The New Volunteerism by Catherine Cavanaugh

Author:Catherine Cavanaugh [Cavanaugh, Catherine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Social Science, Sociology, General, Volunteer Work
ISBN: 9781412806855
Google: XhQLMQAACAAJ
Barnesnoble:
Publisher: Transaction Publishers
Published: 2007-01-15T02:07:55+00:00

B. Change of Contract: After about 12 meetings, the team leaders began both in the seminars and in individual supervision to become uncomfortable and uncertain about changes occurring within the groups. It became obvious from their material that the patients were beginning to use the group meetings in a very different way.

The Social Group, in spite of their name, said it for all groups when they decided that they did not want to do anything or go anywhere. They just wanted to “talk”. “To talk” meant:

1. Personal and particular discussions: Dorothy said to Alice, “It’s your fault. You don’t try to do anything about yourself.” George said to Charles, “You’re talking too much. Give someone else a chance.” And Harold said to the group, “Guess what happened to me today!”

2. More universal feelings: Janice expressed anger and pain at not having been invited to her sister’s wedding. Paul said, “Working and making money aren’t enough. You need something else. You have to be told by someone you care about that it matters.” And Ellen said, “Hey, I’m me!”

To generalize, there were certain themes that evolved in all of the groups, although they were expressed at different times and in different ways. The most prevalent of these was the sense of loneliness, loss, and fear of the future. As can be seen in Chart 2, the majority of the patients had little or no family contact, and they began to express their feelings of pain and anger at this rejection. The realistic side of these feelings is that it is very difficult, almost impossible, to become again an active community person with no one “on the outside” who cares.

C. The Team Leaders’ Response: At first, the team leaders questioned their ability to cope with the raw feelings that were coming out. They were afraid of not going far enough, of going too far, of making things worse. As one leader put it, “Is it really fair to allow such heavy discussions in a one-hour week meeting. Then they go back to the ward where there is no one who has the time to listen?”

In the training seminar for the group leaders, we helped them to verbalize and examine their fear of this kind of responsibility and their lack of self-confidence. Again, the close correlation between the content of both the training seminar and the patient/Case Aide group meetings was critical. The leaders were helped to utilize the seminar to discuss their own feelings; this “group” experience freed them. When they understood the value of sharing and support for themselves, they were able to allow, encourage, and handle this material in their groups.

Some of the leaders were more able to grow and accept these changes than others. It was at this point that they needed much more individual supervision, especially when different growth rates occurred between team leaders. We found that we could identify three models:

1. Some team leaders used their differences consciously and in a constructive manner. They maintained a clearer role separation purposefully.

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