Recovery Groups: A Guide to Creating, Leading, and Working With Groups For Addictions and Mental Health Conditions

225 Pages·2014·1.83 MB·English

by  Linda-Farris Kurtz

Recovery Groups

Recovery Groups
A GUIDE TO CREATING, LEADING, AND WORKING
WITH GROUPS FOR ADDICTIONS
AND MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS
By Linda Farris Kurtz
1
1
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ISBN 978–0–19–936297–4
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To Ernest Kurtz

Contents
Foreword xiii
Preface xv
1. Introduction 1
Part 1
2. The Recovery Approach in Mental Health and Addiction 7
The Paradigm Shift From Medical Model to Recovery Model 9
Recovery Philosophy 16
Peer Helpers 17
Recovery Groups 19
3. How Recovery Groups Differ From Other Kinds of Groups 22
Self-Help Ethos and Recovery Philosophy 23
Types of Groups 24
Self-Help and Support Groups 24
Psychotherapy and Task Groups 25
Ideal Types 26
Choosing a Group Type 27
4. Groups for Addiction and Mental Health Conditions 30
Twelve-Step Groups for Addiction 31
Non-Twelve-Step Groups for Addiction 34
Twelve-Step Groups for Mental Health Conditions 35
Non-Twelve-Step Groups for Mental Health Conditions 36
Groups for Families and Friends 38
vii
viii Contents
Part 2
5. Connecting With Independent Self-Help Recovery Groups 43
Founders 44
Starting a Local Chapter 45
Linking People With Self-Help 46
Professional Leadership of Self-Help Groups 51
Ethical Issues Related to Linking to Self-Help by Professionals 53
6. Facilitating Support Groups 57
The Preformation Stage 58
Who Needs the Group? 58
What Kind of Program Do You Want? 58
Do You Have Enough Potential Members? 58
Will the Group Be Time-Limited, or Will It Continue Indefinitely? 59
Do You Have an Appropriate Meeting Place? 59
Who Will Lead the Group—a Member or a Professional/Staff Person? 59
Leadership 60
The Forming Stage 61
The Storming Stage 63
The Norming Stage 63
The Performing Stage 64
Problems That Come Up in Support Groups 65
Member Attrition and Absences 65
The Monopolizer 66
Bringing Outsiders to the Meeting 66
Inappropriate Emotional Expressions 67
Unwillingness to Risk in the Group 67
Leader Burnout 68
Postmeeting Upsets 68
Coming to the Meeting Drunk or High on Drugs 68
Diverse Populations Not Represented 69
Confessions of Criminal Behavior 69
7. How Recovery Groups Help 71
Cohesiveness 71
Universality 72
Instillation of Hope 72
Support 73
Contents ix
Giving Information and Advice 74
Achieving a Sense of Belonging 75
Making a Difference and Having a Sense of Mattering 76
Teaching Coping Methods 76
Identity Transformation 77
Becoming Empowered 79
Achieving Insight 79
Reframing 80
New Way of Life and Redefinition of Self 81
Encouraging Helping Factors 82
Avoiding Unhelpful Factors 82
8. Analyzing a Group’s Climate, Philosophy, and Structure 88
Social Climate in Groups 88
Group Philosophy or Worldview 91
Group Structure 93
Twelve-Step Meeting Structure 96
9. Who Needs a Group? The Process of Affiliation 99
Who Comes Back 100
Being an Extrovert and Need for Affiliation 100
Openness to Spirituality 101
The Importance of Group Fit 101
Affiliation as a Process 103
Stages of Change-Readiness 107
Processes of Change 107
10. Four Models of Self-Help Recovery Groups 112
Al-Anon Family Groups 112
History 112
Program 113
Research 119
Meeting Structure 119
Starting a Group 119
Recovery International 120
History 120
Program 120
Research 122