How to Run a Support Group for an At-Risk Population

At-risk youth face many challenges. The term "at risk" may refer to multiple factors such as: emotional distress, problems at school or home, drug use and abuse, lack of social support and interactions with the law. These problems may put youth at risk of both self-harm or harm from the environment. Group therapy can help young people learn about themselves, improve social relationships, decrease feelings of isolation, depression and anxiety. It can also offer peer support and increase of social skills.

Instructions

• 1

  Choose a topic. There are a variety of topics that a support group for at-risk youth may cover. If the topic has not already been decided, it is important that it reflect the needs of the participants. It may be helpful to assess the needs of the students who will attend the group, and cater to these needs. For instance, if you work in a school with youth where drugs are a big problem, a substance recovery group would likely be appropriate.

• 2

  Do your research. Whatever the specific topic of the group, you should have a clear understanding and solid background, both of the topic itself as well as the best practice guidelines for conducting a group for at-risk youth on this topic.

• 3

  Make the structure and framework of the group clear in the first meeting. You should review the objectives of the group, when the group meets, the policy on attendance, behavior in group, how long sessions will be, and how many sessions will be held. Most group participants, including at-risk youth, are often nervous during the first meeting of any group, and for this reason it can be helpful to provide group rules and guidelines in writing. For youth groups, this will also provide caregivers with a copy of the rules, times and expectations of the group.

• 4

  Be flexible. Since all groups are made up of different individuals, their processes will be unique. As the clinician, it is important to be flexible and get a feel for the group as a whole. This may mean being willing to restructure the curricula for the group, or letting a conversation go off the designated topic if moving in that direction seems helpful.