Social Work - Working with small groups. Social Sciences Essay

Question 1
For each of the following small group leadership skills, discuss why it is important for
the leading of both treatment and task groups at every stage of a group’s development.
In your critique of each skill, comment on what you think would be the most severe
consequence for neglecting it when leading groups.
(a) Expressing self (10 marks)
(b) Confronting (10 marks)
(c) Making group processes explicit (10 marks)
(d) Cuing, blocking and focusing group communication (10 marks)
(Total – 40 marks)
Question 2
You are working in a Family Service Centre, and your centre director has tasked you to
propose a new group work programme to support the emotional and practical needs of
single mothers of young children.
(a) Outline a group proposal for this new group work programme, of not more than one and-
a-half to two pages, that you would show to your centre director and
administrators. (18 marks)
Name of the Proposed GroupSocial Support Group for Single mothers and Children’s Emotional and Practical Support (SSG-SCEPS)
Name(s) of the lead proponent(s)Your name
Summary of GroupThis support group is aimed at providing practical and emotional support for both single mothers and children who are at greater risks of physical and mental illnesses. Primarily, the support provided by this group focuses on supplying the needs of these population segment in terms of sustenance, nutrition, and well-being. Additionally, this group also focuses on assessing and addressing emotional issues that single parents and their children might experience due to their circumstances of living.
The Proposal
Introduction and BackgroundSingle mothers and their children are part of the general population who have the greatest risk of developing physical and emotional illnesses. On the one hand, most single mothers in the United States have to work harder compared to two-parent families in order to support and tend to their children’s needs. This then increases their chances of contracting illnesses brought about by stress and fatigue, among others. In severe cases, however, both the mother and the child could suffer from poverty or malnutrition if this is not addressed. On the other hand, the emotional toll of stress and the broken family structure could increase both the mother’s and the child’s possibility of mental health issues.
Aims, Goals and ObjectivesThe specific aims of this group include; (...