Separating Announcements from Plans
Hi there,
We run a number of parent groups through our program, which is in a tertiary level multidisciplinary outpatient setting. We see complex cases with lots of comorbidities and family systems issues. We get a lot of referrals related to parent accommodation, and so have recently been implementing SPACE in a group setting.
I am curious if anyone has thoughts on separating the announcement stage from the planning stage, so as not to overwhelm caregivers all at once? We have been doing this based on our initial readings of SPACE protocols, but have found that some caregivers are keen to know what the plan is, before they make the announcement. It also seems that this is what is currently recommended (based on the therapist workshop, which I recently attended). It seems that community cases (e.g., those with more straightforward anxiety and in families with adequate parental capacity) may be able to essentially combine those steps, but I am wondering if these steps were initially designed to be treated separately, and if so, for what reasons (e.g., not overwhelming caregivers).
Grateful for any thoughts -- thanks!
Drew
Hi Kristen,
Many thanks for your reply and helpful thoughts. We have run 2 groups so far; 1 with 12 families and 1 with only 5. Both groups have had 6, 90-minute sessions. Our families continue with individual therapy afterwards (and often conjointly alongside groups), and so we have not spent too much time in the group on implementation (instead leaving this for individual therapy), but we are considering the shortcomings of this approach. That is helpful to hear your experiences structuring the plans and announcements in the way your described, and I think we will plan to allot more time and to restructure accordingly. We have an EFFT group that families often take before SPACE, which segues well with the notion of increasing support (as this overlaps with emotion validation, which is covered in EFFT).
Best of luck with your current and future groups as well :)
Drew