I. COURSE DESCRIPTIONII. COURSE OBJECTIVESIII. TEACHING METHODSIV. REQUIRED AND RECOMMENDED TEXTS AND COURSE MATERIALSRequired TextsRequired ReadingsReference TextsV. COURSE REQUIREMENTSVI. STUDENT PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONVII. CLASS POLICIESVIII. COURSE OUTLINE (TENTATIVE)DATE & TOPIC ASSIGNMENT/READINGWEEK 1/January 20WEEK 2/January 27WEEK 3/February 3Integrating the Therapeutic Factors Yalom – Ch. 4Experiential Group Meeting #2 Yalom – Ch. 6WEEK 5/February 17Tasks of the Groupworker Yalom – Ch. 7Planning and Composing Groups Yalom – Ch. 9WEEK 7/March 3WEEK 8/March 10SPRING BREAKWEEK 9/March 24Dealing with Difficult Patients Yalom – Ch. 13WEEK 10/March 31WEEK 11/April 7WEEK 12/April 14WEEK 13/April 21Specialized Group Therapy Populations Readings TBAExperiential Group Meeting #10WEEK 14/April 28THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK Course Number: SW 393R26 Instructor: Allyson Jervey, LMSW-ACP Unique Number: 63465 E-mail: [email protected] Semester: Spring 2005 Phone: (512) 763-0478 Meeting Time: Thursday Office Room: SSW 3.122A 5:30 - 8:30PM Meeting Place: SSW 2.132 Office Hours: Th 4:15PM to 5:15PM THEORIES AND METHODS OF GROUP INTERVENTION I. COURSE DESCRIPTIONThe course will cover current group intervention approaches used with children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly across a variety of settings. Students will develop a working understanding of children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly from diverse backgrounds, affirming and respecting their strengths and differences in group settings. The course is grounded in the identification, analysis, and implementation of empirically-based intervention strategies for group work with children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly. This course will focus on using multiple perspectives in the advanced application of theories, models, and skills utilized in short- and longer-term group interventions. The framework of the course is based on social work values and the ethical decision-making process, as illuminated by the NASW Code of Ethics. This is a required course for MSSW students in the Clinical Concentration. It is a specialized group methods course which builds on the Practice I & II courses and Field Practicum I & II. II. COURSE OBJECTIVESUpon completion of this course the student will be able to: 1. Demonstrate the ability to integrate theories and empirical research knowledge in selecting and using group work approaches with children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly. 2. Demonstrate an advanced clinical knowledge of group work intervention and leadership roles and skills as they relate to the strengths, the processes involved in human change, and the capacities and resources of children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly. 13. Demonstrate the ability to adapt group work intervention models, programs, and activities for use with children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly to reflect an understanding of persons from diverse backgrounds, including (but not limited to) race, ethnicity, culture, class, gender, sexual orientation, religion/spiritual, physical or mental ability, developmental level, age, and national origin. 4. Demonstrate the ability to evaluate, select, and design group programs, methods, and activities for children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly based upon their empirical base, practice utility, potential, range of applicability and limitations. 5. Demonstrate the ability to select and design group work programs, methods, and activities, and to then critically evaluate and analyze these group work approaches as to their effectiveness in given situations. This includes: (a) the adequacy of the research and knowledge base; (b) the range of applicability; (c) the value and ethical issues, including the student’s own value system; and (d) the policy implications involved in delivery of group work services to children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly. 6. Demonstrate the ability to integrate and apply core and advanced group work skills and processes, including, but not limited to, creation and maintenance of the group, resolving conflict, dealing with challenging clients, working in the here-and-now, and fostering the therapeutic factors of group work. 7. Demonstrate the ability to implement and evaluate the effectiveness of group work interventions for children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly. 8. Demonstrate the ability to tailor group work interventions for children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly based on the context in which they are delivered. 9. Demonstrate advanced knowledge of social work values and ethical decision-making processes as they relate to ethical dilemmas in group work with children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly. III. TEACHING METHODSThis course uses a variety of teaching methods to aid in student mastery of theoretically-grounded, advanced practice skills in group work methods. Learning activities will include reading, writing, discussion, lecture, videos, participation in and observation of demonstration groups, and experiential exercises. Students will be asked to apply assigned reading material to the experiential exercises and group simulations in class. Self-awareness in relation to the group process will be stressed in both written assignments and in class discussion. Teaching and learning will be collaborative and interactive, with the professor modeling group work principles and strategies. The class will use the small group context and role plays for demonstration and development of group leadership skills, and for the integration of these skills with researched and validated group work theory. 2IV. REQUIRED AND RECOMMENDED TEXTS AND COURSE MATERIALS Required Texts Yalom, Irvin D. (1995). The theory and practice of group psychotherapy. (4th ed.). New York: Basic Books. Required Readings A course packet of required readings will be on reserve at the Learning Resource Center of the School of Social Work. I will also have these readings available on e-reserves. Reference Texts Malekoff, A. (1997). Group work with adolescents: Principles and practice. New York: The Guilford Press Donigian, J. and Hulse-Killacky, D. (1999). Critical incidents in group therapy. (2nd ed.). New York: Brooks/Cole-Wadsworth Yalom. I. (2002). The gift of therapy: An open letter to a new generation of therapists