Group homes are residential facilities for persons with developmental delays, substance abuse problems or mental illness, or who are homeless. Group home staff members are usually required to lead several types of activities per week at the group home. These activities may not seem important, but they are proven methods for building social skills, teaching and improving activities of daily living, and helping some make the transition from the group home to independent living. The structure of life at a group home and of regularly scheduled activities allow many who live there to feel secure enough to begin working on improving some areas of their lives without worrying about the stress of getting their everyday survival needs met.
Skill-building Groups
Skill-building groups consist of education and demonstration of everyday independent living skills. The point of these groups is to improve the clients' mastery of adult daily living skills, or ADLs. Clients learn like keep track of appointments using a calender, create an emergency contact list, use public transportation and make doctor appointments. These skill-building groups also teach household skills, like clean, cook and grocery shop. The idea is to empower the client to do as many things independently as possible.
Vocational Support Groups
These groups are for clients who are interested in working outside of the group home. The groups teach skills like fill out a job application, tie a tie and the importance of being on time. Clients learn get copies of necessary legal documents, like social security cards and state IDs.The clients also have the opportunity to practice interview skills and network with each other about possible openings. In some instances, vocational support groups include job training, especially if the clients will be working at the agency or with a partnering agency.
Drug and Alcohol Support
At many group homes, there are chapters of clubs like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA). These are 12-step programs designed to offer support for recovering and recovered addicts. Some group homes may have these types of activities in more of a support-group setting facilitated by a therapist or counselor instead of in formal groups. These groups teach the clients who live in the group home that they can rely on each other for support and encouragement.
Group Talk Therapy
Group talk therapy is probably the most common activity that occurs regularly at a group home. Clients are invited to sit in a circle with a trained facilitator, usually a therapist. The clients address their concerns with the program, talk about their day, reach out for support and talk through any issues they may be having. It's usually a free forum to discuss or share anything that may be on the client's mind. The facilitator maintains a supportive environment and helps clients communicate their feelings.
Social Skills-building Group Recreational Activities
These are the activities you hear about when you think of group home activities. These include arts and crafts, movie nights, field trips and board games. Through these activities, clients learn valuable social skills. Aside from the positive, healthy social interaction, clients also reap the healing benefits of laughter and fun. This is usually where friendships are made and where staff can really connect with clients. Sometimes you can learn more about a client's life during a game of cards than in a therapy session.
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