50 total hours

• 26 Hours of asynchronous academic work with videos,  12 Hours of interactive coursework via 2-hour weekly class meeting with Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes.
• 12 hours of supervision via a 2-hour weekly group supervision session with Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes.
• Required Text: TIP 41 Substance Abuse Treatment: Group Therapy
• Optional Text: TIP 57: Trauma-informed Care in Behavioral Health Services

Week 1

Group Counseling Introduction (2 Hours)

• Types of groups
• Differentiate between 12-step self-help groups and interpersonal process            
• Identify at least 10 advantages of group treatment

Trauma-Informed group practice (4 Hours)

• Creating safety
• Recognizing the impact of trauma on individual behaviors and reactions
• Group dynamics awareness

Week 2

Group Formation (2 Hours)

• Stages of group formation and stage-specific tasks
• Discuss how the client's stage of readiness for change affects group interventions

Group Counseling Skills and Interventions (2 Hours)

• Stages of treatment and goals for each stage
• Group counseling methods and skills 

Adult Learning Theory and Best Practices (2 Hours)

• Adult learning theory and learning styles
• Gamification in group therapy

Week 3

Group leadership (4 Hours)

• Concepts and techniques
• Facilitation skills including motivational enhancement and etiquette
• Using a structured curriculum to facilitate groups

Week 4

Communication skills (4 Hours)

• Empathy, active listening, rapport development
• Conflict management
• Emotion regulation and de-escalating runaway emotions

Week 5

Cultural Awareness (2 hours)

• Identify strategies for handling issues that arise when group norms and cultural values conflict
• Identify the six guidelines for clinicians on evaluating bias and prejudice

Discuss ways for increasing retention in groups (1 Hour)

Identify six of the most common errors the group leaders make and common group member fears (1 Hour)

Week 6

Group therapy ethics and confidentiality (2 Hours)

Group Documentation (2 Hours)

Final Written Exam

Objectives:

• Define closed, open and single-session groups
• Explore the benefits and challenges for each
• Identify the developmental phases for open groups
• Discuss the process and necessary skills for managing open-ended groups

Objectives

• Match clients with substance abuse treatment groups.
• Assess clients’ readiness to participate in group therapy.
• Determine clients’ needs for specialized groups
  

• Learn how to help patients set healthy boundaries and explore reasons for not maintaining those boundaries
• Explore techniques for teaching effective communication skills
  
• Review individual differences in time management strategies and help clients develop individualized plans
  

Based on Counselor Toolbox Episode 166 Interpersonal Skills

Objectives:

• The indications and contraindications for group therapy
• Types of groups
• Stages of group formation
• Group curative factors
• Therapist’s role in group
• Models of career counseling
• Career counseling assessment instruments

Objectives

• Define the basis of CBT
• Learn how to do a functional analysis
• Explore
• Problem solving
• Contracting
• Addressing Cognitive Distortions
• ABC-DE
• Cognitive Restructuring
• Cognitive Processing Therapy
• Acceptance and Commitment

Based on Counselor Toolbox Episode 169 CBT Group Activities and Interventions

Objectives

• Discuss the characteristics of group leaders.
  
• Describe concepts and techniques for conducting substance abuse treatment group therapy.

• Explore group counseling methods and skills
• Identify the five models of group therapy currently used in substance abuse treatment and the three other types of groups that can be integrated into the five models
• Differentiate between 12-step self-help groups and interpersonal process groups
• Identify at least 10 advantages of group treatment
• Identify the three modifications that need to be made to group treatment in order to improve its effectiveness in substance abuse settings
• Discuss how the client's stage of readiness for change affects the types of groups he or she will be in
• Describe the characteristics of each of the five group models used in substance abuse treatment
• Effectively match clients with appropriate groups
• Accurately assess client readiness for group primary placement considerations
• Identify as six dimensions assess for the ASAM patient placement criteria
• Identify the six levels of treatment identified by the ASAM patient placement criteria that
• Identify the three other criteria we should be considered when determining the patient's appropriateness for group therapy
• Identify the difference between culture, cultural knowledge, cultural awareness, and cultural competence
• Understand the components of the diversity wheel
• Identify strategies for handling issues that arise when group norms and cultural values conflict
• Identify the six guidelines for clinicians on the evaluating bias and prejudice
• Identify for techniques that can be helpful in providing substance abuse treatment to a culturally diverse groups
• Identify six guidelines for preparing the group for a new member from a racial or ethnic minority
• Discuss the benefits of fixed and revolving membership groups
• Identify the most effective ways to prepare client for participation in groups is that
• Be familiar with the recommended issues to discuss in pre-group interviews
• Discuss ways for increasing retention in groups
• Identify specific group tasks appropriate for each phase of the group
• Discuss how to convert conflict and resistance in the positive energy that powers the group's
• Explain how to deal with disruptive group members
• Explain how to cool down runaway affect or turn a crisis into an opportunity
• Identify six of the most common errors the group leaders make
• Describe four types of training that are recommended for group therapists

Objectives

• Review the benefits of groups 
• Identify the modalities for group
• Identify goals for psychoeducational and skills groups addressing anger, anxiety, addiction and depression
• Explore activities that can be used to enhance group engagement

Objectives

Goal: Provide an overview of group therapy used in substance abuse and mental health treatment. 

• Discuss the use of group therapy in substance abuse treatment. 
• Define five group therapy models used in substance abuse treatment. 
• Explain the advantages of group therapy. 
• Modify group therapy to treat substance abuse