, it would be operating in preplanned time schedule right from the beginning up to the end. Each and every activity to be performed would be logically deciphered and put to task. In other words, it would have affixed time table that contains the list of all the activities to be performed during each given time. It is advisable to operate in such a carefully devised manner because it can allow an easy accomplishment of both long and as well as short term targets (McDermut et al., 2001). When every activity is planned for, it means that they would all be discharged as per the schedule. In the long run, no time would be wasted. At the same time, all activities would be performed without forgetting about any of them. The main purpose of this psycho-education would be to gather all the group members, sensitize them about their agonies and give them tips on how they can ameliorate them. In finding for a solution, the group would advocate for the coming together of all the members and accepting to be united as a team. Once this is realized, the group members would be dispatched and allowed to go to the field and look for the tenants who have been complaining about the poor living conditions in their respective apartments. As trained personnel, the psycho-education group members would need to lobby all the target population and then they will conduct a cognitive discussion regarding the prevalent problem. By using their skills, the psycho-education group members make the right choice of the right population which deserves to be catered for during the training. When choosing them, a lot of factors would be considered. These include place of residence, complains and the damages suffered so far. All the members of the target population must have some common qualities like the ones highlighted above (Fischer, 2012). After the identification of the population, the group members would have to talk to the complaining tenants, discuss with them about their problems and sensitize them on how they can come up as a team and demand for their infringed rights. This road of efforts is embarked upon with a strong motivation leading to a common goal of changing the overall status quo. The ultimate result would be an evident change in the entire system. Section Two Curriculum As has been previously, stated that all activities to be performed will be according to the devised set of directive principles that have been already chalked out by the strategic board. Nothing will be impulsive and all the minute details will be carefully monitored and hence controlled. Extensive or complex as it might sound, the entire program will be organized into a routine table to help in efficient conduction of every task. Efficacy will be dependent on the flexibility of this routine table, it should be able to effectively distribute and accommodate every activity without hastening. This mode of operation is preferred because of its highly targeted approach by inculcating a comfortable effort from each and every worker involved. This conceptive approach is the ultimate goal driving agency. (Bäuml, J. et al., 2009). Precisely, the whole process would last for a total period of ten weeks. A ten-week period is arguably enough to enable the experts to carry out their mandate and effectively finish it. However, in order to optimally utilize the available time, the program would be subdivided into sessions. The target population would have to attend each of the sessions in order to reap from them (Sims, 2002). Moreover, it would be a wiser decision to cover a specific topic during each of these sessions. The lessons can be made allusive by allocating them one hour each along with the clever incorporation of motivation and audience feedback tactics. Utilizing different professionals to deliver different topics can also have an enticing effect as personality largely impacts a human cognition. When the group members are allocated their own areas of discussion, they would do it much diligently (Kneisl&Trigoboff, 2009). The goal would be met when the members start grasping their relevant areas of interest, indicating a better understanding and hence a better ability to meet the issues at hand. As per the plan, during this ten-week period, the members would be expected to attend trainings three days a week: on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Furthermore, on each of these days, they would attend a one-hour training presided over by different trainers as illustrated herein: Week One Day Date Time Topic 1. Monday 2/09/2014 9:00-10:00 am Definition of apartment 2. Tuesday 3/09/2014 2:00-3:00 pm Owning an apartment 3. Wednesday 4/09/2014 3:00-4:00 pm Costs of constructing apartment Week Two Day Date Time Topic 1. Monday 9/09/2014 9:00-10:00 am Signing a tenancy contract 2. Tuesday 10/0/2014 2:00-3:00 pm Roles and responsibilities of the tenant 3. Wednesday 11/09/2014 3:00-4:00 pm Duties and responsibilities of the landlord or landlady Week Three Day Date Time Topic 1. Monday 16/09/2014 9:00-10:00 am Features of a conducive apartment 2. Tuesday 17/09/2014 2:00-3:00 pm Payment of electricity, water, telephone and other utility bills 3. Wednesday 18/09/2014 3:00-4:00 pm Payment of rent Week Four Day Date Time Topic 1. Monday 23/09/2014 9:00-10:00 am What the law says on rent 2. Tuesday 24/09/2014 2:00-3:00 pm Exploitation by the landlord or landlady 3. Wednesday 25/09/2014 3:00-4:00 pm Security in the apartment Week Five Day Date Time Topic 1. Monday 30/09/2014 9:00-10:00 am Hygiene in the apartment 2. Tuesday 1/10/2014 2:00-3:00 pm Garbage collection 3. Wednesday 2/09/2014 3:00-4:00 pm Why you need a clean and spacious compound in your apartment Week Six Day Date Time Topic 1. Monday 7/10/2014 9:00-10:00 am Raising complains 2. Tuesday 8/10/2014 2:00-3:00 pm Channels to follow 3. Wednesday 9/10/2014 3:00-4:00 pm Rent tribunal Week Seven Day Date Time Topic 1. Monday 14/10/2014 9:00-10:00 am How to lobby one another within the apartment 2. Tuesday 8/10/2014 2:00-3:00 pm Problem solution in the apartment and addressing poor living conditions 3. Wednesday 9/10/2014 3:00-4:00 pm Formative evalation Week Eight Day Date Time Topic 1. Monday 21/10/2014 9:00-10:00 am Unity within the estate 2. Tuesday 22/10/2014 2:00-3:00 pm Solving a tenant-landlord conflict as individual 3. Wednesday 23/10/2014 3:00-4:00 pm Solving tenant-landlord conflict as a team Week Nine Day Date Time Topic 1. Monday 28/10/2014 9:00-10:00 am Use of dialogue to solve the tenant-landlord conflict 2. Tuesday 29/10/2014 2:00-3:00 pm Accepting to live in harmony with the landlord 3. Wednesday 30/10/2014 3:00-4:00 pm Disadvantages of resorting to violence when solving the tenant-employee conflict Week Ten Day Date Time Topic 1. Monday 4/11/2014 9:00-10:00 am Involving higher authorities in resolving the tenant-landlord crises 2. Tuesday 5/11/2014 2:00-3:00 pm Accepting an external intervention and giving in to the suggested solutions and accepting to compromise and abiding by the agreements made. 3. Wednesday 6/11/2014 3:00-4:00 pm Evaluation Section Three When drafting the ten-week training program schedule, a lot of factors were put into consideration. Measures were taken to ensure that every activity is done in an appropriate manner so as to help in producing the most desired positive outcome. At the same time, each session was allocated its specific topic of discussion. These were not just decided upon, but chosen after a thorough research and analysis (Herson, 2011). In fact, the design adopted an evidence-based intervention approach on every activity which was performed. It would be futile to take such a longer time just to engage in unplanned shoddy work. The use of evidence-based approach is a better initiative since it has a lot of benefits for the program. First, it would enable the group to make a good use of a well-researched intervention. Given that the intervention has been scientifically proven, it would be much desirable and help in producing appropriate and fruitful results. Every aspect about it is properly known as it has passed through different scholars who have been subjecting it to thorough studies. Besides, the adoption of an evidence-based intervention would be a proper initiative as it is would provide a well explained and logically acceptable path for the group members to deal with the most relevant intervention (Lorentzen et al., 2002). The practicality of the approach implies that it can be specifically useful in handling such a situation. Extensive research and recurrent proofs of being trustworthy, the intervention would be of much value towards resolving the dilemma of tenants fighting for improved living conditions of their apartments, without carrying an offensive air about it. In order to accomplish the ultimate goal of the program, the group would adopt William Bridges’ Transitional Model. Since it would be agitating for a change in the situation, deliberate steps would be taken to ensure that a proper rate of transition is put in place. The program would emphasize the use of Bridges’ ending, losing, letting go; the neutral zone; and the new beginning. These are procedural steps which, if properly adopted, would prepare the target population for the change, introduce it to them, help them to accept and cope up with it before the eventual solution is sought. Indeed, this is an appropriate intervention which should be adopted while handling this kind of situation. It is relevant and can help in yielding much fruits if optimally exploited. When such an evidence-based intervention is enforced, it would be much smoother for the program to run as expected. A part from advocating for an active participation by all the members, it would create room for conceptive diversity. Meaning, it would be the most absolute way of creating an absorptive environment for all members of the target population. It should be noted that people differ in a population on the basis of caste, ethnicity and most importantly status; the conceptive diversity notion aims at inculcating these minimum trainings within different people to get more conclusive overall results. Each of the people would be given the much attention they require. At the same time, the intervention strategy would make it easier for them to be informed about their challenge and how they can manage it before things start tightening up more than they already are. All the members would get enough time to freely interact with one another and share ideas as a team. Interaction is a key for success of a social meeting or intervention as it helps in discerning different human psychologies and visions. By doing all this, they would understand the challenges and accept to look for measures on how to ultimately extenuate them. Section Four Group Evaluation Plan This discussion has been effective in portraying the benefits of psycho-educational groups to inculcate necessary know- how and practicality. Among the activities to be performed, facilitation sessions are duly promoted; these are presided over by an expert who monitors and teaches. Here, the services to be offered are discussions, counseling, teaching and motivation. At the same time, assessments would be conducted at regular time intervals. These group meetings are advisable because they can help in creating a diversity which is necessary for addressing different kinds of challenges facing the group members (Piper &Ogrodniczuk, 2007). First, formative evaluation would be carried out. It would be done in the course of the program so as to assess the performance of the target population. They would be asked open and closed-ended questions concerning the lessons learnt from the program. This would make it much easier for the facilitators to evaluate the progress and ascertain to what extent its objectives are accomplished. Besides, the facilitators would conduct a summative evaluation exercise at the very end of the program. It is at this stage that the final assessment would be done (Herson, 2011). Meaning, the facilitators would engage the population on assessments exclusively aimed at finding out how fruitful the entire program had been. The major tool to be used for conducting this assessment is testing which would be done on each and every one of the group members. References Bäuml, J. et al. (2009) ‘Psychoeducation: A Basic Psychotherapeutic Intervention for Patients With Schizophrenia and Their Families.’ Schizophrenia Bulletin. 2006 32 (Supplement 1): S1-S9 Fischer, M. (28 September 2012). "Organizational Turbulence, Trouble and Trauma: Theorizing the Collapse of a Mental Health Setting". Organization Studies33 (9): 1153–1173. Herson, M. (2011).Adult psychopathology and diagnosis. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Kanas, N. (2005) "Group Therapy for Patients with Chronic Trauma-Related Stress Disorders."International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 55 (1), 161–6. Kneisl, C. & E. Trigoboff, (2009). Contemporary Psychiatric- Mental Health Nursing.2nd edition. London: Pearson Prentice Ltd. Lorentzen, S. et al. (2002) "Change during and after long-term analytic group psychotherapy." International Journal of Group Psychotherapy. 52 (3), 419–30. McDermut, W et al. (2001) "The Efficacy of Group Psychotherapy for Depression: A Meta-analysis and Review of the Empirical Research." Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 8, 98–116. Piper, W. & J. Ogrodniczuk, (2007). "Therapeutic Alliance and Cohesion Variables as Predictors of Outcome in Short-Term Group Psychotherapy."International Journal of Group Psychotherapy 57 (3), 269–97. Sims, A. (2002). Symptoms in the mind: an introduction to descriptive psychopathology. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders. Read More