Wednesday, June 20, 2018
Thursday, March 8, 2018
The Book of Questions - A Catalyst for Interaction
The article I chose to read was titled Socialization Groups: Using The Book of Questions as a Catalyst for Interaction. What about this article that caught my eye was the fact that they were using a book solely of questions as a means of an assessment. As an OT student, when I think of assessments, I automatically think of the standard one's used across the board. This gave me an insight on how we, as OT's, can turn nothing into a valuable something, such as this book.
The Book of Questions, in an assessment means, is basically a self-report questionnaire and interview between oneself and other group members. This "interview" allows the therapist to collect a dynamic assessment of that individual. The book also works as a social activity, in which the clients get to simulate verbal interaction between others. This allows the therapist to get a view of that client's ability to socially and interpersonally interact. Many other valuable information can be collected from this "assessment" such as: the ability to imagine, their use of concrete and abstract thinking, their line of defense and coping mechanisms. From a group facilitation standpoint, this assessment has high levels of effectiveness at the Montefiore Medical Center. After only 8 months of switching to this inception of the group, it has been identified as the most successful group in the occupational therapy program at this specific inpatient facility.
I wish I had found and read this article before administering my individual group facilitation because it might have changed my mind on what topic I would facilitate over. I just loved how much insight this simple activity gave the therapist. Whether it be revealing a client's personal experience, to hypothetical reasoning, to personality characteristics, or to their interpersonal view of themselves, it gave the therapist a well rounded assessment and evaluation of those specific clients. I think the best part about it though was the want and access to this book after client's have been discharged. The book's purpose wasn't just meant for mental health patients, but for anyone seeking an opportunity to become socially interactive. It has the power to build old relationships and develop new ones sampling by purchasing the book and starting a conversation with someone by asking the questions written right in front of you.
As a student, I would have loved to see this book in action. It seems to be a great investment and I think future students would benefit from it during the Groups course.
article.aspx
Wade, J.C. (June 1992). Socialization groups: Using the book of questions as a catalyst for interaction. American Journal of Occupational Therapy. 46(6), 541-545. doi:10.5014/ajot.46.6.541
The Book of Questions, in an assessment means, is basically a self-report questionnaire and interview between oneself and other group members. This "interview" allows the therapist to collect a dynamic assessment of that individual. The book also works as a social activity, in which the clients get to simulate verbal interaction between others. This allows the therapist to get a view of that client's ability to socially and interpersonally interact. Many other valuable information can be collected from this "assessment" such as: the ability to imagine, their use of concrete and abstract thinking, their line of defense and coping mechanisms. From a group facilitation standpoint, this assessment has high levels of effectiveness at the Montefiore Medical Center. After only 8 months of switching to this inception of the group, it has been identified as the most successful group in the occupational therapy program at this specific inpatient facility.
I wish I had found and read this article before administering my individual group facilitation because it might have changed my mind on what topic I would facilitate over. I just loved how much insight this simple activity gave the therapist. Whether it be revealing a client's personal experience, to hypothetical reasoning, to personality characteristics, or to their interpersonal view of themselves, it gave the therapist a well rounded assessment and evaluation of those specific clients. I think the best part about it though was the want and access to this book after client's have been discharged. The book's purpose wasn't just meant for mental health patients, but for anyone seeking an opportunity to become socially interactive. It has the power to build old relationships and develop new ones sampling by purchasing the book and starting a conversation with someone by asking the questions written right in front of you.
As a student, I would have loved to see this book in action. It seems to be a great investment and I think future students would benefit from it during the Groups course.
article.aspx
Wade, J.C. (June 1992). Socialization groups: Using the book of questions as a catalyst for interaction. American Journal of Occupational Therapy. 46(6), 541-545. doi:10.5014/ajot.46.6.541
12- Step Meeting
I, as a student, attended a alcoholics anonymous 12-step meeting on Sunday March 4, 2018. The group "leader" acted as a facilitator. I think this was done to keep the mood light and make it less difficult for the group members to share their thoughts and opinions. He shared that we was also an alcoholic himself from years past, which seemed to relax the newcomers. In my opinion, this was probably shared so the group members knew their "leader" could relate to them.
At the beginning, the facilitator reiterated that sharing wasn't required but encouraged throughout the entire meeting. Some discussions were open to all to speak in random orders, and other discussions were passed around the circle in a certain order. If someone hadn't said anything in a while, he would directly ask them if they had any thoughts about a certain topic. I say the majority of the group participated at all times, even if minimally, so there wasn't many needs to call certain people out.
The meeting I attended was at a church downtown. For some, I feel as if they felt intimidated for just being in a church rather than an AA meeting. This was never shared, just my observation. It was small (around 8 people) and intimate. They sat in a circle and I was listening a little ways away. I think sitting them in a circle had a huge impact on the amount of people sharing, as if they felt a closer connection to the people around them.
From the short amount of time I was there, I found this group to be extremely client-centered. The facilitator often stepped back and didn't speak unless it was absolutely necessary, such as the beginning of a new topic. He also stayed seated the whole time, as if he was letting them know that he was not superior but equal. It was also really interactive and followed what the members wanted to talk about / work on rather than what the facilitator felt was necessary for the group.
I definitely believe that the session was therapeutic for some, and for others not so much. As an observation, you could tell who really cared about being sober and who was there because they needed to be legally. You could also tell who had been attending longer than others based on friendships formed in the group and statements such as "as some of you know" and etc. No matter their AA background, they all seemed to get a long with the facilitator, in which is an important factor to building therapeutic relationships and rapport.
At the beginning, the facilitator reiterated that sharing wasn't required but encouraged throughout the entire meeting. Some discussions were open to all to speak in random orders, and other discussions were passed around the circle in a certain order. If someone hadn't said anything in a while, he would directly ask them if they had any thoughts about a certain topic. I say the majority of the group participated at all times, even if minimally, so there wasn't many needs to call certain people out.
The meeting I attended was at a church downtown. For some, I feel as if they felt intimidated for just being in a church rather than an AA meeting. This was never shared, just my observation. It was small (around 8 people) and intimate. They sat in a circle and I was listening a little ways away. I think sitting them in a circle had a huge impact on the amount of people sharing, as if they felt a closer connection to the people around them.
From the short amount of time I was there, I found this group to be extremely client-centered. The facilitator often stepped back and didn't speak unless it was absolutely necessary, such as the beginning of a new topic. He also stayed seated the whole time, as if he was letting them know that he was not superior but equal. It was also really interactive and followed what the members wanted to talk about / work on rather than what the facilitator felt was necessary for the group.
I definitely believe that the session was therapeutic for some, and for others not so much. As an observation, you could tell who really cared about being sober and who was there because they needed to be legally. You could also tell who had been attending longer than others based on friendships formed in the group and statements such as "as some of you know" and etc. No matter their AA background, they all seemed to get a long with the facilitator, in which is an important factor to building therapeutic relationships and rapport.
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
Individual Facilitation - Let's Talk Shopping!
Yesterday, I facilitated a group over the life-skill of "shopping". While I am an avid shopper myself, I chose this topic to help others (and myself) that shopping entails way more than just a trip to the mall or grocery store. The aim and purpose of my session was to give my group members and idea of how different shopping can be depending on the person, their particular task, their context, and their performance ability. Most people, such as everyone in my group, don't think of shopping as a complex task. But in fact it is; it includes preparing a list, selecting, purchasing, transporting, and paying for your item(s). For those who do lead group sessions one day as an OT, I wanted to give them an idea of something fun and realistic they could do for those who consider 'shopping' as one of their meaningful activities.
For a warm-up activity, I had them all choose an item or items that they were currently on the look for. We had a wide variety of answers such as: a house, a dog, a plane ticket. I had them create an activity analysis... or a list of important steps they need to take to purchase these items. For the main activity, I created a board game where the members rolled the dice and then read and answered the corresponding question on the board. All the questions were shopping related and open-ended, whether it be about money or purchasing habits. The person to the player's right also got to answer the question, give them feedback, or say why they disagreed with that particular player. I think this was the best part of the activity. Each member was open to what the other one had to say and really honed into their personal feelings about a shopping related question.
I was nervous at first, but I have to say that my facilitation was a success. This is because at the end, the group members were asked if they would like to change or manipulate their original activity analysis in any way. A majority of the members did because they took to heart what others had to say. For example, one group member said she usually shops alone but would take someone with her the next time so she can have some positive feedback from a friend in the dressing room. They also got useful money saving tips from each other, such as budgeting or coupon apps.
I'm going to be honest and say that I wasn't looking forward to this group facilitation. It was right after a difficult EBP test, we had already been in class for 8 hours, and I was definitely lacking in the sleep department. But after it was over, I had some relief because it had gone well and Professor Sasse had provided me with some useful feedback. I also was nervous about the "pop question" at the end, but realized that I do have an OT brain and I am able to think on my feet when needed. This was good practice for future OT implication, even out of the groups course.
For a warm-up activity, I had them all choose an item or items that they were currently on the look for. We had a wide variety of answers such as: a house, a dog, a plane ticket. I had them create an activity analysis... or a list of important steps they need to take to purchase these items. For the main activity, I created a board game where the members rolled the dice and then read and answered the corresponding question on the board. All the questions were shopping related and open-ended, whether it be about money or purchasing habits. The person to the player's right also got to answer the question, give them feedback, or say why they disagreed with that particular player. I think this was the best part of the activity. Each member was open to what the other one had to say and really honed into their personal feelings about a shopping related question.
I was nervous at first, but I have to say that my facilitation was a success. This is because at the end, the group members were asked if they would like to change or manipulate their original activity analysis in any way. A majority of the members did because they took to heart what others had to say. For example, one group member said she usually shops alone but would take someone with her the next time so she can have some positive feedback from a friend in the dressing room. They also got useful money saving tips from each other, such as budgeting or coupon apps.
I'm going to be honest and say that I wasn't looking forward to this group facilitation. It was right after a difficult EBP test, we had already been in class for 8 hours, and I was definitely lacking in the sleep department. But after it was over, I had some relief because it had gone well and Professor Sasse had provided me with some useful feedback. I also was nervous about the "pop question" at the end, but realized that I do have an OT brain and I am able to think on my feet when needed. This was good practice for future OT implication, even out of the groups course.
Leadership Summit
Last week (Wednesday, Feb. 14) a couple other students and I met to discuss our individual group facilitations. I think this was beneficial in more ways than one. We all had chosen different life skills to facilitate over and all seemed to be in different stages of the planning process. For me, I had only chosen a topic (shopping) and hadn't done anything beyond that. I almost considered changing my topic because I could not, for the life of me, figure out a group activity that would get my intended message across. With the help of other students outside my group, I kept my topic, created the perfect activity, and got a head start on my group protocol.
We were all pretty stressed out about doing our individual facilitations right after our first EBP test of the semester. The class work session helped us relieve some of that stress because as a group we brainstormed, collaborated, answered questions, and all planned our group protocols within 30 minutes of meeting. I only wish I had known one other person who was facilitating over "shopping" so I could have collaborated with them too.
We were all pretty stressed out about doing our individual facilitations right after our first EBP test of the semester. The class work session helped us relieve some of that stress because as a group we brainstormed, collaborated, answered questions, and all planned our group protocols within 30 minutes of meeting. I only wish I had known one other person who was facilitating over "shopping" so I could have collaborated with them too.
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
Group Co-Facilitation - Let's Get Motivated!!
Group Plan:
Yesterday, I had the privilege of co-facilitating a group session with another student in the class. This first group session was related to professionalism and our chosen topic was motivation. (Hence the title of my blog post, and the name of our group - lets get motivated!) My partner and I thought this would be a fun and realistic topic that we all need help with every now and then, in any given situation. With a little pondering and internet searching, we came up with the idea of doing motivational beading. It was perfect for our particular group because 1) we were all female, 2) beading was really popular during our childhood years, 3) it is still a fun and age appropriate task, and 4) it was an activity that was functional and measurable for our our topic.
Introduction:
We role played this group session as our 2nd time meeting as a group. So for our introduction we welcomed everyone back and let them know that our purpose of that day was to get motivated about the PDE goals that we had previously identified in our "last session". To get the group members creative juices flowing, we had them participate in a warm-up activity which included defining motivation in their own words, naming one PDE goal they needed the most motivation for, and naming a couple of words and/or phrases that they associated with motivation. Afterwards, the group members had the opportunity to share what they had written on their paper.
Activity:
In preparation for this activity, my partner and I set up the work space before the group members arrived. We had a wide assortment of beads and crafting supplies open, displayed, and easily tangible to the group members. This way searching and manipulation was convenient for the group members with the hopes of keeping them motivated to finish the task at hand. We also provided examples of some crafts that we had made before they arrived to group. Using one of the words and/or short phrases they had identified beforehand, we asked the group members to make a craft (bracelet, keychain, necklace, etc.) with the supplies in front of them. During this time (approximately 15 minutes), this was the perfect opportunity for my partner and I to collaborate and advise the group members. Administering a task such as this one was an easy way to see who was motivated enough to complete the task and who was motivated enough to make more than one.
Sharing:
When everyone was wrapping up their crafts, we gave each of the group members an opportunity to share their craft with everyone and explain why they chose the word or phrase that was put on the craft. We made sure to let them know that they had the right to pass but were encouraged to speak when it was their turn.
Processing & Generalizing:
After everyone had the opportunity to speak my partner and I were curious to see if the members could connect the purpose of our activity to our topic. This was a time for the group members to related to each other about their motivational problems and find a common ground between them. Comments such as "accountability" and "inspiration" were used from the group members in response. (Seems like they knew exactly what we were doing as group leaders - SCORE!!)
Application & Summary:
After connections were made, we ended the group session at around 30 minutes. My partner and I thanked the members of the group for attending and participating along with encouraged them to take their crafts home and use them when a need for motivation arises, such as keeping their keychains on their badge reels while they are at school. We, of course, ended by saying "see you next time" in hopes of another successful group meeting :)
Reflection:
In all honesty, I was a little nervous about this group facilitation thing. I had felt confident in the things I learned in class but was skeptical if I could connect it myself as the leader role. What I found is that it was way more relaxing and laid back than I had anticipated. Of course, us knowing each other so well as a class helps, but they had no idea what we had planned for them. No matter how comfortable you can be with someone, talking about real-life emotions and situations (such as motivation toward a PDE goal) can be tough. I also noticed myself really becoming a leader in this situation without me doing it purposely. My partner and I both kept eye contact with each member as they spoke, answered any questions they had during the activities, gave compliments to their responses, encouraged group interaction when needed, and provided feedback in an appropriate manner. In some way, leading this group session helped me work on some of my PDE and other personal goals - such as active listening. I hope to carryover my classroom experience into the clinical experience one day.
Tuesday, June 13, 2017
NN #5 - Sarah Alley "Out of my body, and into my mind"
Today I want to talk about one of my former middle school teachers, Mrs. Sarah Alley. I remember her being so vibrant and enthusiastic and WAY taller than me (something silly to remember huh?). On the first day of school I remember her giving her "get to know me" speech and showing us all these pictures about her life way back when and currently. She took me individually up to the board to show me an old softball photo of when she was a kid, then she pointed at one girl and told me that it was my mom. Throughout the week she would share stories about how her and my mom were very good friends and extremely competitive on the field. And then I would go home and ask my mom for more stories. Right then I thought "oh if she's best friends with my mom then I need to be best friends with her". She might not have known it, but I loved that woman. Her class period was the only one I looked forward to during the day and she made learning (even boring subjects like history) so much fun. Those two years of having her back to back were probably some of my fondest memories.
Sometime when I was finishing up high school Mrs. Alley was diagnosed with ALS/PMA. Long story short - our little town was heartbroken. Everyone knew her personally, or of her and we all shed many many tears. But through it all and still today, she's still the same vibrant and enthusiastic person I knew several years ago. She retired from her job as a teacher in 2015 and is now blogging about her personal experiences, feelings, living with ALS/PMS, and just general thoughts. She started blogging in 2016 (which I didn't know about until about a month ago) and has around 60+ posts. I unfortunately have only read 10-15 of them but I have a goal to finish them all because they are wonderful! One thing I love about her blogs is that despite her exhaustion and daily struggles, they aren't all she talks about. She moves past them. But I currently have two favorites, one really recent - "Birthday Trappings" and one from May 2016 - "Lasts". And they aren't my favorite because they have a dollop of daisy on top of them, but because they are raw. Both of these posts include emotional and physical details about her life and living with ALS. The one titled "Lasts" talks about just what you think it would. She talks about how having a disorder like ALS can make your lasts pretty vivid. She mentions the last time she walked without a cane, the last time she went to work, and the last time she drove. The one titled "Birthday Trappings" was about her 48th birthday, which just happened on June 3rd. In this one she includes a picture of what her view is from her bed, including her nightstand with her machine on it. She mentions that even though it is her birthday they keep their daily routine (they meaning her husband and son who live with her and take care of her). She enjoys oatmeal and coffee with her husband but then the crackling and wheezing begins. Her son has to hook her up to a coughing and suctioning machine to help her breath because her lungs are giving out on her. She then talks about how after all that is all over that is when she does her reading and writing and on that day, she typed through the tears so she could celebrate her birthday accordingly.
Some of the blogs have made me happy and put a smile on my face knowing that she is still enjoying her life but others have just absolutely broke my heart. Just as these two did, and I think that is because I have a personal connection with her and because I am more knowledgable about the disease now than I was when she first got diagnosed. Because I didn't know about how public she was with her life, I didn't want to bombard her with a million questions and emails. I am kind of upset that I didn't know about these personal entry's because I would have definitely done my case study over her to get on a personal level with someone. Anyways, I am going to keep up with her blog to the best of my abilities and continue my learning of ALS through her writings. I hope you check them out from the link below!
http://www.stategazette.com/blogs/2051
Sometime when I was finishing up high school Mrs. Alley was diagnosed with ALS/PMA. Long story short - our little town was heartbroken. Everyone knew her personally, or of her and we all shed many many tears. But through it all and still today, she's still the same vibrant and enthusiastic person I knew several years ago. She retired from her job as a teacher in 2015 and is now blogging about her personal experiences, feelings, living with ALS/PMS, and just general thoughts. She started blogging in 2016 (which I didn't know about until about a month ago) and has around 60+ posts. I unfortunately have only read 10-15 of them but I have a goal to finish them all because they are wonderful! One thing I love about her blogs is that despite her exhaustion and daily struggles, they aren't all she talks about. She moves past them. But I currently have two favorites, one really recent - "Birthday Trappings" and one from May 2016 - "Lasts". And they aren't my favorite because they have a dollop of daisy on top of them, but because they are raw. Both of these posts include emotional and physical details about her life and living with ALS. The one titled "Lasts" talks about just what you think it would. She talks about how having a disorder like ALS can make your lasts pretty vivid. She mentions the last time she walked without a cane, the last time she went to work, and the last time she drove. The one titled "Birthday Trappings" was about her 48th birthday, which just happened on June 3rd. In this one she includes a picture of what her view is from her bed, including her nightstand with her machine on it. She mentions that even though it is her birthday they keep their daily routine (they meaning her husband and son who live with her and take care of her). She enjoys oatmeal and coffee with her husband but then the crackling and wheezing begins. Her son has to hook her up to a coughing and suctioning machine to help her breath because her lungs are giving out on her. She then talks about how after all that is all over that is when she does her reading and writing and on that day, she typed through the tears so she could celebrate her birthday accordingly.
Some of the blogs have made me happy and put a smile on my face knowing that she is still enjoying her life but others have just absolutely broke my heart. Just as these two did, and I think that is because I have a personal connection with her and because I am more knowledgable about the disease now than I was when she first got diagnosed. Because I didn't know about how public she was with her life, I didn't want to bombard her with a million questions and emails. I am kind of upset that I didn't know about these personal entry's because I would have definitely done my case study over her to get on a personal level with someone. Anyways, I am going to keep up with her blog to the best of my abilities and continue my learning of ALS through her writings. I hope you check them out from the link below!
http://www.stategazette.com/blogs/2051
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