Types of Activity Groups

Evaluation Group: role of therapist

-Does not participate or intervene in group but observes and reports members' interaction and functional level -Asks for client input -Validates assessment and establishes treatment goals with each individual client

Evaluation Group: role of therapist

-Selects and orients clients to group's purpose -Selects activities that require collaboration and interaction and provides needed supplies

Mature group: therapist role

-act as a peer, equal, group member -fill in only when needed to maintain group

Cooperative group: therapist role

-act as advisor, not direct leader -leader and members are mutually responsible for giving feedback

Task Group: role of therapist

-assists members in exploring relationship between thoughts, feelings, and actions -encourages new behavior patters -as group develops, therapist is less active and helps members give feedback and input -remains leader and ensures task is a means to an ends..not the end itself

Mature Group

-enable members to assume all functional socio-emotional and task roles within a group -enable members to reinforce behaviors which result in need satisfaction and task completion

Topical Group Role of Therapist

-facilitates group discussion on activity -helps members problem solve, gives feedback and support, reinforces skill acquisition -shares leadership with members

Task Group: role of therapist

-initially very active, defines group goals and structure -assists with activity selection, offers guidelines and suggestions -facilitates discussion among members -gives feedback and support

Egocentric-cooperative: therapist role

-less of active, direct leader -facilitate and allow members to fulfill functional leadership roles -provide guidelines and assistance -reinforce members meeting needs of self and others -serve as role model

Thematic Group: role of therapist

-may range from highly structured, supportive director to a resource advisor -reinforces skills development -attention is not paid to intra- or inter-personal conflicts unless they interfere with or are directly related to the activity

Parallel Group: therapist role

-provide unconditional positive regard to develop trust -actively fill all leadership functions to meet member needs -reinforce all appropriate behaviors -provide structure -facilitate interaction

Instrumental Group: Role of therapist

-provide unconditional positive regard, support, and structure to create a comfortable, safe environment -design activities to meet member health needs and maintain highest function -assist with activity as needed -no attempt to change client

Project Group: therapist role

-select/structure activities to be shared by two members -fulfill all member needs while encouraging members to interact beyond activity requirements -reinforce cooperation, mild competition, sharing, and interactions

Thematic Group: role of therapist

-selects, structures, and grades suitable activities to teach needed skills -interventions vary according to the group's level, needs, and goals

Developmental Group

A continuum of groups consisting of parallel, project, egocentric-cooperative, cooperative, and mature groups. Focus is to teach and develop group interaction skills

Evaluation Group

Assumption: to accurately evaluate an individual's functional abilities, one must observe the person in a setting where the skills can be demonstrated

Task Group

Assumptions: -activities elicit feelings, thoughts, and behaviors -activities are means to explore and experience thoughts, feelings, and actions -through activities, members can increase self-awareness and practice new behaviors

Instrumental Group

Assumptions: -individuals are functioning at highest level and cannot change or progress -supportive, structured environment with appropriate activities can prevent regression, maintain function, and meet mental health needs

Developmental Group

Assumptions: -learning principles are the basis -members helped to engage in appropriate group behavior -feedback and reinforcement are utilized -maladaptive behaviors result from deviations, lags, or insufficiencies in development...can participate in groups similar to the ones which skills would have been developed -Subskills must be acquired in a sequential manner

Thematic Group

Assumptions: -Improvement of ability to engage in activities outside of group can result from teaching of these activities within group -Learning is facilitated by practicing and experiencing needed behaviors with reinforcement of appropriate behaviors given

Instrumental Group

Client: -inability to change or progress -cannot independently meet mental health needs or need assistance to maintain function

Topical Group

Client: -individuals who share similar current or anticipatory problems in functioning -must be at ego-centric-cooperative skills level -sufficient verbal and cognitive skills to engage in discussion and problem solve

Task Group

Client: -primary dysfunction in cognitive and socioemotional areas -fair verbal skills, ability to interact with others

Thematic Group

Client: -Determined by specific goals of group -members needs, concerns, and goals must match objectives of group -members must have a minimal group interaction skill level equal to a parallel group

Developmental Group

Clients: -individuals with decreased group interaction skills

Instrumental Group

Purpose: -help members function at their highest possible level for as long as possible -meet mental health needs

Ego-centric-cooperative Group

Purpose: -to enable members to select and implement a long-range activity which requires group interaction -enable members to identify and meet the needs of themselves and others

Cooperative Group

Purpose: -enable members to engage in a group activity which facilitates free expression of ideas and feelings -to develop trust, love, belonging, and cohesion -to enable members to meet socio-emotional needs

Task Group

Purpose: -increase awareness of needs, values, ideas, feelings, and behaviors through engagement in group activity -improve intra- and interpsychic functioning by focusing on problems which emerge in the processing of choosing, planning, and implementing group activity

Project Group

Purpose: -to develop ability to perform a shared, short-term activity with another member in a comfortable, cooperative manner -to develop interactions beyond what the activities require -enable members to give and seek assistance

Parallel Group

Purpose: -to enable members to perform individual tasks in the presence of others -to minimally interact verbally and nonverbally with others -develop basic level of awareness, trust, and comfort with others

Thematic Group

Purpose: assist members in acquiring the knowledge, skills, and/or attitudes needed to perform a specific activity

Evaluation Group

Purpose: enable client and OT practitioner to assess client's skills, assets, and limitations regarding group interaction

Topical Group

Purpose: to discuss specific activities that members are engaged in outside of group to enable them to engage in activities in a more effective, need-satisfying manner

Task Group

Suitable activities: -activities are chosen by members and will create an end product -activities are selected, planned, and carried out by members with the understanding that they are meant to study, understand, and practice behavior

Cooperative Group

Suitable activities: -activities facilitate and allow for free expression of ideas and feelings -activity is secondary to need fulfillment and may not produce an end product

Egocentric-cooperative Group

Suitable activities: -allows 5-10 people to work together -selected and implemented by members -longer-term, requiring 2 or more meetings

Instrumental Group

Suitable activities: -can successfully complete activities with structure and assistance -not threatening or demanding -interesting, enjoyable, and attractive -meet mental health needs by allowing patient to experience pleasure, have fun, socialize -maintains function

Topical Group

Suitable activities: -group activity is a verbal discussion on an activity members are or will be engaged in outside of group -discussion may include members current or anticipated fears and problems, potential solutions, and coping mechanisms -Role play and homework

Parallel Group

Suitable activities: -members perform activities independently but within presence of others -interactions not required -activities should be similar to facilitate interaction and sharing -relevant to person's interest

Mature Group

Suitable activities: -requires many people to work together -requires end product or inherent time limit for completion -activity may be stopped for members to explore what is going on within the group

Thematic Group

Suitable activities: -simulated, clearly defined, structured activities which enable members to practice and learn needed skills, attitudes, and knowledge -activities selected are directly related to the skills needed to perform the activity outside of the group

Project Group

Suitable activities: -task is short-term and requires 2 or more people -task requires interaction to complete -group interaction is emphasized

Evaluation Group

Type of client: all individuals who will be involved in groups or who lack group interaction skills

Topical Group

assumptions: -improvement of ability to engage in specific activities outside of group results from discussion of these activities -discussion of problem areas and potential solutions, reinforcement of appropriate behavior, and experiential learning facilitate skill acquisition

Concurrent Topical Group

concerned with activities already engaged in outside of group

Anticipatory Topical Group

concerned with activities expected to be done in the future