Group Facilitation Training for Counselors at a Community-Based Substance Use Treatment Program
Authors:
Julia Coleman, OT/s, Brynn Speroni, OT, MOT, OTR, Mary Alicia Barnes, OTD
Abstract:
In community-based substance use disorder (SUD) settings, a common literature gap exists: the lack of formal group training for counselors. Research emphasizes benefits to both counselors and clients from such training (Flores & Georgi, 2005; Oser et al., 2013). This project aims to address this gap by developing, implementing, and evaluating a 3-day group facilitation training program at a residential SUD facility. The goal of this training is to increase the counselors’ knowledge of group facilitation skills. Using the Kirkpatrick Model (Kirkpatrick, 1996), reaction and learning were assessed through qualitative responses and pre- and post-training surveys. Results from five participants (n=5) showed that the training effectively prepared them to lead groups, highlighting the potential impact of professional training on group facilitation in SUD settings.
Key Words:
Group, Facilitation,Training