Disability SARs and the small group experience: A conceptual framework

Abstract

Since 1973, Sexual Attitude Reassessment (SAR) workshops have been conducted at our hospital for persons with physical disabilities, health care professionals, and interested members of the community. An important element of the effectiveness of the SAR program as a change agent is the small group experience. To understand better the SAR small group process, we developed a conceptual framework consisting of six stages which we believe occur during most SAR small group experiences. These are: Anticipation, Rebellion, Confluence, Differentiation, Connection, and Termination. For each stage, we describe characteristic group behavior, general intervention strategies, specific facilitative activities, and the role of the facilitator. Anonymous evaluations of 398 participants regarding various aspects of the small group experience for groups facilitated by the authors and those facilitated by other staff members during ten consecutive SAR workshops are reported. Based on our experience in using this framework, we believe the effectiveness of the small group experience does not happen automatically and that successful facilitation requires good group skills as well as an understanding of group process in the special context and limitations of a disability SAR.