Assessment in the Practice of Social Group Work

Lita D. Allen Lecturer SW38C: Applied Social Group Work Department of Sociology, Psychology and Social Work The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus

Reference: Toseland, R. W. & Rivas, R. F. (2005). An introduction to group work practice (5th. Ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Chapter 8, pp. 219 - 253

General Definition
Assessment is a holistic (biological, psychological, social, cultural, spiritual, environmental) approach to understanding particular practice situations in order to plan effective interventions.

General Definition
Assessment is both a process and a
product upon which the helping process is based. (Siporin, 1975)

Group Assessment
As a process, assessment involves gathering, organizing and making judgments about information.

As a product, assessment is a verbal or written statement of the functioning of the group and its members, which is useful in the development of intervention plans.
p. 219

Group Assessment
Assessments are made at all stages of the group The process, however, is most dominant at the beginning stage The purpose is to ensure an early understanding of how individuals and the group as a whole are functioning

Issues in the Assessment Process

What kind of information? How much information? What are the real issues raised by each member and by the group as a whole? What should be the assessment focus? How can I avoid diagnostic labelling?
p. 221 - 224

Areas of Assessment
The functioning of:
Individual group member The group as a whole The group environment The leader / leadership of the group

with special attention to

the interactional forces (the total dynamics); and the here-and-now of group interaction (the group process)

Determine your theoretical orientation

For example: Psychodynamic Systems Field / Group Dynamics Learning Social Exchange Transactional Analysis etc.
N.B. Note similarities and differences. What would be the value of an integrative approach?

Assessing the Functioning of Individual Group Members

What to Assess: Current functioning in the group Members functioning from a developmental perspective How the personal characteristics of each member (race, culture, gender, age) interact with functional abilities

Assessing the Functioning of Individual Group Members

Areas of Assessment: Intrapersonal (self) Interpersonal (others) Extrapersonal (environment)

Assessing the Functioning of Individual Group Members

How to Assess: Self-observation Worker observation Report by others Standardized instruments
pp. 224-232

Assessing the Functioning of the Group as a Whole

Areas of Assessment (Utilize the 4 major areas of group dynamics)
Communication and interaction patterns Cohesion Control mechanisms at the social level also referred to as Social integration and influence dynamics norms, roles (p. 234) & status hierarchies Culture of the group
Chapter 3, pp. 64-91

Assessing the Functioning of the Group as a Whole

How to Assess (Structured methods vs
Subjective Observations) Measuring communication and interaction
(Semantic differential scale)

Measuring interpersonal attraction and cohesion

(Sociometry)

Measuring social controls and group culture

(Bales SYMLOG)
NB: Students are not required to learn these methods.
pp. 232-244

Assessing the Groups Environment

Focus of Assessment Environmental factors that affect individual group members Environmental influences on the functioning of the entire group

Assessing the Groups Environment

What and How to Assess 1. The organization that sponsors and sanctions the group. Assess in relation to:
- Purpose of organization

- Policies regarding recruitment and intake of potential members - Status of worker in organization - Allocation of resources - Commitment to a particular service technology

Assessing the Groups Environment

What and How to Assess 2. The Interorganizational Environment
- Are other organizations doing similar work? - How similar or different are other organizations perceptions of group needs, issues, and solutions? - What are the benefits to be gained by linking with groups in other organizations? Why is it important to let other organizations know what you are doing?

Assessing the Groups Environment

What and How to Assess 3. The Community Environment
- What is the extent of support for the group from other community groups? - What is the attitude of the community to the problems or issues being raised by the group? - What might be the level of stigmatization? pp. 244-249

Assessing the Leader / Leadership of the Group

Use of power bases Style of leadership Role and functions Demonstration of specific leadership skills Co-leadership skills What interventions were made to deal with issues raised and how effective were these interventions?

The purpose of doing a comprehensive group assessment is to ensure that effective interventions are selected as part of a comprehensive treatment or action plan.
See Figure 8.6 on p. 250