Leadership in low intensity Intermediate Treatment groups

Area of Science:

• Social Work
• Adolescent Psychology
• Group Dynamics

Background:

• Small group work with adolescents has grown significantly in social work over the past decade.
• A common model involves groups of eight adolescents with two leaders, meeting weekly for six months.
• This approach, while less prominent than intensive interventions, remains a vital part of social work practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the challenges inherent in leading small groups of adolescents within the context of intermediate treatment.
• To examine how historical developments and underlying social work attitudes have contributed to these leadership challenges.
• To propose a novel three-stage developmental model for analyzing leadership styles in adolescent social work groups.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative analysis of leadership challenges in adolescent small groups.
• Exploration of historical influences on intermediate treatment group work.
• Development of a three-stage model for leadership style assessment.

Main Results:

• Identified specific problems encountered in leading adolescent social work groups.
• Traced the origins of these problems to historical trends and core social work philosophies.
• Formulated a structured, three-stage model to guide the understanding of leadership dynamics.

Conclusions:

• The leadership of adolescent social work groups is complex and influenced by historical and attitudinal factors.
• The proposed three-stage model offers a framework for understanding and developing effective leadership in this setting.
• Further research into leadership styles can enhance the effectiveness of intermediate treatment for adolescents.