Administrative overview of keys to establishing an effective psychoeducational group program.

1. 10+1 GUIDELINES FOR EFFECTIVE PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL GROUPS
David Barry, Psychoeducational Groups
Guiding Principle:
“What participants learn is far more important that what the facilitator says or does”.
Focusing on learner outcomes is the guiding principle in designing, developing and facilitating
psychoeducational groups. When focusing on learner outcomes is in the forefront of all activities
the intent of the psychoeducational groups is much more likely to be achieved. This guiding
principle places emphases on how to help participants learn.
Now, focusing attention on helping participants learn appears to be an obvious part of
instruction. However, psychoeducational group developers often become trapped into spending
more time on developing content-based lesson plans than really thinking about how the
participants will achieve the desired learning outcome. Developers can also be trapped into
using “fun” exercises or using other instructional strategies that are d not necessarily focus on
helping the participants achieve the desired outcomes.
Focusing on learner outcome needs to also be in the forefront of all activities when conducting
psychoeducational groups. When focusing on learner outcomes is the guideline for conducting
the sessions then there is greater emphasis on the learner more than just presenting
information. For more information on this distinction refer to the presentation on “Facilitating
Learning in Psychoeducational Groups.”
In rest of this article presents important guidelines for ensuring the success of your
psychoeducational groups. It is the guiding principle of having learner outcomes at the forefront
of all activities that needs to give direction to the guidelines discussed below.
Guidelines for Effective Psychoeducational Groups
1] Gain Clear Administrative Support.
2] Align the psychoeducational group programs with the mission and treatment goals of the
organization.
3] Develop group psychoeducation courses with clear goals and opportunities for self-
assessment.
4] Secure a positive learning environment.
5] Design psychoeducational group courses that maximize learner involvement.
6] Utilize principles of group development in the design of the Psychoeducational Group
Courses.
7] Maximize the potential for learning using by structuring instructional activities and exercises.
8] Build in realistic time frames for group psychoeducational courses.

2. 9] Balance structure with flexibility in facilitating the psychoeducational groups.
10] Celebrate the successes and learn from the mistakes.
1] Gain Clear Administrative Support:
Gaining clear administrative support is a must for Psychoeducational Group facilitators and
program administrators. This administrative support is important for two reasons:
 Psychoeducational group providers often compete for resources with other service
providers. Having administrative support will help Psychoeducational group providers
secure necessary resources.
 Participants often view the value and benefits of a program based on the status of that
program. Programs that have of administrative sport have a perceived higher value. The
status of the program will have participants view the program as important and enhance
its potential benefit.
Gaining administrative support is not to be taken for granted. Program providers must work for
this support. A few keys to gaining support are to deliver the programs promised, provide timely
and accurate program evaluation information to administrators and to get input from
administrators on ways to improve the program.
No matter how well a psychoeducational programs is operating, lack of administrative support
will leave it short when resources are tight and have the value of the program questioned by
participants and other service providers.
2] Align the psychoeducational group programs with the mission and treatment goals of the
organization.
Having a clear link between the psychoeducational group courses and the treatment goals of
the organization is a must. It can be easy to develop psychoeducational groups that are “fun” or
“keep people busy”. There are also many pre-packaged group programs that can be easy to
run. However the group psychoeducational programs that are offered need to be part of the
overall treatment mission of the organization. One method to measure this fit between the
treatment mission of the organization and group psychoeducation courses is compare how well
the group goals match the individual treatment goals of the participants’ service plans.
For some psychoeducational groups there might be two distinct types of group goals.
 Content Goals: One type of group goal, Content Goals, focus on the intended learning
outcome of the course. For example “participants will be able to demonstrate symptom
management skills that will reduce stress” or “participants will develop a relapse
prevention plan”.
 Process Goals: Another type of goal, Process Goals, describes how participants are
able to focus on a task, interact with others or become involved in a program. For some
individuals rudimentary pro-social skills like “being able to interact with others for 45
minutes with becoming disruptive” can be an important outcome. For individuals who are
unable to manage their time or complete a task, being able to “attend 8 sessions on

3. time, without prompting and complete all learning tasks” can be an important treatment
outcome.
3] Develop group psychoeducation courses with clear goals and opportunities for self-
assessment.
When participants have a clear understanding of what they are to learn and a method to
measure their success they are much more likely to succeed. Clear goals help participants
keep focused. Clear goals also help participants evaluate their progress.
Psychoeducational group goals need to be written in behavioral
terms and describe the intended outcome of the group The
behavioral terms are expressed using action verbs like demonstrate, Skill
develop, show or apply.
Cog
There are three domains for learning. The Cognitive Domain will nitiv
have goals describing what information participants are able learn. e Affec
The Affective Domain has goals describing the values or attitudes tive
that are focus of the instruction. And, the skill domain describes what
specific types of behaviors the participant is expected to demonstrate
at the end of the psychoeducational group course.
In many situations psychoeducational courses can have all three of these learning domains as
part of their goals. For example for a participant to learn a new skill they must value or
recognize the importance of the skill [Affective Domain]. Often learning a new skill involves
understanding some basic information or a set of general principles [Cognitive Domain]. And
finally the participant needs to demonstrate the skill [Skill Domain].
In a very specific example for a course on Assertiveness Training participants need to believe
that they can assert themselves and that this assertiveness will help them better their lives. The
participants will also need to know when it is important to be assertive and when it is less
important. Finally, the participants will need to be able to demonstrate assertive behaviors that
fit the situation.
 These learning domains are important in planning and delivering psychoeducational
group courses because they help the facilitators recognize the importance of having
participants: accept the importance of what is being taught,
 understand some basic principles
 demonstrate the skill or ability to apply the concepts being taught.
Self-assessment can occur periodically during a course or by having practice sessions
[assignments] between sessions that help build participant confidence and reinforce learning. A
variety of techniques can be used for these learning reviews. The learning reviews can be
formal written assessments, role plays, inter-group competition exercises and instructional
strategies. The goal of self-assessment is to help the participant master the new skill rather than
assigning a pass-fail type of grade. During the assessment it is important for the participant to
understand what parts of the new skill they have mastered and what they need to do to master
the whole skill. The primary focus of the assessment activity is to facilitate learning. A second
outcome of this assessment may be on how to increase the effectiveness of the specific lesson
or course.

4. 4] Secure a positive learning environment.
The more participants can focus on the message the more likely they will be able to learn. An
environment free of distractions will help learners focus. Ideally the physical space will have a
place to have posters or other materials related to the topics being taught. Facilitators need
space to keep learning materials. And, participants need to associate the space with an
opportunity to learn.
The physical space needs to have enough room for participants to move around or change the
seating arrangements of the classes as needed. Sometimes when a session seems to be going
nowhere a simple activity like changing the seating arrangements, going from a classroom, row
by row seating to a semi-circle can renew interest. The facilitator should be familiar with the
space and able to maximize the room so all participants can clearly see the material being
presented and the facilitator can observe and maintain eye contact with all participants.
A positive learning environment also provides a sense of security so when participants need to
do a demonstration or take a risk they feel they and the group will not be interrupted.
Participants need to feel safe in practicing new skills or discussing personal issues.
5] Design psychoeducational group courses that maximize learner involvement.
Most people learn best by doing. Learner involvement also helps keep participants interested in
the course. In general the facilitator should be talking less than 20% of the group time.
The real learning begins when There are many books and manuals that have
examples of group exercises, simulations and games.
the participants begin to talk
Part of the Psychoeducational Groups website
more than the facilitator.. “Lessons” also has examples of interactive exercises.
In addition to pre-packaged exercises there are several easy techniques to promote learner
involvement. Surveys about learner interest and opinions, quick quizzes followed by a
discussion of the quiz, rank ordering lists are simple methods to keep learners involved.
Another simple method to keep participants involved is to have them discuss a specific topic in
dyads or sub-groups and then report out to the entire class. The dyads and sub-groups provide
participants opportunities to share their idea, responses with a few people and get feedback
from them before sharing the ideas with the larger group. This small group discussion prior to
the larger group review can be a powerful tool in helping more withdrawn members become part
of the group.
Assigning psychoeducational group participants group roles can be another way to increase
their involvement and sense of ownership of the group. For example tasks like time keeper,
handing out information to group members, listing out group member responses and reviewing
group guidelines to new members can all increase member involvement. Even those members
not performing one of the above tasks often have a sense of vicarious participation watching
their fellow group members.

5. 6] Utilize principles of group development in the design of the Psychoeducational Group
Courses.
Psychoeducational groups experience many of the same dynamics as other traditional groups.
The group courses will go through stages of development, have the same competition for
leadership roles and potential for developing cohesion as more traditional groups. In the design
of group psychoeducational courses it is important to develop the individual session plans that
incorporate or at lease take into account these group dynamics.
In the beginning of almost al groups the members look for direction and structure from the
facilitator. As the group progresses members are more willing and want more shared leadership
in the group. Gradually assigning roles and rotating those roles will help members assume this
shared leadership. There can also me numerous opportunities to have the group members
make decisions about how the psychoeducational group sessions progress.
Incorporating group exercises that correspond to the stage of group development is another
method of integrating group dynamics into the course design. For example in the beginning of a
course members may not be very wiling to take chances or become involved in exercises where
then need to share personal information. As members feel a greater sense of trust and
cohesion they feel more comfortable in trying new behaviors in the group and in talking about
their experiences.
The presentation on “Promoting Group Development” discusses these dynamics in more detail.
7] Maximize the potential for learning using by structuring instructional activities and exercises.
Presenting, facilitating and processing an instructional activity all require good advanced
planning, a high level of interpersonal skill and some luck.
Form follows function in the First the course developer needs to be sure the
exercises fit the intended learning outcomes, the stage
use of instructional activities.
of group development and the level of functioning of the
group members. There are hundreds of fun exercises
that a facilitator can use in planning a psychoeducational group. But the exercise needs to meet
the group goals. Most often this will require modifying a specific exercise or the facilitator
developing his/her own exercise.
All materials need to be immediately available at the time the exercise is introduced to the
group. Nothing will diminish the potential of an exercise more than having members wait for
needed materials. Instructions for the exercise should be given at least twice and when possible
written down. When possible the facilitator needs to demonstrate the tasks first before the
group proceeds with the activity.
Introducing “prompt questions” before an activity will help learners focus on the purpose of the
activity and when processing the activity the prompt questions can be used again to review the
exercise. The use of prompt questions is very important when using more passive learning
activities like watching a short videotape or observing a role-play. For these more passive
activities it is recommended to go no longer than 10-15 minutes before a group discussion
period. Even for longer videotapes or extended role-plays a “stop and go” method can be used
to process sections of the activity.

6. Instructional activities are one of the best methods for maximizing learning but the use of the
activity needs to be well planned and facilitated to benefit the participants.
8] Build in realistic time frames for group psychoeducational courses.
Psychoeducational group courses should be developed based on the level of functioning and
anticipated length of stay of the group participants. Ideally group courses will go between 8-12
sessions. Research has shown that it often takes that many sessions before the message of the
course becomes adapted by the participants. However some participants are enrolled in a
program for les than two weeks and others for more than two years. Participants in an inpatient
psychiatric setting might not have the same capacity for concentration or ability to abstract as
participants in an outpatient clinic.
Psychoeducational group courses need to be developed to incorporate these differences. For
clinic settings with higher functioning participants being enrolled for longer periods of time longer
1-2 hour sessions are not uncommon. Individual courses may become parts of a larger
”curriculum”. For example a 12 session course on Relapse Prevention may become part of a
large curriculum focusing on Overcoming Mental Illness and Substance Abuse. On an acute in-
patient unit the courses need have fewer sessions 4-8 and a shorter time per session. For
example a 6 session course on Returning Home to Friends and Family might be presented 2-3
times per week for 30-45 minutes per session.
Developing courses based on participant characteristics and length of stay in the program will
help the facilitators tailor the message of the program and give participants the opportunity gain
the maximum benefit from the course.
9] Balance structure with flexibility in facilitating the psychoeducational groups.
Group psychoeducational programs are structured sessions with specific learner outcomes
identified for each session. Ideally sessions are developed so the information from one session
is built upon and used in the subsequent sessions. Learning activities are tailored to specific
groups with specific intended outcomes.
Group psychoeducational programs take A formed group will not go forward
place within a broader context of either a without addressing a major conflict or
treatment setting or larger community. important issue. That conflict or issue
People coming into the sessions may be will be part of the group life until it is
experiencing additional issues that to them addressed.
seem more important at the time. Specific
session topics or exercises may have more
impact on members that anticipated. There are an uncountable number of factors that can
impact on group participants and influence their behavior in a psychoeducational group.
Facilitators need to balance the intended purpose of their groups with participant needs. A
group activity that is planned to take one session might take two. A tragic incident involving a
group member might be the main concern of the group. A conflict between group members
might inhibit other group members for participating in a session.

7. A psychoeducational group plan is a plan and should be followed as much as possible, but if
participants are not ready to learn because of other factors then the facilitator needs to adjust
and modify before the group is ready to proceed.
10] Celebrate the successes and learn from the mistakes.
One of the benefits of group psychoeducational programs is that participants get a chance to
successfully complete a treatment. Participants can evaluate their mastery of the material
presented in the class and get positive recognition for finishing a program. For longer classes,
participants may be given an award or certificate or even have a special session at the end of a
course to formally recognize completion of the program. For many individuals there is the
intrinsic satisfaction of moving from one level of a program to the next level.
Developers and facilitators of psychoeducational groups also have the challenge of continuing
to update and keep the information they present fresh and current. Participants should have the
opportunity to formally evaluate the programs they participate in. Facilitators also need to
evaluate the programs they facilitate and share their successes with other facilitators and
discuss how to improve they programs they conduct. Part of the final session of a class should
also be dedicated to learner feedback.
Conclusions:
Psychoeducational Groups can be very effective in helping individuals learn how to more
effectively manage their lives. There are some fundamental principles such as integrating the
classes into the overall treatment operations of the larger organization, keeping the participants
involved and active, and critically evaluating the courses that will help make the
psychoeducational groups even more successful.