Pre group meeting is a platform that allows attendees to acquire information to make an informed decision about whether the group is good for them, meet the facilitators, ask any special questions, and get a sense of the physical atmosphere. The pre-group interview is a supplement to established organizational intake, evaluation, and support processes meant to fulfill professional and regulatory standards. Normally, the pre-group interview lasts 45 to 60 minutes (Blanchard & McBride, 2020). It allows facilitators to individually connect with and engage potential participants while ensuring they have access to the right assistance.
Pre-group interviews’ main goal is to provide facilitators and potential members a chance to discuss individual and collective objectives and decide whether they would fit in with the group. It should take place in person, if possible. Information about the foundation’s group and host service, extra support choices, the identities of the facilitators, the group’s location, access, and parking, the start date and duration of the group, and the content structure and processes are just a few of the crucial subjects to include (Blanchard & McBride, 2020). Therefore, addressing issues with transparency, confidentiality, security, and commission is crucial.
Furthermore, the opening meeting establishes member expectations for the group, which may aid the entire group in remaining focused on therapeutic goals. Group members who prepare for group therapy may have higher group cohesion, deviate less from duties and goals, be more committed to attending sessions, have less anxiety, better understand their responsibilities and actions in the group, and have more faith in the group as a whole (Blanchard & McBride, 2020). Cognitive learning, vicarious experience, and behavioral practice are the three basic approaches to preparing members for the group experience.
Reference
Blanchard, A. L., & McBride, A. (2020). Putting the “group” in group meetings: Entitativity in face-to-face and online meetings. Research on Managing Groups and Teams, 71–92. Web.