Post by Veritee on Aug 9, 2004 9:29:46 GMT
Hi Everyone
A number of women on here have said they either belong to or run a PNI support group or are thinking of running one.
However I am asked all the time where groups are and I have very little actual concrete information about where these groups can be found, times venue, what they do etc.
I am also trying to do a small bit of research to publish on this web site on effectiveness of such groups, what works best etc.
o if you know of a groups, run one or go to one can you enter the details and contact number or e mail for the group under this thread.
I will start in a new post.
At this time I only have permission to list a couple of the groups I know about - but I will add to them as I get permission.
If you want a group listed - either add it yourself or e mail the details to me
ADVICE FOR RUNING GROUPS
Below is what I have written in a previous threads about what I have found out about groups so far.
__________________________________________
It seems from what I have recently researched about support groups that the combination of a 'closed' group - where no new members either can or do, join, with no set agenda or activities can sometimes lead to women feeling the group is as they described 'feed' their PNI.
However it appears that 'closed' groups with something like an 6 to 8 week planned programme which at the end the group finishes, can be a very effective tool in jump starting women on the road to recovery.
In fact years ago when I first became a telephone counsellor for the APNI I contacted them with advice about forming a local support group and was told that at the time - about 10 years ago - they did not support face to face self help groups for exactly that reason as this had been an all to common experience of many members that had started groups.
They advised that the only type of group APNI supported was closed 'professional' groups with the help of a trained group worker with a set programme of a few weeks after which time the group closed
I think that as their are little or no facilities for women with PNI we can afford to take more riskd than that - but that we should carefully consider what sort of group this is the be before we begin.
From my research so far actually in certain circumstanses an open drop in group with no set agenda can be very helpful in terms of ongoing support as long as no member feel obliged to go every week and the membership is truly fluid with at least one new member ever couple of months and people using it less and less as they recover. This was group members are not encouraged to be 'stuck' in their illness.
In both cases what seems to tip the balance in terms of helpfulness is in the case of a ‘closed’ group , really skilled and experienced group workers and in the case of an ‘open’ group, that there is a real feeling of care and inclusion – that those who run it be it a HV, paid group worker, women with PNI, or recovered women work hard behind the scene to ensure a helpful and supportive atmosphere where all members are made to feel welcome whatever their stage of PNI. In other words no member ever feels they are tool ill or too well for the group or is not accepted for any other reason such as class, colour, creed, financial status etc.
One model is to run a six to eight week programmed closed group with an open supportive drop in for the members to go to when they feel like it for support after the closed group has finished.
This must all seem a tall order to get it right, but do not let it put you off, there are some successful groups out there and it is early days as PNI groups are a fairly new thing, so if you start a group, view yourself as a pioneer! Your experiences will add to the knowledge base about running such groups.
I will be starting a group in the autumn and while I have run many groups before – never a PNI group, so we will all be learning together.
And with this in mind please pass on your experiences so I can add them to my research and perhaps the web page.
Could you let me know how your group goes, and of course where it is and where it meets and if anyone can drop in or of it is a closed group?
If you want to talk over your plans with a person experienced in running such groups, Please contact me and I may be able to put you in touch with someone.
All the best
Veritee
A number of women on here have said they either belong to or run a PNI support group or are thinking of running one.
However I am asked all the time where groups are and I have very little actual concrete information about where these groups can be found, times venue, what they do etc.
I am also trying to do a small bit of research to publish on this web site on effectiveness of such groups, what works best etc.
o if you know of a groups, run one or go to one can you enter the details and contact number or e mail for the group under this thread.
I will start in a new post.
At this time I only have permission to list a couple of the groups I know about - but I will add to them as I get permission.
If you want a group listed - either add it yourself or e mail the details to me
ADVICE FOR RUNING GROUPS
Below is what I have written in a previous threads about what I have found out about groups so far.
__________________________________________
It seems from what I have recently researched about support groups that the combination of a 'closed' group - where no new members either can or do, join, with no set agenda or activities can sometimes lead to women feeling the group is as they described 'feed' their PNI.
However it appears that 'closed' groups with something like an 6 to 8 week planned programme which at the end the group finishes, can be a very effective tool in jump starting women on the road to recovery.
In fact years ago when I first became a telephone counsellor for the APNI I contacted them with advice about forming a local support group and was told that at the time - about 10 years ago - they did not support face to face self help groups for exactly that reason as this had been an all to common experience of many members that had started groups.
They advised that the only type of group APNI supported was closed 'professional' groups with the help of a trained group worker with a set programme of a few weeks after which time the group closed
I think that as their are little or no facilities for women with PNI we can afford to take more riskd than that - but that we should carefully consider what sort of group this is the be before we begin.
From my research so far actually in certain circumstanses an open drop in group with no set agenda can be very helpful in terms of ongoing support as long as no member feel obliged to go every week and the membership is truly fluid with at least one new member ever couple of months and people using it less and less as they recover. This was group members are not encouraged to be 'stuck' in their illness.
In both cases what seems to tip the balance in terms of helpfulness is in the case of a ‘closed’ group , really skilled and experienced group workers and in the case of an ‘open’ group, that there is a real feeling of care and inclusion – that those who run it be it a HV, paid group worker, women with PNI, or recovered women work hard behind the scene to ensure a helpful and supportive atmosphere where all members are made to feel welcome whatever their stage of PNI. In other words no member ever feels they are tool ill or too well for the group or is not accepted for any other reason such as class, colour, creed, financial status etc.
One model is to run a six to eight week programmed closed group with an open supportive drop in for the members to go to when they feel like it for support after the closed group has finished.
This must all seem a tall order to get it right, but do not let it put you off, there are some successful groups out there and it is early days as PNI groups are a fairly new thing, so if you start a group, view yourself as a pioneer! Your experiences will add to the knowledge base about running such groups.
I will be starting a group in the autumn and while I have run many groups before – never a PNI group, so we will all be learning together.
And with this in mind please pass on your experiences so I can add them to my research and perhaps the web page.
Could you let me know how your group goes, and of course where it is and where it meets and if anyone can drop in or of it is a closed group?
If you want to talk over your plans with a person experienced in running such groups, Please contact me and I may be able to put you in touch with someone.
All the best
Veritee
