Social Work Practice With Groups: Termination in Groups

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Termination in Group
Termination as a Transition Stage
Factors in Termination
Recapitulation
Graduation Effect
Evaluation
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Social work with groups is a commendable exertion that helps people bring out their uniqueness, versatility and assist them in molding their life in a valuable way. Group workers are practicing different fields of occupation and are involved in social work practice. The concept of group work is as old as social work.

Termination in Group

A termination is an important tool of social work. If it is not handled properly it can bring negative thinking and bitter feelings with its self. Results of termination should not affect in a pessimistic manner. It is the job of a social worker to help members accept the reaction, bring out optimistic approach to it, transfer experience to help attain the goal and be ready for the upcoming challenges (Northen, Helen, Kurland, Roselle. 2001).

Termination as a Transition Stage

Termination brings a lot of psychological pressure on the entire group and also on practitioner. It directly and indirectly affects the thinking, responding, action, behavior and working habit of the group members. It converts a normal human feeling betrayed and abandoned (Miller, Geraldine A. 2004)

Transition Member

The person going through termination turmoil may react in a very unusual way. It is equally difficult from worker’s and member’s end. It mostly arouses the feeling of their earlier losses, grief and anger.

In case of a group member’s termination the transition is due to the influence made on the lives of other group members, support of social worker and a new prospect of looking at life may let him feel empty, uneasy anger and sorrowful. They certainly feel a strong change in them which will help them move forward in their life. It also enhances their communication level. If the termination is made on a positive note the transition is very encouraging (Brandler, Sondra. 1999)

Worker Departure

Worker departure can bring depression and extra workload on the group. With departure of a group member, skills and expertise attached with him also exit. The group is left with lack of resources and absence of an aid they worked with. During the departure period it’s time to exchange all the necessary information. Group should be there for each other to fight and comfort the fear of losing a member. With the news of social worker departure, group members display odd behavior. They start missing the session and decompensate (Brandler, Sondra. 1999).

Worker’s departure can also be viewed positively. To fill his shoe another member will enter the group and he might bring innovative and creative ideas with himself. Group may take and think in a new direction. A successful departure will also give them strength to mold their depression in an affirmative direction.

Group Termination

Group termination can be explained as putting an end to services provided by a group of people cooperatively. Group termination can be due to two significant reasons. One of them could be the project had come to an end and people’s services are not required anymore. Another possible reason for group termination could be excess manpower. In both cases the level of despair is equal. At times it becomes difficult to end a group especially after the commencement of a successful task (Corey, Gerald. 2005). In such situation group members and social workers should collectively fight against this feeling of desolation and support each other to get through this depression. The termination of the group should not end on a bad note.

Factors in Termination

Termination is a process that gives a lot series of emotions to a person being terminated. People go through a number of sentiments when they are going through this process. Social workers work with a range of groups to perform their tasks. They put their entire attention in helping the group member transform into a joint support. They help workers understand and experience the bond between the group members at the time of termination (Middleman and Wood, 1990).

Anxiety

Anxiety is the first stage of reaction after announcement of termination. It can be explained as an obnoxious feeling due to fear or worry. During the time of termination a person is afraid about his future prospect. He starts treating his group members as a threat. It turns a normal person into an insecure personality. This feeling should be not be discouraged. A person should be persuaded to express them (Brandler, Sondra. 1999).

Denial

Denial is the absence of acceptance. A person fails to admit that he will no longer be a part of the group he worked with. He keeps reasoning himself and pretends to be oblivious to the complete situation. Denial only makes the situation even worse.

Regression

Regression follows the state of denial. During regression a person starts to behave in a very immature manner. He uses this action to avoid the handling the situation and facing the reality. He feels weak and worthless. His ego gets hurt leaving him with a sense of failure and disappointment. He’s too scared to lose the group and acts naive to avoid separation. (Brandler, Sondra. 1999)

Fight or Flight

In such a waning condition, a person either fights the feeling or runs away from it. Both are equally dangerous. Running away is another way to being in denial while fighting with it takes you further away from the acceptance. Unless a person acknowledges the harsh reality of termination he can not be escaped from the ordeal. A social worker with his communication skills helps him understand the scenario and accept the bitter reality. Self-acceptance is the beginning of a positive change. Members accept themselves with their weaknesses and strengths (Fatout, Marian).

Recapitulation

Recapitulation is a tool to heal emotional shock. Social worker plays a great role in helping a person recovering from this distress. It helps a person regain his dignity and move on with life. It detaches a person with emotional charges that may bring uneasiness and anger when he remembers the termination episode. (Toltec-Nagua, n.d.)

Graduation Effect

After being cured a person can start all over again. He is pushed to start all over again with a feeling of confidence and sanguinity. He gets support from his group members and social worker to continue serving at different avenues. He gets a new preview of life (Bellack, Alan S., Bennett, Melanie E., S., Jean. 2006).

Evaluation

Evaluation is a tool used to assess merit and importance of a person and the work performed by him (Socialresearchmethod, n.d.). It looks into the value added by a person in the organization. Evaluation is supported by arrangement of service existing between social workers and individual group members. Evaluations are highly confidential. It helps to understand the worth of a group member and his dedicated work. A major task of termination is evaluation of accomplishment and areas of remaining work (Brandler, Sondra. 1999).

Purpose

Purpose of evaluation helps justify the reason why a person is being terminated. It is an ongoing process. The method of evaluation helps sets standards for goal attainment by groups. Individual efforts of the members are securitized. It eventually calculates the weight of work done and brings out a comparison between the status and quality of work set at the time of goal setting and finished project. Evaluation helps place people in a group according to their expertise. In other words it helps to focus on the differentiation on a group member’s behavior before and after he joined the social group (Brandler, Sondra. 1999).

Method and Instrumentation

Evaluation includes appraisals of the member upon showing the hard work. They have graded up the quality of services provided. A social worker is responsible for their performance and meeting targeting on deadline regardless of being terminated. This can be done through a form that may state and highlight points like participation of the entire group, input by social worker, level of work contribution, quality of work, time management, and it may also have open-ended questions like problems faced during the project. Continuous feedback from the supervisor is very essential (Miller, Geraldine A. 2004).

Understanding Outcomes

After the evaluation it should be accessed whether the objective and goal of the social workers were successfully achieved or not. Outcomes should be well researched since workers are liable for understanding the information gathered through analyzing the outcome (Northen, Helen, Kurland Roselle. 2001).How difficult termination of a group member made to attain the target. It’s the duty of a social worker to keep the group together. Even in transition phase, terminated member should perform with his utmost capabilities without disappointed other team members. His basic responsibility is the attainment of tasks in the given timeline. Social worker is assessed on how well this duty is completed. Problem and hurdles faced during this time and measures taken to resolve it.

Conclusion

Termination or separation from a group is never pleasant. The important objective behind this should be the experience that everyone will be carrying forward into their personal life. Sense of achievement and relationship building learned in community work is more peaceful than anything else. If a person successfully makes it through the period of separation he would also be able to get through other problems in his life. Social worker helps bring dynamism in the group member. They help a member in their termination/separation period. They do their honest evaluation so that group work is well aware of his strengths and weakness.

References

Bellack, Alan S., Bennett, Melanie E., S., Jean. 2006. Behavioral Treatment for Substance Abuse in People with Serious and Persistent Mental Illness: A Handbook for Mental Health Professionals. Published by CRC Press.

Brandler, Sondra. 1999. Group Work. Published by Haworth Press. Binghamton, New York.

Corey, Gerald. 2005. Groups: process and practice. Published by Cengage Learning.

Fatout, Marian. 1992. Models for change in social group work. Published by Aldine Transaction, Hawthorne, New York.

Middleman, R.R. and Wood, G.G. 1990. Social Group Work to Social Work With Groups. Social Work with Groups, 14(3/4), 75-86.

Miller. Geraldine A. 2004. Learning the language of addiction counseling. Published by John Wiley and Sons Northen, Helen, Kurland Roselle. 2001. Social work with groups. Published by Columbia University Press.

Toltec-Nagual. The Recapitulation. Web.

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