Week 11: The Ending Stage and Evaluation
The ending stage of a group is just as important as the beginning stage. Effective termination is an important part of the therapeutic process and an expectation of the NASW Code of Ethics (1996). Some members of the group may need further therapy or services, and it is the responsibility of the clinical social worker to assess every members needs. Also, the members should feel that some type of closure has occurred, and this is often done through ending exercises. These exercises help the members of the group say goodbye to one another and acknowledge the groups accomplishments. Another important part of the ending stage is the evaluation of the group intervention. The NASW Code of Ethics (1996) requires that some type of evaluation method is implemented in clinical practice. The social worker should evaluate the groups goals and the level of success of the group process.
Learning Objectives
Students will:
- Analyze termination process with families and groups
- Evaluate appraisal methods for group process
Learning Resources
Required Readings
Toseland, R. W., & Rivas, R. F. (2017). An introduction to group work practice (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Chapter 13, Ending the Groups Work (pp. 395-416)
Chapter 14, Evaluation (pp. 417-443)
Plummer, S.-B., Makris, S., & Brocksen, S. M. (Eds.). (2014). Social work case studies: Concentration year. Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing [Vital Source e-reader].
Working With Organizations: The Southeast Planning Group (pp. 5152)
Discussion: Termination with Families and Group
Intervention endings are a critical part of social work practice. Because endings may create strong emotional reactions, the termination process starts from the first session. Successfully terminating family sessions or group sessions promotes learning for clients to take with them moving forward.
Provide a 400-word discussion Post
– A comparison of the termination process between treatment groups and family sessions.
– Explain how you would evaluate readiness to terminate group and family treatment, identifying similarities and differences between the evaluation of the two types of treatment.
– Describe the techniques you would use to terminate a treatment group and how these may be the same or different than the techniques you would use to terminate a family intervention.
Must contain at least 3 references and citations
