Adolescent Suicide

According to King's article, "Practical Strategies for Preventing Adolescent Suicide", there are three steps to suicide prevention. The first step is "prevention". In this step, a social worker would need to gain awareness of suicide warning signs, risk factors, and take referral steps for the client. Warning signs can be behavioral, verbal, or environmental. The most common suicide warning signs are relationship loss, substance abuse, helplessness, isolation, weight fluctuation, financial loss, feelings of shame, family history of suicide, impulsivity, and depression lasting for more than two weeks. If warning signs are present, step two is "intervention". A social worker should show the client that they care about them, and should ask directly about their thoughts, feelings, plans, and means regarding suicide. If a client is suicidal, it is of utmost importance to provide them with a secure surrounding and maintain their safety. The worker should never leave a suicidal client alone. Direct questions and expression of feelings is extremely important in this step. If a client attempts suicide, the next step would be "postvention". During this step, a social worker should strive to build positive connections for the client and work toward set goals. Deglorification of suicide is key here. The worker should help the client learn new and effective coping skills, develop positive peer groups, and build conflict resolution skills. It is important to focus on strengths and build self-esteem and academic achievement, and to increase the client's involvement in activities that meet their interests.

Groups

A group is defined in this chapter as a small number of people who share similar interests or common problems and convene regularly and engage in activities to achieve objectives. There are two types of social work groups: treatment groups and task groups. The subtypes of treatment groups are support groups, educational groups, growth groups, therapy groups, and socialization groups. The subtypes of task groups are client needs, organizational needs, and community needs.

Because I have never been involved in a treatment group setting, this week's reading is the most exposure I have had to the concept. Unfortunately, my internship does not have these types of opportunities for me to shadow. However, because I work at a foster care agency, the youths in our program each have their own treatment team, or task group, which meets as a task group once per month. These treatment teams often consist of the county social worker, the case manager, the foster parents, any family members who are specified and allowed to participate, possibly a school board member, and the child. Task groups are organized to meet client, organizational, and community needs. Instead of focusing on member growth and achievement, these types of groups focus on developing policies and making decisions. The treatment team meets once per month for the purpose of coordinating ideas and efforts to benefit a particular client, in this case, the child. Task groups begin much like treatment groups, as they start with introductions of the members, identifying the purpose, discussing rules and decision making methods, setting goals, and identifying possible obstacles.

Although I have yet to be included in a group meeting of any kind, this reading taught me what to expect when the time comes. I feel prepared and eager to try engaging in group work at my internship and in my future as a social worker. After reading the different options, I believe that I would prefer to participate in leading a treatment group, specifically a support or growth group.