Group Culture Analysis: Narcotics Anonymous (NA) Meeting

Group Culture Analysis: Narcotics Anonymous (NA) Meeting Certificate in Drugs Counselling, Theory and Intervention Skills. Eamonn Keogh In this case study we will look at the inner workings of a group that I was involved in. This paper will be broken into four different sections. In the first section I will give a description of the group covering: the context; the setting; frequency and length of the group; finishing with a description of my role within the group. The second sections will identity the group culture. In this I will explain what the group norms and belief systems are. My feeling around being a member of this group will also be discussed in this section. The third section will be a reflection on the efficacy of the group. The main points in this section are what does/does not work well in the group and why; is the group addressing its task; what do I think could improve the group. In the final section I will be pointing out the key learnings I got for this module and how would I put this learning into practice. Description of the Group: The group being used in this case study is a step meeting of Narcotics Anonymous (NA). NA is an international community based organisation for recovering drug addicts. Na members learn from each other how to live a drug-free life and recover from the effects of addiction in their lives. NA’s primary approach to recovery is its belief in the therapeutic value of one addict helping another. Members take part in NA meetings by talking about their experiences and recovery from drug addiction. The NA programme is one of complete abstinence from all drugs, including alcohol. The only requirement for membership is the desire to stop using. The core of the NA programme is the twelve steps. These steps are a set of guidelines outlining a practical approach to recovery. Apart from the regular meetings there are also step meeting in the NA programme. I’m going to use the step meetings for this case study. The task of step meetings is to broaden its member’s knowledge of eac h of the twelve steps. The format of these groups is one step is covered each week starting with 1 finishing with 12. The meeting lasts one hour. The room is set out with all the chairs in a circle so each member is able to see each other. One benefit of this is that there is a sense of belonging and togetherness. A NA moto about why they are in a circle is â€Å"that no addict will stand alone.† At the start of the meeting one person will open up the meeting and give their experience, strength and hope around the particular step being covered that night. This opening is called a ‘chair’. The person that gives the chair is someone that has completed this step previously and has in excess of six months clean time. The chair will last up to 15min long. When the chair is finished the other members of the group will share their experiences and knowledge of the step or identify with what the person giving the chair said. This ties in nicely with the ethos of NA that o ne member helping another. I have a couple of roles to play in this group. Firstly I’m a member going to the group to learn about of each of the steps individual and to broaden my knowledge around my own recovery. The second role I will fill in this group is that of the person giving the chair at the start of the meeting. Identification of Group Culture: As pointed out by Chase (2013) the group’s culture underlies all of its behaviours and actions. The culture of groups is constantly developing as it adapts to each new situation or event it confronts and to the needs of the group and its members. The group’s culture is an abstinence based group. In my group each member has a common intellectual purpose for being together and that is to gain greater knowledge of the step involved on the night and the NA programme as a whole. The artefacts used in these meeting would be the ‘Big Book’ and a step working guide. Both of these were developed over time by members for members using collective knowledge they acquired over the years. Some of the group norms are as follow: Each member in the group is given a chance to talk: The last 10 minutes of the meeting is given up to new members or people that have less than 90 days clean time: Speak honestly and with consideration and respect of others and their efforts: Maint ain confidentiality: Members will place phones on silent: Members will listen to each other and not interrupt. With the NA programme being a spiritual programme, the main belief involved with NA is the belief in a higher power. NA is not a religious organisation. Each member can choose their own higher power. Some examples are the god we grew up with, the group itself, past family member. The belief in a higher power is that a power greater than ourselves can restore us to sanity. As a whole the behaviour in the groups is good. Members respect each other and where they are in their own recovery. There is a great sense of comradery and concern for each other. The ethos of the step meeting leads itself towards this in the way the person that does the chair is trying to help the newer members, that haven’t taking that step yet, gain a greater knowledge of the step or to get someone who has to maybe look at that step in a different light. If there are conflicts or members become unhappy with the way the group is developing they have a medium in group contions. This is held once a month and members get to address any concerns they have around the meeting as a whole. This is a very important tool in making sure the group guidelines are being followed and the group is achieving its goal. Some of the benefits of being an active member of this group are I feel very comfortable in the group. I get great support from the group and its members. I feel like I belong to the group and my voice is heard. Having completed the 12 steps I felt a sense of achievement and spurred me on to do the chair which was extremely humbling. Reflection on the efficacy of the group: When thinking what works well in my group Weegman (2004) make a valid point that â€Å"Group members learn they can help each other identify and modify in self and others their tendency to be unaware, deny, or remain oblivious to their pain, suffering, defences and the costly nature of their addictive solutions.† This is one of key strengths of the group. The nature of the group is that one member does the chair and explains their experience, strength and hope surrounding the step being covered that night. One member passing knowledge gained to another. This can get members to thinking about their issues in a different light or take action similar to that taken by the person that done the chair. A bond of togetherness comes from this and this is one of the main reasons that N.A. meeting stay together. Yalom (1985) points out the therapeutic factors in group work. I can see my group putting some of these factors into practice and benefiting from them. Instillation of hope is the first one and plays a big role in my group. This is evident even in the literature we read as it was written by member years ago who to this day are still clean and sober. This is helpful with new members as they can see that recovery is possible. Universality is major a factor in helping the members feel part of the g roup. After hearing other members share concerns similar to their own, members report feeling more in touch with the group and they don’t feel alone. Development of socialising techniques is another therapeutic factor pointed out by Yalom that the group often represents members the first opportunity for accurate interpersonal feedback. It can also point out a variety of social habits which, unbeknown to the member, have been undermining their social relationships. More senior members develop their social skills and have learned how to be helpfully responsive to other and acquire methods of conflict resolution. The reasonability of the group addressing its task lies with the group itself because any decisions or issues about the group are discussed and teased out in group concions. The secretory of the meeting is also decided here. I feel the group is addressing its task as the secretory chooses someone who has completed the step already to give the chair. The chair sets the tone of the meeting surrounding the step being covered in that meeting. Having pointed out some of the factors that help the group I will now point out some of the factors that hinder the function of the group. As the only requirement for membership is the desire to stop using from time to time members can come in under the influence of drugs. Due to the chaotic nature of drugs someone under the influence can cause a big hindrance to the group on a number of levels. Firstly the disturbance caused but also it can trigger something off in someone that makes them believe drugs are attractive again. Another hindrance to the group as pointed out by Hough (1998), the conflict stage, members jostle with positions and roles and sub-groups may form. When this happens members tend to be judgmental, critical and advice is freely offered without any real understanding of the problems which people have. The step meeting are a crucial part of the N.A. programme and if these two areas could be addressed and resolved I think the group could improve to reach higher goals than it is already achieving. Identification of key learning from the module: I’ve grained a lot from this module. One of the key areas of learning came in the first couple of sessions regarding the necessary decisions when planning a group. Up to now any involvement I’ve had with a group was in a group that was already set up when I joined. I’ve learned that the setting up of an effective group can cause as much stress as the running of a group. I can put this learning into practice as the youth projects I work in are setting up a stabilisation programme. Group therapy is an important factor of the programme with 3 sessions a week. As a result of my learning I feel comfortable I my ability to assist the project in taking the necessary steps when setting up the group. Moving on from the process of setting up the group the next area of key learning was the development of the group. Having watched the group develop and go through the five stages pointed out by Hough (1998) as we learnt them was very interesting. Again going forward the knowl edge of these five stages ranging from anxiety to closure will put me at ease when I observe the group going through them. I fell without both facilitator prior knowledge of the development stages of a group it would be very hard for the group to address its task even from the start. The final key learning for me was how the group dealt with absenteeism and the working out of this issue. The group was angry at first with the members that had missed a group but by working through it and voicing the anger the group was able to move on. It was decided that an empty chair be left in for the member that was missing. It was profound the effect the empty chair had on the group. The group member was nearly noticed more in the empty chair than if they were sitting in the group. I feel this is valuable and effective tool to have when working in a group setting. This learning is something that I will use in the stabilisation programme being set up in my work place. With this knowledge I will b e able to implement the empty chair from the beginning of the group so the clients won’t have to experience the anger which was felt in the experiential group . I’ve also had a huge insight as to what way I am in a silence. What way do I internalise this silence and what have I learnt from it. In the first couple of groups there were a few silences and unknown to me my taught would drift away. It was only when asked about the silence and what I was thinking that I realised that my taught were always on other people and things never about myself. For me this was very interesting and showed me that I had some personal stuff still to work through. Having worked through it and realised that it was an old trait of mine to protect myself when I was in active addiction. Another benefit from this insight going forward in my practise is that counter transference won’t be as big an issue for me having done this module and acted on the learning. Bibliography Chase, R.S (2013) Elements of Effective Communication, 4th Edition, Plain and Precious Publishing, Washington. Hough, M. (1998) Counselling Skills and Theory. Hodder and Staunton London. Chapter Nine: The Group Context. Part two pages 213-226 Yalom, I (1985) the Theory and Practise of Group Psychotherapy 3rd Edition Basic Books: USA. Chapter One: Therapeutic Factors in Group Therapy. Yalom, I (1985) The Theory and Practise of Group Psychotherapy 3rd Edition Basic Books: USA. Chapter Eleven: In the Beginning

The Relatioship Between Mental Illness and Child Abuse Essay -- Violen

Child abuse affects millions of children every year. Child abuse is defined as â€Å"the hurting or causing harm to a child† (Stewart, 2003, p. 6). Most people do not understand why a parent would want to hurt their children. â€Å"The general belief is that parents who maltreat their children are pathological and certainly not like us† (Polonko, 2005). It is not just parents that abuse the children it is also teachers, babysitters, and daycare workers (Stewart, 2003). Lingern (2008) reported the following: Child abuse was not recognized as a serious problem in the United States until the 1960s. The number of cases reported has increased each year since 1976, when statistics were first kept. In 2004 almost 1.9 million child abuse and neglect cases were reported in the US. Of those reported, nearly 80% of perpetrators were parents. The most common types of child abuse are physical abuse, mental maltreatment and neglect, and sexual abuse (Olive, 2007). â€Å"Physical abuse includes scalding, beatings with an object, severe physical punishment, and a rare form of the abuse called Munchausen by proxy† (National Research Council, 1993, p. 59). Mental abuse is when there is a â€Å"continuing pattern of parental behavior that is psychologically destructive to the child† (Olive, 2007, p. 67). Neglect happens when a child is â€Å"ignored or left alone so much that their well-being is endangered, yet the parent is able, but fails to provide for their basic needs.† (Olive, 2007, p. 67). Lastly, the most unreported type of child abuse is sexual child abuse. Sexual child abuse is â€Å"sexual activity between an adult and a child that is initiated by the adult, and from which the adult receives some sort of sexual gratification† (Olive, 2007, p. 78). ... ...(2007). Child abuse and stress disorders. New York: Infobase. National Research Council. (1993). Understanding child abuse and neglect. Washington D.C.: National Academies Press Polonko, K. (2005). Child abuse and neglect: The need for courage. Retrieved Febraury 20, 2011 from Old Dominion University, Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice’s website: http://odu.edu/ao/instady/quest/ChildAbuse.html Rinaldi, J. (2009, October 5). Mom’s depression tied to child abuse in some families. Reuters News Agency. Retrieved February 20, 2011 from http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/10/05/us-depression-abuse- idUSTRE59455Z20091005 Stewart, G. B. (2003). Understanding issues: Child abuse. Farmington Hills, MI: KidHaven Press. Thurston, C. (2006). Child abuse: recognition of causes and types of abuse. Practice Nurse, 31, 51-57. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Women participation in US public Sector/Government

Research on the male-female balance in numbers, power and opportunities in the government and public sector has included several works and research that highlight the dwindling and adverse ratios in female/male working proportions, status and conditions in the US over the decades, which is also observed as a world wide trend. This is in line with the traditional bias against the female worker that has characterized the world employment scenario for the last several years. Notable works that throw light in this regard are that of Mary E. Guy’s Three Steps Forward, Two Steps Backward: The Status of Women’s Integration into Public Management (1993). Guy wrote, â€Å"When tracing women’s integration into public management, we see pattern of rapid progress in the middle and late 1970s, followed by a period of quiescence in the mid-1980s. The late 1980 and early 1990s, however, are showing enhanced progress again. † Still, â€Å"women occupy the lower rungs on the agency ladders and men occupy the upper rungs,† she wrote (Guy,1993. ) Research and data collected in later years by 2 arious agencies such as the US Department of Labor, the Census Bureau, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission have corroborated similar viewpoints. Table I below clearly displays the trend of female/male composition in federal employment. Table I Composition of Federal Work Force – Ten-Year Trend: Some Progress, Little Overall Change FY 1997 – FY 2006[5] Work Force Participation Rate 2000 CLF FY 2006 FY 1997 % FY 2006 % Men 1,487,030 58. 35 56. 94 53. 20 Women 1,124,463 41. 65 43. 06 46. 80 As compared to 1997 there is a minor increase in female employment from 41. 65% in 1997 to 43. 6% in 2006. The positions in which women work have a strong influence on their earnings, facilities and career growth opportunities. Women in managerial positions have greater job flexibility as compared to those in lower service jobs. In some states and departments in the US, employment in managerial 3 positions varies by race and et hnicity, however much anti discriminatory policies may have been put in place. Amongst women, only 25% of managerial positions were occupied by American African women while white women held 41% of such positions. Overall, women earn 85. 5% of what men earn. A majority of women still continue to work in traditionally women’s occupations. In this regard recently released Census data collected by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research clearly indicated that workplace payment gap between women and men is gradually getting bad as compared to earlier times. Between 2003 and 2006 the median annual earnings for women workers in government reduced by 0. 6% at $ 35000 while that for men was almost unchanged at $ 44000. However the overall situation has improved since 1960, when the average American woman earned 60 cents against every dollar earned by the American male. Presently the situation has improved to a woman earning about 85 cents against a dollar earned by a man. It can be seen that status of women has improved in general and particularly in the federal government as also evedenced from census figures. Major contributors for this have been the gradual changes made in law, social and business practices. Moreover the US ec onomy has grown more than five times since then whereby more 4 opportunities for women have been created. Jobs have also shifted from physical tasks to cognitive and calibre related functions thus opening wider avenues for women. Measured by 1960 standards the overall status of the American woman has improved considerably, but they have not got their due proportional share in as much as the economy has grown. In this context an additional observation is the fact that women and most minorities in the US as also in most parts of the world represent a higher percentage of employees at lower levels in any department or undertaking of the government while being absolutely underrepresented at the higher end of the ladder, implying that a very small percentage of women make it to the top positions of the government and public sector undertakings. This is clearly evident from Table II 5 Table II Senior Pay Level Representation FY 1997 / FY 2006 Senior Pay Level Positions FY 1997 FY 2006 Number % of SPL Number % of SPL Total SPL Work Force 15,381 20,070 Men 12,124 78. 83 14,814 73. 81 Women 3,257 21. 17 5,256 26. 19 It can be seen that in 1997 there were 21. 17% women occupying the senior positions while in 2006 the position improved marginally only to 26. 19% The Federal work force has for decades reflected patterns that show disproportionately high numbers of women in lower ranks in the public ector and government departments. Similarly there is lot of disproportion in the number of women occupying higher positions. In 2005, only 6. 2% of federally employed women were occupying positions ranked as upper middle management positions (General Schedule [GS]-13 and above). Comparitively male representation was as much as four times higher with 28% of all males employed in the upper level of GS-13 and above. 6 This is often referre d to as the glass ceiling concept and has become an important tool to understand working environment particularly in the American working context. Significantly the Civil Rights Act of 1991 established the Federal Glass Ceiling Commission which was entrusted the task of assessing the barriers that hindered the advancement of women to top ranking decision making positions. It also set into motion measures that would hinder such discrimination. Discrimination issues based on gender have long been a subject of debate at various forums internationally and was strongly taken up in the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and in Civil Rights Act of 1964. However it was soon realised by the mid 1980s that although massive changes took place in the emographic, social, and legal aspects of the US society, such discrimination on the basis of gender continued to exist. Hymowitz and Schellhardt used the term glass ceiling to describe this discrimination in 1986. The few women who managed to rise due to their calibre were also blocked by barriers of strongly embedded disrimination practices that continued to exist and they consequently could not break through the glass ceiling. 7 One particular aspect of gender disparity in lowering the status of women workers is the strong pattern in disparity of pay and benefits as figured from he data available from US Federal salary data for positions primarily occupied by females. Figures available from the Department of Labor show that in 2005 the hourly earnings of women were only 76. 5% as compared to men. It is primarily for this reason that women have started to opt out of bureaucratic employment towards entrepreneurship and other part time work. Table III validates the findings of the federal government census. Table III Federal Wage System (FWS) Representation FY 1997 / FY 2006 Federal Wage System (FWS) P ositions FY 1997 FY 2006 Number % of FWS Number % of FWS Total FWS Work Force 243,343 194,858 Men 217,573 89. 41 173,389 88. 98 Women 25,770 10. 59 21,469 11. 02 8 In the light of these stark revelations the Federal government has taken steps to remove the imbalance in gender employment by attempting to make equal opportunity a possibility for women. All government departments have been asked to devise a strategy and adopt policies to remove the glass ceiling that has been pulling back women from rising higher in their careers and to award them with senior management and decision making positions. A strong measure for gender inequality is the salary levels that differentiate the positions occupied by males and females. Data proves that on an average males earn more than females in the federal government. The average salary for male managers in FY 2005 was $45,300; and for females, $35,300. Thus as an average female employees made about 84. 7% of the salary made by her male counterpart. Since Federal pay scales are never based on gender, they are obviously different due to lower ranks occupied by women. It is also clear that majority of the higher positions are occupied by men. Women occupy 1/3 rd positions below the GS-12 level and only 1/6th of positions above G-13 levels thus implying that majority of women are clustered in the lower echelons of the heirarchy. Table IV below illustrates the percentage details of high ranking women with various government agencies. 9 Significantly and in contrast it can be seen that women occupy 75% and 66. 67% of the top positions with the Defense Security Service and Defense Human Resource Activity respectively. Table IV Ranking of Agencies with the Highest Percentage of Women in Senior Pay Level Positions in FY 2006 (Agencies With 500 Or More Employees) Agency Total Work Force # SPL # Women in Senior Pay Level Positions # % Defense Security Service 544 4 3 75. 00 Defense Human Resource Activity 880 12 8 66. 67 Corp. for National and Community Service 558 19 10 52. 63 Equal Employment Opportunity Commission 2,195 32 15 46. 88 Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency 1,140 12 5 41. 67 The years that followed 1991 brought significant changes in the American political landscape and in the entire federal work force. New Presidents brought new concepts and practices regarding women in high positions. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Condoleezza Rice as also Attorne General Janet Reno became the pioneering and powerful women to hold cabinet positions, and other appointees like Donna Shalala as Secretary of Health and Human Services, Alice Rivlin at the Office of Management and Budget, and Sheila Widnall as Secretary of the Air Force caused one dignitary to comment that when senior staff members meet at White House 11 meetings half the attendees are usually women. This is however farfetched and isolated compared to the large array of discriminatory evidence available.

Reyes Surname Meaning and Origin

The surname Reyes was often bestowed as a nickname for a man who carried himself in a regal, or kingly, fashion, from the Old French  rey, meaning king. It could also have applied to one who plays the part of a king in a pageant (such pageants were popular in the 13th century) or someone who works in the kings house. Another possible origin is as a topographical surname for someone who  lived at a rea, a piece of hard ground within a marsh.   Reyes is the 19th most popular Hispanic surname and the 81st most popular surname in the United States. Reis is the Portuguese spelling of this surname. Also similar in origin to the German Reich, Dutch Rijk, and English ​King. Surname Origin:  Spanish Alternate Surname Spellings:  REYEZ, REIES, REIS   Famous People with the Surname Reyes Lucila J. Sarsines Reyes - Peruvian performerTurgut  Reis -  Ottoman admiral and privateerJohann Philipp Reis - German scientist and inventorRafael Reyes - former president of ColombiaDennys Reyes - Mexican professional baseball pitcher; former MLB pitcher Where Do People With the Reyes Surname Live? The surname distribution data at  Forebears  ranks Reyes as the 226th most common surname in the world, identifying it as most prevalent in Mexico and with the highest density in the Northern Mariana Islands. The Reyes surname is the 6th most common surname in the Dominican Republic, 7th in the Northern Mariana Islands, and 9th in Belize and Honduras. The Reis surname is most prevalent in Brazil, where it ranks 40th, and borne by the highest percentage of individuals based on population in Portugal, where it ranks 33rd. Within Spain, Reyes is found most commonly in the southwestern regions of Andalucia and Extremadura,  according to  WorldNames PublicProfiler.  Ã‚   Genealogy Resources for the Surname Reyes 100 Most Common U.S. Surnames Their MeaningsSmith, Johnson, Williams, Jones, Brown... Are you one of the millions of Americans sporting one of these top 100 common last names from the 2000 census? 100 Most Common Spanish SurnamesHave you ever wondered about your Spanish last name and how it came to be? This article describes common Spanish naming patterns and explores the meaning and origins of 100 common Spanish surnames. How to Research Hispanic HeritageLearn how to get started researching  your Hispanic ancestors, including the basics of family tree research and country-specific organizations, genealogical records, and resources for Spain, Latin America, Mexico, Brazil, the Caribbean and other Spanish speaking countries. Reyes Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Reyes family crest or coat of arms for the Reyes surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male-line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted.   REYES Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Reyes surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Reyes query. FamilySearch - REYES GenealogyAccess over 10 million free historical records and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Reyes surname and its variations on this free genealogy website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. REYES Surname Family Mailing ListsRootsWeb hosts several free mailing lists for researchers of the Reyes surname. DistantCousin.com - REYES Genealogy Family HistoryExplore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Reyes. The Reyes Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse family trees and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the last name Reyes from the website of Genealogy Today. Sources: Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998.Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003.Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989.Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003.Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997.Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.