Revision Approved by the Executive Board, January 22, 2000
Prepared by F. Robert Wilson and Lynn S. Rapin, Co-Chairs,
and Lynn Haley-Banez, Member, ASGW Standards Committee
Consultants: Robert K. Conyne and Donald E. Ward

Preamble

Core Training in Group Work. All counselors should possess a set of core competencies in general group work. The Association for Specialists in Group Work advocates for the incorporation of core group work competencies as part of required entry level training in all counselor preparation programs. The Association’s standards for core training are consistent with and provide further elaboration of the standards for accreditation of entry level counseling programs identified by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP, 1994). Mastery of the core competencies detailed in the ASGW training standards will prepare the counselor to understand group process phenomena and to function more effectively in groups in which the counselor is a member. Mastery of basic knowledge and skill in group work provides a foundation which specialty training can extend but does not qualify one to independently practice any group work specialty.

Specialist Training in Group Work. The independent practice of group work requires training beyond core competencies. ASGW advocates that independent practitioners of group work must possess advanced competencies relevant to the particular kind of group work practice in which the group work student wants to specialize (e.g., facilitation of task groups, group psychoeducation, group counseling, or group psychotherapy). To encourage program creativity in development of specialization training, the specialization guidelines do not prescribe minimum trainee competencies. Rather, the guidelines establish a framework within which programs can develop unique training experiences utilizing scientific foundations and best practices to achieve their training objectives. In providing these guidelines for specialized training, ASGW makes no presumption that a graduate program in counseling must provide training in a group work specialization nor that adequate training in a specialization can be accomplished solely within a well-rounded master’s degree program in counseling. To provide adequate specialization training, completion of post-master’s options such as certificates of post-master’s study or doctoral degrees may be required. Further, there is no presumption that an individual who may have received adequate training in a given declared specialization will be prepared to function effectively with all group situations in which the graduate may want to or be required to work. It is recognized that the characteristics of specific client populations and employment settings vary widely. Additional training beyond that which was acquired in a specific graduate program may be necessary for optimal, diversity-competent, group work practice with a given population in a given setting.

Group Work: is a broad professional practice involving the application of knowledge and skill in group facilitation to assist an interdependent collection of people to reach their mutual goals which may be intrapersonal, interpersonal, or work-related. The goals of the group may include the accomplishment of tasks related to work, education, personal development, personal and interpersonal problem solving, or remediation of mental and emotional disorders.

Core Training in Group Work: includes knowledge, skills, and experiences deemed necessary for general competency for all master’s degree prepared counselors. ASGW advocates for all counselor preparation programs to provide core training in group work regardless of whether the program intends to prepare trainees for independent practice in a group work specialization. Core training in group work is considered a necessary prerequisite for advanced practice in group work.

Specialization Training in Group Work: includes knowledge, skills, and experiences deemed necessary for counselors to engage in independent practice of group work. Four areas of advanced practice, referred to as specializations, are identified: Task Group Facilitation, Group Psychoeducation, Group Counseling, and Group Psychotherapy. This list is not presumed to be exhaustive and while there may be no sharp boundaries between the specializations, each has recognizable characteristics that have professional utility. The definitions for these group work specializations have been built upon the American Counseling Association’s model definition of counseling (adopted by the ACA Governing Council in 1997), describing the methods typical of the working stage of the group being defined and the typical purposes to which those methods are put and the typical populations served by those methods. Specialized training presumes mastery of prerequisite core knowledge, skills, and experiences.

Specialization in Task and Work Group Facilitation:

· The application of principles of normal human development and functioning

· through group based educational, developmental, and systemic strategies

· applied in the context of here-and-now interaction

· that promote efficient and effective accomplishment of group tasks

· among people who are gathered to accomplish group task goals.

Specialization in Psychoeducation Group Leadership:

· The application of principles of normal human development and functioning

· through group based educational and developmental strategies

· applied in the context of here-and-now interaction

· that promote personal and interpersonal growth and development and the prevention of future difficulties

· among people who may be at risk for the development of personal or interpersonal problems or who seek enhancement of personal qualities and abilities.

Specialization in Group Counseling:

· The application of principles of normal human development and functioning

· through group based cognitive, affective, behavioral, or systemic intervention strategies

· applied in the context of here-and-now interaction

· that address personal and interpersonal problems of living and promote personal and interpersonal growth and development

· among people who may be experiencing transitory maladjustment, who are at risk for the development of personal or interpersonal problems, or who seek enhancement of personal qualities and abilities.

Specialization in Group Psychotherapy:

· The application of principles of normal and abnormal human development and functioning

· through group based cognitive, affective, behavioral, or systemic intervention strategies

· applied in the context of negative emotional arousal

· that address personal and interpersonal problems of living, remediate perceptual and cognitive distortions or repetitive patterns of dysfunctional behavior, and promote personal and interpersonal growth and development

· among people who may be experiencing severe and/or chronic maladjustment.

I. Coursework and Experiential Requirements

Coursework Requirements.

Core training shall include at least one graduate course in group work that addresses such as but not limited to scope of practice, types of group work, group development, group process and dynamics, group leadership, and standards of training and practice for group workers.

Experiential Requirements.

Core training shall include a minimum of 10 clock hours (20 clock hours recommended) observation of and participation in a group experience as a group member and/or as a group leader.

A. Nature and Scope of Practice

1. Knowledge Objectives. Identify and describe:

a. the nature of group work and the various specializations within group work

b. theories of group work including commonalties and distinguishing characteristics among the various specializations within group work

c. research literature pertinent to group work and its specializations

2. Skill Objectives. Demonstrate skill in:

a. preparing a professional disclosure statement for practice in a chosen area of specialization

b. applying theoretical concepts and scientific findings to the design of a group and the interpretation of personal experiences in a group

B. Assessment of Group Members and the Social Systems in which they Live and Work

1. Knowledge Objectives. Identify and describe:

a. principles of assessment of group functioning in group work

b. use of personal contextual factors (e.g., family-of-origin, neighborhood-of-residence, organizational membership, cultural membership) in interpreting behavior of members in a group

2. Skill Objectives. Demonstrate skill in:

a. observing and identifying group process

b. observing the personal characteristics of individual members in a group

c. developing hypotheses about the behavior of group members

d. employing contextual factors (e.g., family of origin, neighborhood of residence, organizational membership, cultural membership) in interpretation of individual and group data

C. Planning Group Interventions

1. Knowledge Objectives. Identify and describe:

a. environmental contexts, which affect planning for, group interventions

b. the impact of group member diversity (e.g., gender, culture, learning style, group climate preference) on group member behavior and group process and dynamics in group work

c. principles of planning for group work

2. Skill Objectives. Demonstrate skill in:

a. collaborative consultation with targeted populations to enhance ecological validity of planned group interventions

b. planning for a group work activity including such aspects as developing overarching purpose, establishing goals and objectives, detailing methods to be used in achieving goals and objectives, determining methods for outcome assessment, and verifying ecological validity of plan

D. Implementation of Group Interventions

1. Knowledge Objectives. Identify and describe:

a. principles of group formation including recruiting, screening, and selecting group members

b. principles for effective performance of group leadership functions

c. therapeutic factors within group work and when group work approaches are indicated and contraindicated

d. principles of group dynamics including group process components, developmental stage theories, group member roles, group member behaviors

2. Skill Objectives. Demonstrate skill in:

a. encouraging participation of group members

b. attending to, describing, acknowledging, confronting, understanding, and responding empathically to group member behavior

c. attending to, acknowledging, clarifying, summarizing, confronting, and responding empathically to group member statements

d. attending to, acknowledging, clarifying, summarizing, confronting, and responding empathically to group themes

e. eliciting information from and imparting information to group members

f. providing appropriate self-disclosure

g. maintaining group focus; keeping a group on task

h. giving and receiving feedback in a group setting

E. Leadership and Co-Leadership

1. Knowledge Objectives. Identify and describe:

a. group leadership styles and approaches

b. group work methods including group worker orientations and specialized group leadership behaviors

c. principles of collaborative group processing

2. Skill Objectives. To the extent opportunities for leadership or co-leadership are provided, demonstrate skill in:

a. engaging in reflective evaluation of one’s personal leadership style and approach

b. working cooperatively with a co-leader and/or group members

c. engaging in collaborative group processing.

F. Evaluation

1. Knowledge Objectives. Identify and describe:

a. methods for evaluating group process in group work

b. methods for evaluating outcomes in group work

2. Skill Objectives. Demonstrate skill in:

a. contributing to evaluation activities during group participation

b. engaging in self-evaluation of personally selected performance goals

G. Ethical Practice, Best Practice, Diversity-Competent Practice

1. Knowledge Objectives. Identify and describe:

a. ethical considerations unique to group work

b. best practices in group work

c. diversity competent group work

2. Skill Objectives. Demonstrate skill in:

a. evidencing ethical practice in planning, observing, and participating in group activities

b. evidencing best practice in planning, observing, and participating in group activities

c. evidencing diversity-competent practice in planning, observing, and participating in group activities

A. The program has a clearly specified philosophy of training for the preparation of specialists for independent practice of group work in one of the forms of group work recognized by the Association (i.e., task and work group facilitation, group psychoeducation, group counseling, or group psychotherapy).

1. The program states an explicit intent to train group workers in one or more of the group work specializations.

2. The program states an explicit philosophy of training, based on the science of group work, by which it intends to prepare students for independent practice in the declared specialization(s).

B. For each declared specialization, the program specifies education and training objectives in terms of the competencies expected of students completing the specialization training. These competencies are consistent with

1. the program’s philosophy and training model,

2. the substantive area(s) relevant for best practice of the declared specialization area, and

3. standards for competent, ethical, and diversity sensitive practice of group work

C. For each declared specialization, the program specifies a sequential, cumulative curriculum, expanding in breadth and depth, and designed to prepare students for independent practice of the specialization and relevant credentialing.

D. For each declared specialization, the program documents achievement of training objectives in terms of student competencies.

A. Coursework. Specialization training may include coursework which provide the student with a broad foundation in the group work domain in which the student seeks specialized training:

1. Task/Work Group Facilitation: coursework includes but is not limited to organizational development, management, and consultation, theory and practice of task/work group facilitation

2. Group Psychoeducation: coursework includes but is not limited to organizational development, school and community counseling/psychology, health promotion, marketing, program development and evaluation, organizational consultation, theory and practice of group psychoeducation

3. Group Counseling: coursework includes but is not limited to normal human development, health promotion, theory and practice of group counseling

4. Group Psychotherapy: coursework includes but is not be limited to normal and abnormal human development, assessment and diagnosis of mental and emotional disorders, treatment of psychopathology, theory and practice of group psychotherapy

B. Experience. Specialization training includes

1. Task/Work Group Facilitation: a minimum of 30 clock hours (45 clock hours recommended) supervised practice facilitating or conducting an intervention with a task or work group appropriate to the age and clientele of the group leader’s specialty area (e.g., school counseling, student development counseling, community counseling, mental health counseling)

2. Group Psychoeducation: a minimum of 30 clock hours (45 clock hours recommended) supervised practice conducting a psychoeducation group appropriate to the age and clientele of the group leader’s specialty area (e.g., school counseling, student development counseling, community counseling, mental health counseling)

3. Group Counseling: a minimum of 45 clock hours (60 clock hours recommended) supervised practice conducting a counseling group appropriate to the age and clientele of the group leader’s specialty area (e.g., school counseling, student development counseling, community counseling, mental health counseling)

Group Psychotherapy: a minimum of 45 clock hours (60 clock hours recommended) supervised practice conducting a psychotherapy group appropriate to the age and clientele of the group leader’s specialty area (e.g., mental health counseling)

In achieving its objectives, the program has and implements a clear and coherent curriculum plan that provides the means whereby all students can acquire and demonstrate substantial understanding of and competence in the following areas:

A. Nature and Scope of Practice

The program states a clear expectation that its students will limit their independent practice of group work to those specialization areas for which they have been appropriately trained and supervised.

B. Assessment of Group Members and the Social Systems in Which they Live and Work

All graduates of specialization training will understand and demonstrate competence in the use of assessment instruments and methodologies for assessing individual group member characteristics and group development, group dynamics, and process phenomena relevant for the program’s declared specialization area(s). Studies should include but are not limited to:

1. methods of screening and assessment of populations, groups, and individual members who are or may be targeted for intervention

2. methods for observation of group member behavior during group interventions

3. methods of assessment of group development, process, and outcomes

C. Planning Group Interventions

All graduates of specialization training will understand and demonstrate competence in planning group interventions consistent with the program’s declared specialization area(s). Studies should include but are not limited to:

1. establishing the overarching purpose for the intervention

2. identifying goals and objectives for the intervention

3. detailing methods to be employed in achieving goals and objectives during the intervention

4. selecting methods for examining group process during group meetings, between group sessions, and at the completion of the group intervention

5. preparing methods for helping members derive meaning from their within-group experiences and transfer within-group learning to real-world circumstances

6. determining methods for measuring outcomes during and following the intervention

7. verifying ecological validity of plans for the intervention

All graduates of specialization training will understand and demonstrate competence in implementing group interventions consistent with the program’s declared specialization area(s). Studies should include but are not limited to:

1. principles of group formation including recruiting, screening, selection, and orientation of group members

2. standard methods and procedures for group facilitation

3. selection and use of referral sources appropriate to the declared specialization

4. identifying and responding constructively to extra-group factors which may influence the success of interventions

5. applying the major strategies, techniques, and procedures

6. adjusting group pacing relative to the stage of group development

7. identifying and responding constructively to critical incidents

8. identifying and responding constructively to disruptive members

9. helping group members attribute meaning to and integrate and apply learning

10. responding constructively to psychological emergencies

11. involving group members in within group session processing and on-going planning

E. Leadership and Co-Leadership

All graduates of specialization training will understand and demonstrate competence in pursuing personal competence as a leader and in selecting and managing the interpersonal relationship with a co-leader for group interventions consistent with the program’s declared specialization area(s). Studies should include but are not limited to:

1. characteristics and skills of effective leaders

2. relationship skills required of effective co-leaders

3. processing skills required of effective co-leaders

F. Evaluation

All graduates of specialization training will understand and demonstrate competence in evaluating group interventions consistent with the program’s declared specialization area(s). Studies should include but are not limited to methods for evaluating participant outcomes and participant satisfaction.

G. Ethical Practice, Best Practice, Diversity-Competent Practice

All graduates of specialization training will understand and demonstrate consistent effort to comply with principles of ethical, best practice, and diversity-competent practice of group work consistent with the program’s declared specialization area(s). Studies should include but are not limited to:

1. ethical considerations unique to the program’s declared specialization area

2. best practices for group work within the program’s declared specialization area

3. diversity issues unique to the program’s declared specialization area

Content Instruction

· principles of group dynamics including group process components, developmental stage theories, and group member’s roles and behaviors;

· group leadership styles and approaches including characteristics of various types of group leaders and leadership styles;

· theories of group counseling including commonalties, distinguishing characteristics, and pertinent research and literature;

· group work methods including group leader orientations and behaviors, ethical standards, appropriate selection criteria and methods, and methods of evaluating effectiveness;

· approaches used for other types of group work, including task groups, prevention groups, support groups, and therapy groups; and,

· skills in observing member behavior and group process, empathic responding, confronting, self-disclosing, focusing, protecting, recruiting and selecting members, opening and closing sessions, managing, explicit and implicit teaching, modeling, giving and receiving feedback

Clinical Instruction

Content Instruction

· Task Group Facilitation: course work in such areas as organization development, consultation, management, or sociology so students gain a basic understanding of organizations and how task groups function within them.

· Group Psychoeducation: course work in community psychology, consultation, health promotion, marketing, curriculum design to prepare students to conduct structured consciousness raising and skill training groups in such areas as stress management, wellness, anger control and assertiveness training, problem solving.

· Group Counseling: course work in normal human development, family development and family counseling, assessment and problem identification of problems in living, individual counseling, and group counseling, including training experiences in personal growth or counseling group.

· Group Psychotherapy: coursework in abnormal human development, family pathology and family therapy, assessment and diagnosis of mental and emotional disorders, individual therapy, and group therapy, including training experiences in a therapy group.

Clinical Instruction

· Master’s Practicum: At least 10 clock hours of the required 40 clock hours of direct service should be spent in supervised leadership or co-leadership experience in group work, typically in Task Group Facilitation, Group Psychoeducation, or Group Counseling (at the master’s practicum level, experience in Group Psychotherapy would be unusual) (CACREP, 1994; Standard III.H.1).

· Master’s Internship: At least 60 clock hours of the required 240 clock hours of direct services should be spent in supervised leadership or co-leadership in group work consistent with the program’s specialization offering(s) (i.e., in Task Group Facilitation, Group Psychoeducation, Group Counseling, or Group Psychotherapy).

· Doctoral Internship: At least 150 clock hours of the required 600 clock hours of direct service should be spent in supervised leadership or co-leadership in group work consistent with the program’s specialization offering(s) (i.e., in Task Group Facilitation, Group Psychoeducation, Group Counseling, or Group Psychotherapy).