Training of facilitators
on organizing and conducting support groupsFACILITATOR TRAINING IS THE PREPARATION OF YOUR EMPLOYEES TO ORGANIZE AND CONDUCT SUPPORT GROUPS FOR DIFFERENT TARGET AUDIENCES
This is an opportunity for your employees to gain and develop the necessary competencies to facilitate support groups for people experiencing a unifying crisis. In support groups, people have the opportunity to express their feelings, share their experiences and receive emotional support from others who have gone through similar experiences.
Support groups are voluntary associations of people who have similar problems and crisis life circumstances and meet for a prolonged period of time to provide mutual help and support, exchange information and resources that may be useful in solving their problems. The specificity of such groups is that the responsibility for organizing and conducting meetings lies on a professional facilitator, not on a group member. The facilitator moderates the group, guides discussions, promotes equal participation and manages the process.
Why is it important to train facilitators?
Due to the war on the territory of Ukraine, the number of people in need of quality social and psychological services has increased dramatically. Direct combatants, members of their families, military personnel, volunteers, refugees, internally displaced persons, foster parents and guardians, children and adolescents – this is a neverending list of those who request social and psychological assistance. Support groups are one of the most effective tools to help these target audiences. Therefore, the training of professionals in sufficient numbers is extremely important at this time.
Who is this service for?
For organizations and projects that feel the need to provide social and psychological services or expand existing services for clients by organizing and conducting support groups.
Course objective
Development of professional competencies of support group facilitators for people affected by war
Duration
month
Who is the training for?
For professionals with relevant education and experience in working with groups:
social workers
psychologists
employees of governmental organizations
employees of non-governmental organizations
volunteers
Competencies
that are formed during the course
Ability to understand the social and psychological characteristics of social work with people in crisis situations
Ability to recognize the phases of a crisis and communicate effectively in different phases with group members; ability to apply methods and techniques to the phase of the crisis
Ability to manage group dynamics and organize group workspace
Ability to organize the space and direct the work of the group, while respecting the limits of your own competence
How will the course be conducted?
The training course begins with taking part in a support group as participants, led by a course expert
The training program includes 5 training sessions. For each session, participants receive materials for self-study and homework
The course includes support groups for participants, which will result in supervision groups with experts
After the course, participants have a Q&A session with the experts
Participants’ knowledge is monitored through pre- and post-tests
Structure and competencies of the training program
Session 1
Prerequisites for psychological support: crisis, stress, trauma
AS A RESULT, YOU
Understand the concept of “stress” and its intense symptoms
Understand the meaning of the concepts of “psychotrauma” and “traumatic event” and their impact on a person
Know the differences between the concepts of “collective trauma” and “individual trauma” and “witness trauma”
Understand the concept of “PTSD” and its peculiarities
Know the main problems and needs of group members
Know the concept of “crisis”, the results of experiencing it by families and strategies for managing crisis situations
Are able to provide assistance to group participants according to their condition and needs
Are able to provide assistance to group participants according to their condition and needs
Know that support groups are an element in the system of providing assistance to civilians in times of war
Session 2
Coping with and overcoming the consequences of mass traumatic events
AS A RESULT, YOU
Understand the human capacity for recovery
Know the following concepts: personal resources, resilience, empathy, self-compassion, internal positive dialogue
Are able to support the psycho-emotional well-being of participants, empathize and work constructively
Are able to get in touch with the resources of participants and return them to the ability to get in touch with their resources
Session 3
Support groups: peculiarities of conducting and organizing (part 1)
AS A RESULT, YOU
Understand the nature and objectives of support groups
Know the main stages of support groups
Know the principles of crisis facilitation of a support group (environmental friendliness, openness, voluntariness, resource orientation)
Know how to share responsibility with participants
Session 4
Support groups: peculiarities of conducting and organizing (part 2)
AS A RESULT, YOU
Know the peculiarities of group dynamics
Know how to organize a group process (involvement, positioning of participants, setting norms, etc.)
Are able to understand the needs of participants, distinguish between the stages of group functioning and signs of transition from one stage to another
Understand the time and space conditions of the group during the meeting
Session 5
The role of the facilitator
AS A RESULT, YOU
Know how to manage group processes (involvement, positioning of participants, setting norms, role changes, containerization, etc.)
Have the skills to build and manage interactions in a group
Know how to use the basic tools of a facilitator: active listening, working with questions, paraphrasing and summarizing
Course speakers
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OKSANA MELNYCHENKO
Expert and trainer at NGO ILDC, director of the Social Services Center of the Vyshneve City Council, family mediator
