**The primary task of the facilitator during the
middle stage is to help members accomplish
the goals they have contracted to achieve.

After an initial period of testing, conflict,
and adjustment by members, the main
focus of the middle stage turns to goal
achievement.

During the middle stage groups are
focused on accomplishing goals,
objectives and tasks developed earlier in
the group.

During this stage, the facilitator regularly
assesses goal attainment work and helps
members make changes based on
assessment of:
› The group’s development (DYNAMICS)
› The changing needs of members (INTRA,
INTER, ENVIRONMENT)
› The changing demands of the SOCIAL
ENVIRONMENT in which the group functions

The Middle Stage is a continual cycle of:
 ASSESSMENT
 MODIFICATION
 REASSESSMENT






Preparing for group meetings
Structuring the group’s work
Involving and empowering members
Helping members to achieve goals
Working with reluctant and resistant
members
Monitoring and evaluating the group’s
progress
Prepare an agenda
 Program materials – activities, games,
and exercises designed for fun/interest
and goal attainment (also provides
medium for assessment) see fig. 9.1
 Review recordings of previous meetings
and data from other sources
 Visualizing how meeting should be
conducted


Structure is the use of planned, systemic,
time-limited interventions and program
activities.
The degree of structure in a group can be
variable.
› Pro: Structure is an efficient means to learn new
skills and helps provide consistency, safety, etc.
› Con: Less structure allows more group
interaction and ownership

During the middle stage, a facilitator can
perform a variety of activities to structure
a group’s work:
 Inform members about beginning and
ending group on time (manage
“doorknob” communications)
 Give attention apportioning time for
ending meetings and providing summary
of session
 Set verbal or written agendas – allow
member input when preparing and
presenting
 Establish and maintain orderly
communication and interaction patterns
 Help members progress towards their goal
– determine how much time should be
spent on each member’s goal
 Attend to smooth transitions between
group activities
 Focus on multi-level interventions:
 Individual (INTER, INTRA, ENVIRONMENT)
 Group-as-a-whole (GROUP DYNAMICS)
 External environment
**The ultimate goal of system interventions
is to empower members so that they can
take charge of their own lives both within
the intervention process (in this case, the
group) and outside of it.






Show belief in members’ strengths
Acknowledge difficulties and obstacles
Let members know they have a stake in the
content and direction of the group
Praise members for reaching out to one
another
Encourage members to try out new
behaviors and actions within and outside of
the group
Program activities

A portion of a treatment group’s work
should always be devoted to maintaining
a group’s optimal functioning – attending
to the group’s DYNAMICS (Cohesion, Culture,
Social Control Mechanisms, & Communication and
Interaction Patterns) – but MOST of an
effective group’s time during the middle
stage should be focused on HELPING
MEMBERS ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS.

Contracting for treatment goals is an
evolving process:
› Tentative agreement/contract during
planning stage
› Contract reaffirmed and made more
concrete during the beginning stage
› Focus of middle stage is on carrying out
developed goals and contracts – secondary
contracts may be developed

HELP MEMBERS MAINTAIN THEIR AWARENESS
OF THE GOALS THEY IDENTIFIED AND AGREED
TO WORK ON IN THE BEGINNING STAGE
› Facilitators should never assume that
members remain aware of their goals as the
group progresses
› Develop a process for reviewing treatment
goals and contracts:
 It is a good practice to go round the group at
the beginning of each session to review these
and identify accomplishments and/or obstacles

DEVELOPING TREATMENT PLANS (a
continuation of goal-setting)
› For the group-as-a-whole
› For the individual
 Enlist support of all group members - “helpertherapy” principle
 Guided group discussion on specifics
 Exploration of alternatives
 Assess for additional information
 Creation of tasks to accomplish goals –
between and in meetings

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES TO MEMBERS’
WORK
› “Demand for work”
› Careful analysis of goal/contract
› Increasing member motivation
› Use of “how” or “what” questions (avoid
“why”)
› Help members decide which action to take

Use of five intervention roles” (pg. 272)
› Enabler
› Broker
› Mediator
› Advocate
› Educator
Point out consequences of refusal
 Clarify non-negotiable aspects of
participation
 Develop non-judgmental, accepting,
and safe group environment
 Assess members’ motivation for being
there

Adopt a position that maximizes
members’ sense of control and expertise
 Acknowledge members’ feelings and
reactions to being in the group
 Reframe resistance- acknowledge anger
 Assess source of resistance (Worker,
Client, Environment)
 Avoid moralizing or blaming

Use “I” statements
 Use constructive confrontations
 Allow member to member confrontation

(but don’t expect too early in the group and be
prepared to intervene if it is not done
constructively)
Monitoring and evaluating progress
provides feed-back for workers and
members, which is useful in developing,
modifying, and changing treatment
plans.
It is also helpful for maintaining the
functioning of the group-as-a-whole.

Information should be systematically
solicited, collected, and acted on.

Evaluation forms are one of the most
commonly used methods of obtaining
feedback and can be used to assess:
› Facilitator
› Individual
› Group-as-a-whole