General background information:a) General group topic and RationaleThe group topic for week one is an introduction week. During this time we will go over group expectations, confidentiality, group guidelines, challenges, what group members need to make this group a safe environment, and introduction activities. These activities will help the group members build trust with each other and the facilitators. It is also important to set up an outline and expectation for group members from the beginning so they are prepared for the purpose of the group. This preparation stage is critical because of the diverse social, economic and political backgrounds that the members share
It is important that, each member gives views on the course and the manner in which group activities should be undertaken. The decision of the kind of activities will be made on the basis of the members’s preferences and tastes and then the overall conclusion will be based on convenience, ease of understanding and application (Trindade & Shaw, 2001).
The members should acquaint themselves of the impending practical work in the course of the project. Various terms will be defined
Early preparation and making oneself aware is a critical component of this group in ensuring a successful project.b) General information about group
The group is composed of 8 participants, aged between18-30. All the members are first time mothers, female, self referred and professionally referred
c) Stage of group developmentThis group is at the initial group stage. During this time the group members and facilitators are still building a trusting environment, group members will likely be taking low risks. It is important for us and facilitators to focus on creating a trusting environment for the group to explore feelings and expectations of the group, support the creation of group norms, allow goals to guild group participation, and encourage health group interactions.in the case of the relationship between the need fro building trust and the success of this project, the members will learn to relate to each other in a respectable manner, without any element of discrimination (Wolk, 2009). This will ensure equality and will enable the members to participate without any reservations. This stage is fundamental in the progression of the group as a team. Group activity needs a lot concentration in each aspect that may be a challenge. In essence, all these elements are considered to be critical in building a solid foundation of the group and hence, the members are required to take a lot of concern, particularly, by learning the diversity that is expressed in the group by each individual member.
Session Description:a) Goals/objectives for the sessionCreate a list and outline of group expectations around confidentialityGo over outline of what the total 8 weeks of group will look like
All the objectives should be listed and each member is required to acquaint himself or herselfb) Description of tools/techniques/ Activities planned (estimated time).Activities Planed
Introduction of facilitator. Confidentiality for the facilitators. (5 min)Opening activity: My name is. (10 min)Group discussion: What brought you to group? What are you hoping to get from this experience? (5-10 min)Outline of the group over the next 8 weeks. (5 min)Communication activity: Conversations. (5-10 min)Confidentiality expectations. What makes this group a safe place? (10 min)Questions and concerns: Focus on areas the group is concerned about, or questioning. (5-10 min)Closing: Homework for next week, and something to take away (5-10 min)Tools
My name is? : Go around the group and ask each young person to state his/her name and attach an adjective that not only describes a dominant characteristic, but also starts with the same letter of his name e.g. generous Grahame, dynamic Dave. Write them down and refer to them by this for the rest of the evening.Communication Activity: Conversations; Each person is given a sheet of paper with a series of instructions to follow. This is a good mixing game and conversation starter as each person must speak to everyone else. For example; count the number of brown eyed boys in the room. Find out who has made the longest journey. Who has the most unusual hobby? Find the weirdest thing anyone has eaten. Who has had the most embarrassing experience?Hand out of 8 week outline of group
TechniquesMotivational interviewing: what are you doing right?Viewing group through a multicultural lense: recognize that each member comes from a unique background and be respectful of that history.Genuine in listening and attending to group membersPostmodern approach. Understanding the subjective world for the client and the existing resources for change within the individual. Strength based.c) Outcomes: ie. By group completion, participants will align their opinions and perception to come up with a conclusive direction. In line with the expectations of the group members, each and every one of hem should be knowledgeable about the expectations/ guidelines of this group.Understand their role in keeping the group a trusting place.d) Evaluation of the session: How will you know you have accomplished your goals? Each group member will return the following weekEach group member will be asked to find another alternative resource available for first time moms and share with group in week two.Group Facilitation Outline Week 2General background information:a) General group topic and Rationale Supporting new mothers on the topic for the week two is nutrition. Nutrition is an important part of anyones health, but we choose nurtiction for this initial stage of group because it will allow us to be informative and help to start the group to bound without being too invasive. Nutrition is also something that will allow small goals to be thought out and accomplished within a short period of time. b) General information about group (ages, number of participants etc.)8 participants, age range 18-30, first time moms, female, self referred and professionally referredc) Stage of group developmentThis group is at the initial group stage. During this time the group members and facilitators are still building a trusting environment, group members will likely be taking low risks. It is important for us as facilitators to focus on creating a trusting environment for the group to explore feelings and expectations of the group, support the creation of group norms, allow goals to guild group participation, and encourage health group interactions.Session Description:a) Goals/objectives for the sessionEducate and empower on the importance of nutrition for themselves and their babies. Feel confident to plan and prep affordable healthy mealsGroup becomes more connected - trusting environment grows- and sharing is enhanced b) Description of tools/techniques/ Activities planned (include estimated timelines)Activities plannedReview of confidentiality and introductions. (3 min)Ice breaking/ bonding activity: Share with the group three of your interest. (10 min)Group discussion: What does nutrition means to the group members. How does nutrition affect you and your baby? (5-10 min) Introduction to the Canada food guide. With hand outs. (5-10 min)When to transition to solid foods: age and types of food. (5 min)Eating in vs eating out: pro’s and con’s (5-10 min)Information on accessing affordable nutritious food.( 5 min)Areas to grow: Focus on areas the group is struggling with around nutrition. (10 min)Closing: Homework for next week, and something to take away (5-10 min)ToolsCanada’s food guide:http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/alt_formats/hpfb-dgpsa/pdf/food-guide-aliment/print_eatwell_bienmang-eng.pdfFood resource guide. TechniquesMotivational interviewing: what are you doing right?Viewing group through a multicultural lense: recognize that each member comes from a unique background and be respectful of that history. Genuine in listening and attending to group membersPost modern approach. Understanding the subjective world for the client and the existing resources for change within the individual. Strength based. c) Outcomes: ie. By group completion participants will beBe knowledgeable about the importance of nutrition, and be able to identify appropriate nutrition for themselves and their babies. Understand the role of nutrition in healthy living. d) Evaluation of the session: How will you know you have accomplished your goals? Each group member will be asked to bring a recipe idea to the following session. Home work of presenting a recipe to the group that is affordable, nutritious and that they will have tried to make by next session. Group Facilitation Outline Week ThreeGeneral background information:a) General group topic and RationaleIn week three the group topic is financial planning. As the group moves intob) General information about group8 participants, age range 18-30, first time moms, female, self referred and professionally referred.c) Stage of group development
This group is at the transitional stage of group development. Things to expect at this point are still some anxiety and defensiveness, testing leaders and other members to determine safety, and the balance between disclosing information to the group and staying safe within the group. Hopefully the group members will learn how to express themselves in group so other members listen. As facilitators respect their own defenses, but work with them,move from dependence to independence, and deal with reactions toward what is occurring in the group. It is important for us as facilitators to encourage a trusting environment for the group to explore feelings, support the creation of group norms, allow goals to guild group participation, and encourage health group interactions (Ochiai & Molony, 2009).Session Description:a) Goals/objectives for the sessionEducate and empower members on the importance of financial planning for themselves and their babies.Ensure thatFeel confident to make future planning decisions around finances.Move into working stage.b) Description of tools/techniques/ Activities planned (include estimated timelines)ActivitiesReview confidentiality and introduce topic of the week. (3 min)Opening activity: Desert Island (10 min)Group discussion: do you feel financially prepared? What are areas you want to improve on? (5-10 min)What money means to me, and SMART goal setting. (10 min)Other resources/ supports within calgary: momentum, world financial group, and your bank. (10 min)Closing : Homework is to complete budget map and write a 5 minute reflection on your experience doing the sheet. What’s something to take away from this week? (10 min)Tools Desert Island: You've been exiled to a deserted island for a year. In addition to the essentials, you may take one piece of music, one book (which is not the Bible) and one luxury item you can carry with you i.e. not a boat to leave the island! What would you take and why? Allow a few minutes for the young people to draw up their list of three items, before sharing their choices with the rest of the group. As with most icebreakers and relationship building activities, it's good for the group leaders to join in too! Budget map Momentum information hand outTechniques Show members the value of dealing fully with conflictHelp members to recognize their own defensive patternsThe Model dealing directly and tactfully with any challengeEncourage members to express reactions that pertain to here-and-now happenings in the groupc) Outcomes: ie. By group completion, participants willBe knowledgeable on their own finances, and be able to identify areas for further development and growth.Feel confident in setting financial goals d) Evaluation of the session: How will you know you have accomplished your goals? Each group member will have completed their homework assignment by the next session.Group Facilitation Outline Week 7General background information:a) General group topic and Rationale Supporting new mothers on the topic for the week six is Self care. Self care is an important part of anyone’s health, we choose Self-care for this working stage of group. It will allow participants to disclose their concerns about their own self care. And allow us to give women tools to incorporate and understand this important life component. The topic of Self-care allows participants to set SMART goals and be mindful of the affect it has in their lives. Use of SMARTH goals will enable the the members understand where the group is headed in terms of objectivity.
b) General information about group (ages, number of participants etc.)8 participants age range 18-30, first time moms. Female. Self-referred and professionally referred. The group’s mean age is 24.5, which implies the age ranges from 18-30. This indicates a group consisting of young mothers.c) Stage of group developmentThis group is at the working stage.During the time leading to week 6 the group members and facilitators should have built a safe open and trusting environment. Participants my need extra support because of the intense nature of what is being shared between members. It is important for facilitators to focus on maintaining a safe environment and if necessary re-establishing trust so group members can work toward growth. AMembers should be interacting in a more direct way, both supporting and challenging other members take risks in the group. Increased cohesion should lead to action orientated behaviors and an increased healing capacity of the group (Roberts, 2004) . The members need to learn that risk taking is part of the process and it is required of them to understand that, the development stage is not smooth. Upon constructing a safe haven in the group, the members are free to share even the sensitive matters amongst themselves. This will enable them overcome any personal challenge or emotional distress. In essence, the group members should engage in a manner suggesting that, they share a similar perspective Session Description:a) Goals/objectives for the sessionEducate and empower on the importance of self-care for themselves and their relationship with their babies. Members feel confident to plan ways to practice self-care in their day to day lives.Group trust is strong, members are challenged and supported in their journey concerns of new motherhoodb) Description of tools/techniques/ Activities planned (include estimated timelines)Activities plannedReview of confidentiality and expectations (3 min)Ice breaking/bonding activity: Traffic light, (10-15 min)Group discussion: What does self-care mean to the group members. How taking time for yourself affect you and your baby? (5-10 min)Introduction to principles of self care and why it is important for new mothers. With hand outs. (5-10 min)Areas to grow: How can we find time for ourselves and self-care (10 min)Discussion: What types of self care activities can group members see themselves doing (5-10 min)Closing: Homework for next week, and something to take away (5-10 min)Toolshttp://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2014/01/05/self-care-strategies-for-busy-moms/TechniquesMotivational interviewing: what are you doing right?Viewing group through a multicultural lense: recognize that each member comes from a unique background and be respectful of that history.Genuine in listening and attending to group membersPostmodern approach. Understanding the subjective world of the client and the existing resources for change within the individual. Strength based (Ochiai& Molony, 2008).Foster an environment of self disclosure, authenticity and acceptance.Therapeutic interventions.c) Outcomes: i.e. By group completion, participants was examined by observation and various aspects such as general conduct are usedBe knowledgeable about the importance of self care, and be able to identify appropriate self-care for themselves. Understand the role of self care in healthy living and fostering a healthy relationship with motherhood (Holt, 2007).
Self care is fundamental to new mothers in numerous ways, which include the less expenditure and easily accessible. When
The Significance of Self-Care
A significant anxiety-management approach is to care of the fundamentals. Contemplate on it and ensure that you are informed about all that pertains to self care. A lot of energy and extensive energy and concentration to ensure that the members’ mental health is assured.This brings us to the aspect of taking care of one’s self (Holt, 2007).
The members of the group should understand that taking care of oneself is a vital step for managing anxiety. This is attributed to the a balanced diet intertwined with regular exercise. It enables a healthy being. This implies that, the members need to develop their mental health and general well being, if they follow the above listed pattern of activities. All these steps are critical in improving the lifestyle of the present modern. The members should ascertain that they are not suffering from extreme anxiety. Each member should take a responsibility to examine her neighbor (Davis, 2001).
d) Evaluation of the session: How will you know you have accomplished your goals?
The process of evaluation can be done using several ways, which include, asking questions relevant to what was learned. In addition, evaluation can be done to each member by assessing each member’s way of events. The procedures of breastfeeding, cleaning and doing the primary chores are observed (Davis, 2001).
References
Davis, Jan (2001). Self Care. Port Townsend, WA: International Clinical Educators.
Holt, L. E. (2007). The care and feeding of children: A catechism for the use of mothers and children's nurses. New York and London: D. Appleton and Company.
Ochiai, E., & Molony, B. (2008). Asia's new mothers: Crafting gender roles and childcare networks in East and Southeast Asian societies. Folkestone, UK: Global Oriental.
Ochiai, E., & Molony, B. (2009). Asia's new mothers: Crafting gender roles and childcare networks in East and Southeast Asian societies. Folkestone, UK: Global Oriental.
Roberts, Cokie (2004). Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation. , 2004
Sheppard, M., & Gröhn, M. (2004). Prevention and coping in child and family care: Mothers in adversity coping with child care. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Trindade, E., & Shaw, V. (2001). Strollercize: The workout for new mothers. New York: Three Rivers Press.
Wolk, C. (2009). It gets easier!-- and other lies we tell new mothers. New York: American Management Association.
