Kaiser Permanente, Psychiatry Department: Case Study

The group observed and analyzed was held at Kaiser Permanente, Psychiatry Department. The Intensive outpatient program (IOP) is held three times a week and each session is three hours. The purpose of the IOP program is for group members to explore and resolve their problems. Kaiser endorsed their mission is: “to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members” and the IOP’s purpose clearly addresses this mission statement. This is Kaiser’s most intensive outpatient treatment and the group therapy is sometimes used as an alternative to hospitalization; it is common for group members to exhibit acute symptoms of anxiety and depression throughout group sessions. Group interventions are designed to resolve present social and emotional problems, provide group members with opportunities to express their feelings and assisted in identifying their coping skills. The interdisciplinary team, includes a LCSW, psychiatrist and registered nurse, who provide psychotropic medication management and crisis intervention support. The average census of the group is 24 members and two …show more content…
Free floating was not observed and limited participation was observed from the new members. Two subgroups were noted. Two men towards the back of the room appeared to have side conversations throughout the session. A clique of three Hispanic women also maintained exchanges during the group. The group workers did not attempt to disintegrate or encouraged either of the subgroups to rejoin the larger group. Cohesion was mostly apparent when the larger group was broken into smaller process groups of 10 group members. It was witnessed that when a woman indicated that she wanted to leave her husband, another group member quickly provided information of a local shelter. According to Toseland and Rivas (2012), sharing resources is also a component of group