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The basis of this group is to provide information, support, and an opportunity to connect with others for parents of refugee families that have recently arrived in Canada, as such I will present both support and educational group interventions; the opportunity for recent arrivals to connect is important because “members provide opportunities for socialization and for validation and normalization of problems and concerns. The presence of others also gives members an opportunity to learn from the experience of peers, to receive feedback, and to have role models and practice partners who can help with efforts to change” (Toseland & Rivas, 2011, p. 16). Worth noting is that “a refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war or violence. A refugee has a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group.”, as such emphasis shall be placed upon taking both an anti-oppressive and trauma-informed approach, and upon being cognizant of cultural diversity within the group (USA for UNHCR, n.d., para 1).

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Needs/Issues

Refugees originate from many countries and are not a homogenous group, like most groups they are made up of individuals of diverse age, gender identity, and ethnic backgrounds, and as such their needs can be varied. For one, “the health needs of people forcibly displaced are diverse, ranging from non-communicable diseases to mental health, to sexual and reproductive health.” (Miliband & Tessema, 2018, p. 2531). Refugees may also need support for different mental health challenges, according to Lacroix & Sabbah (2011) “studies increasingly associate PTSD, comorbid depression, and psychological distress in refugee populations (see Momartin, Silove, Manicavasagar, & Steel, 2004) with insecure environments, emotional and cognitive turmoil related to the experience of forced migration, postmigration conditions (e.g., adapting to new living conditions in countries of asylum or resettlement), and structural stressors such as problematic and complex refugee determination processes” (p. 45).

One should not assume that everyone who is a refugee is struggling with mental health challenges but “studies that focus on the mental health of refugees after arrival in Europe, for example, note that social disadvantages such as low income and economic difficulties are associated with psychological distress and suicide among immigrants and refugees living in exile” (Simich, Hamilton, & Baya, 2006, p. 419). Refugees may not only need support with accessing housing, resources, income and economic support, and social and mental health supports, but “will need to navigate various practical tasks in an unfamiliar environment, often with limited fluency in the language of the receiving community.” (UNHCR, n.d., para 1).

Strengths

Refugees, being a diverse group, possess many potential strengths. Refugees possess prior lived experience, demonstrate resilience in making their way through the refugee process, they often bring the strength of family or friendship along their refugee journey, may possess education, skills, or trades obtained in their country of origin, and bring their culture, heritage, language skills, religious or spiritual beliefs, and other individual strengths to the table as well. Refugees can adapt to new environments and achieve success, according to Liu et al. (2020) “some women stated that they perceived Canada to have more opportunities for women to receive education or be employed in comparison to their source country; some women stated that they would be discouraged from being employed in certain jobs or from receiving education in their source country. This comparative increase in opportunities led some women to adopt a more proactive mindset in Canada.” (p. 3). Liu et al. (2020) go on to state that “positive coping strategies helped refugees manage the stress of resettlement. Coping strategies included religion/spirituality, self-care, and most prominently, acceptance and positivity.” (p. 4).

It's important to recognize that refugees, while perhaps needing assistance, are not helpless. Liu et al. (2020) notes that “motivators such as wanting to help family members, wanting future generations to prosper, and reaching financial stability, fuelled proactivity. Refugees mentioned their desire to secure financial stability as motivation to learn English and find employment.” (p. 4). Refugees also build on what they already have, Liu et al. touches on this when noting that “integration into society was established by maintaining a strong personal identity while also being flexible to adapt components of a new culture.” (p. 4). Tippens (2020) acknowledges that “there has been momentum in the past decade to focus on refugees’ resilience”, that momentum, the focus on acknowledging resilience and existing strengths, could be integrated into the group process in the form of strengths-based approach. (p. 42)

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Type of Groups

As mentioned at the beginning this group will incorporate both educational and support group interventions.

Educational Group

Educational groups are appropriate for working with refugees because “all educational groups are aimed at increasing members’ information or skills. Most groups routinely involve presentations of information and knowledge by experts. They also often include opportunities for group discussion to foster learning” (Toseland & Rivas, 2011, p. 24). Utilizing this group format allows group members to engage with each other in relation to any information or education being presented, which makes for a more visceral end engaged learning experience, it also allows group members to gradually develop rapport with each other over a shared goal, the learning. Making the group a partially educational group also gives group members the opportunity to share their knowledge, tips, ways of coping, and approaches to problem solving that have worked for them.

Support Group

According to Toseland & Rivas (2011) “support groups can be distinguished from other groups using supportive intervention strategies by their primary goals: to foster mutual aid, to help members cope with stressful life events, and to revitalize and enhance members’ coping abilities so they can effectively adapt to and cope with future stressful life events.” (p. 20). This support aspect, the group being able to help members cope, it’s both important and appropriate to integrate when working with refugees because both the process of fleeing one’s country and working through the process to obtain refugee status in another country can be incredibly traumatizing experiences. George (2012) provides an example of how the process can be traumatizing when noting that “a study of psychological distress and migration trauma among South Asian refugee claimants in Indian refugee camps and in Canada (George 2009; 2012) found that those refugee claimants in Canada, had higher scores for psychological distress and trauma, likely due to the greater degree of interrogation by immigration officials.” (p. 430). This example illuminates why mutual aid and the other benefits provided by a support group are important, George (2012) later notes that “group-based interventions grounded in cultural competency and spirituality could more effectively provide support to refugees” (p. 433).

Groups to Avoid

Online groups, while having the benefit of being more accessible for some individuals, are a group type that probably wouldn’t be appropriate for working with refugees. If one of the goals of the group is to provide an opportunity for group members to help each other, develop rapport, and provide mutual aid I question whether an online group would be as effective as an in-person group. Other issues could be a lack of access to the required technology, a lack of an internet connection, and individuals not understanding how to navigate or use the required technology. Again, refugees aren’t a homogenous group and come from all over the world, it’s quite possible that language could also be an issue because of this; some individuals may have a limited grasp of the English and French languages in terms of reading, writing, speaking, and understanding, during an in-person meeting it’s possible that other group members or group facilitators may be able to help translate. I also question whether group members would get the support they need out of an online group, Turner (2017) notes that “some online groups do not provide the level of support or intimacy participants may require in order to divulge personal information” (p. 18).

Role of the Facilitator and Issues of Power

According to Pelech, Basso, Lee, & Gandarilla (2016) “the worker’s role in the group is to assist the group to become an effective agent of change” (p. 127). Within the context of this group the role of the facilitator is multifaceted, part of assisting the group in becoming an agent of change involves holding space for group members, acting as a catalyst at times and initiating conversation or discussion, implementing a degree of structure in the form of icebreakers or check ins, taking on a teaching role when providing information or resources, and working to help foster a group culture where there is room for group members to direct conversation, topic discussion, and to provide support, knowledge, and connection to each other. On the other hand, the leader is to share a degree of power with group members, Pelech et al. (2016) touch on this when stating that “indeed, one indicator that one is working in a functional and empowering group is that the group provides opportunities for each of its members to undertake a leading role when needed by the group” (p. 127). The sharing of information, resources, and power is important because group members, as refugees, may feel disempowered by the refugee process and all that it entails. Providing a safe, structured environment helps facilitate safety and give group members an idea of what to expect as sessions progress. The leader also strives to facilitate and engage with group members in a culturally competent manner, George (2012) speaks to the importance of this when stating that “cultural competence is necessary or the provision of care to clients with diverse values and beliefs, and of varied race and ethnicity, as well for tailoring service delivery to meet clients’ social, cultural, and linguistic needs” (p. 433).

Issues of Power

Busch Nsonwu, Busch-Armendariz, Cook Heffron, Mahapatra & Fong (2013) state that “refugees have fled their native countries and are unable or unwilling to return to their homelands because of actual or feared persecution based on race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion”, as such it’s likely many refugees are to have experienced oppression and trauma in some form (p. 129-130). One issue of power stems from the inherent power imbalance between the facilitator and group members, if the facilitator doesn’t practice mindfulness and take an anti-oppressive approach to facilitation and groupwork there’s always the risk that the facilitator could become the oppressor. Regarding oppression factor it’s important to the consider that “one would be overly deterministic to assume that oppression has the same effects on all people within a particular social group, such as poor people or persons with disabilities or people of colour, and so on” (Mullaly & West, 2018, p. 291). One way to approach oppression with the group, besides taking an anti-oppressive approach, could be an open group discussion about structures of oppression and barriers to services and resources experienced by group members.

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The planning process is the foundation upon which the group is built, it’s when the facilitator deliberates over questions such as what the group the group is meant to accomplish and how, how should the group be designed, how many group members should there be, how many sessions make up the group and how often does the group meet, how long should each session be, how is the group advertised, should the group be an open group or a closed one, who makes up the group, what does facilitation looks like and who does it, and how goes on get their agency on board? (Lindsay & Orton, 2014).

The target group is the parents of refugee families that have arrived within Canada over the past year and will be composed of 10-12 members to account for both single parents and parent couples. Advertisements could be put up in community centres, local multicultural societies, places of worship, and at local agencies who provide support services. Advertisements could also be placed online via social media. The group is a closed group so potential members would need to apply to be considered, given that sensitive matters may arise as part of the support group process having a more transient membership does not seem appropriate. The group will take place over twelve sessions and each session will last two hours, the first hour would feature the educational group components and the second hour would feature the support group process; the reasoning for the group process being lengthier is to help facilitate connections between group members and given that many group members will have experienced trauma a shorter group didn’t seem appropriate. The group would meet once a week in a local community setting, one that is ideally accessible to as many members as possible and that provides privacy for confidentiality reasons.

Part of the application process for potential group members would include details regarding ethnicity, languages spoken, languages read, dietary restrictions, and country of origin. Given the diverse range of countries refugees originate from language will be an important factors for both cohesion and budgetary reasons. It’s more than likely any combination of members will result in a group that speaks multiple languages, finding language commonalities could potentially make the process of finding interpreters easier. Corey, Corey, & Corey (2018) state that “one of the keystone conditions for effective group work is confidentiality. It is especially important because in leading a group you must not only keep the confidences of members but also get the members to keep one another’s confidences.” (p. 68). Because there may not be one common tongue amongst all group members confidentiality agreements featured in languages participants would be able to read, and a discussion regarding confidentiality at the first session, would be how confidentiality would be initially approached. Any food provided over the course of the group sessions would need to consider any dietary, cultural, or religious restrictions as part of ongoing cultural competency.

Icebreakers, any activities, and the educational portion of each group meeting would also need to take cultural competency into consideration. As such, it’s important that the facilitator needs to have explored the content they plan on presenting to ensure that it’s both relevant and appropriate. Sands & Sullivan (2003) conclude that “an equal amount of thought should be given to the educational content of the group. Depending on one’s professional experience with this population, one may begin with some ideas about what potential group members needs to know. Further advice may be obtained by consulting with consumers, social work peers, and professional experts. A search of the professional literature can help one to identify articles and books that will inform the development of topics and content within each topic” (p. 13).

To involve the group members and share power the facilitator would ask the group within the first few seasons if there are particular subjects of interest they may wish to have included as part of the educational portion of groups, this would be asked well in advance to give the facilitator time to look into requested information but the instructor would need to be clear that they wouldn’t be making any promises regarding content so as to maintain trust. Subjects covered could include but not be limited to navigating jobs and employment within Canada, local resources and agencies, healthy ways of managing stress, self-care, how to access parental classes and support, how to navigate government bureaucracy and where to access support and social workers who could help them navigate systems, and rights group members are entitled to as immigrants. Icebreakers would ideally be neutral, and involve members telling the group about themselves, things they like, breathing exercises, mindfulness and meditative exercises, and other culturally sensitive options.

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Beginning Phase

When working with refugees “the relevance of understanding race, ethnicity, and culture in therapeutic interventions cannot be underestimated” (George, 2012, p. 433). Defaulting to a strictly western paradigm would not be appropriate, George (2012) suggests that “when working with refugees in group intervention, an appreciation for traditional ceremonies within the cultural context of the group, along with an understanding of main stream societal interventions, can enhance the therapeutic process and build rapport” (p. 433). The utilization of ceremonies and rituals within an icebreaker or support group context could be beneficial to the group, in fact “most indigenous healing traditions around the world, from those of Australian aboriginals and Native Americans to those of Zulus and Bushmen from Southern Africa, incorporate group rituals into their “treatments” and have been doing so for tens of thousands of years” (Englar-Carlson & Kottler, 2015, p. 118).

The first session would be started with an appropriately chosen icebreakers, the first would involve going around in a circle and having each group member telling the rest of the group three or four things about themselves, group members would be informed before the exercise began that they could share what they wanted or pass if they weren’t comfortable sharing. After the icebreaker the facilitator would explain what the purpose of the group is and how the group would operate each week, with one hour being the educational component and the second hour transitioning into a support group. Confidentiality would be explained, and it would be requested that what is said at group stays at group. The instructor would then explain the concept of a group contract and explore what that might look like with group members, the instructor would either have a large whiteboard present or a large piece of paper on which the instructor or group members could write aspects of the group contract on. Pelech et al. (2016) point out that a couple other useful things to cover would be the group is at it’s best when everyone is involved and that members should try their best to be both respectful and considerate of each other to make the group a safe and comfortable place for everyone (p. 122).

Once all introductory information has been presented the facilitator would field potential questions from the group, and once that was concluded they would get ask each group member to sign the group contract; members would be allowed to sign in whichever language they are able to write in, and if a group member cannot write support would be provided. Pelech et al. (2016) contend that “a written contract is recommended, and in research on AIDS groups in Canada, members found it to be beneficial in ensuring confidentiality, a prerequisite to a trusting, safe, and productive atmosphere” (p. 125).

Confidentiality could become an issue is the facilitator and agency aren’t careful, it should protect group members while in group and out of group; Corey, Corey, & Corey (2018) point out that “some cultures consider therapy to be shameful and only for mentally ill people. To minimize any risks of breaking confidentiality, avoid leaving phone messages or sending mail to members’ home addresses if they live with family members.” (p. 72). Another potential issue could stem from cultural norms, Corey, Corey & Corey (2018) caution that “some cultures promote sharing of all personal information with their families, and members could feel pressured to share details with their family members.”, members should be encouraged to only share their personal experience within the group to safeguard the privacy of other members (p. 72).

Middle Phase

According to Englar-Carlson & Kottler (2015) “if groups grow beyond the experimental stage—many do not, and some should not—a cohesive engagement stage is entered. This is what is ordinarily described as the “working stage,” which means that sufficient trust and accommodation have been reached to enable productive activities to take place”, this would accurately describe the middle stage (p. 102). Once group members have settled in a bit and work is happening issues and group dynamics are likely to present themselves within the group.

Given that the group members are likely to reflect diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds there is a chance that said diversity leads to conflict within the group given “members often bring a number of value-laden issues to a group: religion, spirituality, sexual orientation, abortion, divorce, and family problems” (Corey, Corey & Corey, 2018, p. 75). Because this group is targeted towards parents’ values relating to parenting could be a source of conflict for example, but a source of conflict could easily be one of the aforementioned. Conflict can be a healthy and benefit a group, but it can also damage a group if not handled effectively, there are techniques the facilitator could utilize to approach conflict, one of which is no-lose problem solving; no lose problem solving “is based on two basic premises: (1) all people have the right to have their needs met, and (2) what is in conflict between the two sides is almost never their needs but their solutions to those needs” (Zastrow, 2009, p. 168).

Subgroups could also form throughout the middle phase based on factors such as ethnicity, gender, religion, sex, gender identity, country of origin, language shared, shared trauma or experiences, or similar views. One group dynamic, roles, could be an issue as well. Given that language skills could act as a barrier for some members the role of the quiet member could be a unique concern within a refugee group, Shulman (2012) describes said role when noting that “the quiet member is one who remains noticeably silent over an extended period of time.” (p. 525). The use of translators may be able to help the group member engage if language barriers contributed to a member taking on this role, or perhaps another member may decide to take upon the role of translator themselves. If navigated successfully by the facilitator and group members issues, conflict, roles, and contributing group dynamics could benefit group cohesion as the group will have successfully weathered storming.

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One of the most significant benefits of the group is the facilitation of connection between refugees, as “providing early social support can help reduce anxiety and assist resettled refugees to gain a sense of control and independence. Early positive relationships in the receiving community have other benefits, such as restoring a refugee’s sense of belonging.” (UNHCR, (n.d., para 1). The dual nature of the group process itself, it taking on aspects of both an educational group and a support group, provide group members with opportunities to engage with each other over a range of subject matter but also in a supportive capacity. By providing not only education, but community resources the group may also help assist individuals in reconnecting to cultural or religious institutions if they so desire, “supporting refugees to reconnect with the cultural and religious institutions that are familiar to them can assist them in maintaining their cultural integrity while building a new identity in the receiving community.” (UNHCR, (n.d., para 3).

A large benefit of the group is it provides group members with a safe environment in which they can discuss challenges related to parenting, this is noteworthy because Busch Nsonwu et al. (2013) note that “many of the issues associated with adjustment to the new culture and redefined roles appear to coalesce in the challenges of parenting children born either in the country of origin or the adopted country” (p. 137). The parenting related challenges experienced by refugees can be significant and stressful, Busch Nsonwu et al. (2013) go on to explain that “maintaining traditional values and practices is a challenge.” and that “refugee parents struggle with the loss of parental authority and their children’s increased freedom and independence. Age-related independence (as children turn 18 in the United States) is an adjustment for families who are used to living together and following strict family hierarchies well into adulthood” (p. 137). Having a support network, the group, whom which group members can discuss immigration, parenting, and culture related challenges could be incredibly beneficial.

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Group Endings and Life beyond This Group

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Group Endings and Life beyond This Group

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As this group is a closed group set to last twelve sessions from the outset and ending was always in sight, Pelech et al. (2017) note that “closed groups end for reasons related to the completion of a specific time-limited contract, the achievement of goals, or a group reaching an impasse in its work together. Because all members end at the same time, the group worker can assist all to deal with common ending issues.” (p. 179). Group members can react strongly to the ending of a group, some may openly grieve the group or express powerful emotions, the facilitator can offer support to group members and help them explore personal growth, skill development, changes in perspective, and lessons that they have learned and acquired throughout the group process (Pelech et al., 2017, p. 179). The facilitator could also point out that connections made with other group members do not have to be lost because the group is ending, there are opportunities for group members to continue building upon relationships they have made in-group outside of the group (Pelech et al., 2017, p. 179). The bonds made in-group can be important for refugees, in-group relationships can be incorporated into their personal lives and act as continuing supports.

Those who have recently arrived in Canada as refugees have experienced much, both during the process of leaving their country of origin and eventually resettling in Canada as refugees, as such it would be appropriate to make time for the feelings of group members in relation to the group ending.
An evaluation component should also be included in endings, the facilitator would ask the group which aspects of the group they enjoyed, they thought worked well, they didn’t enjoy, or they found lack luster. The facilitator would also inquire as to how improvements could be made to the group experience, or what group members would think would have made the group better. This would be done in a group discussion format; Pelech et al. (2017) point out that “contemporary group practitioners must view the requirement to assess the work done in groups as a necessity, as many funding sources are not prepared to continue funding these practice efforts unless accompanied by data to support these efforts” (p. 188). While perhaps adding a sour note to the ending of a lengthy group experience evaluation is necessary to both improve the group and potentially preserve it’s funding to run future groups.

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Refugees are individuals who have demonstrated incredible resilience, strength, and perseverance during the process of leaving their country of origin, making their way to Canada, and resettling in a complex new home. This group was designed to support the parents of recently arrived refugee families by providing a safe, trauma-informed, anti-oppressive environment in which they can be connected to resources, provided with education, and with an opportunity to meet and connect with other refugees who have experienced similar journeys. While refugees do experience hardships and encounter barriers, they do possess strengths and can thrive in their new home, in taking on aspects of both educational groups and support groups the impetus was always to support refugees in doing just that.

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Busch Nsonwu, M., Busch-Armendariz, N., Cook Heffron, L., Mahapatra, N., & Fong, R. (2013). Marital and familial strengths and needs: Refugees speak out. Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Social Work, 22(2), 129-144. https://doi.org/10.1080/15313204.2013.785350

Chapter 9, Beginnings (p. 117-126), in Pelech, W., Basso, R., Lee, C.D. &  Gandarilla, M. (2016). Inclusive group work. New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press.

Chapter 10, Leadership and Co-leadership (p. 127-142), in Pelech, W., Basso, R. , Lee, C.D. &  Gandarilla, M. (2016). Inclusive group work. New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press.

Chpt 13, Working with the individual in the group (p. 502-531) in Shulman, L. (2012). The skills of helping individuals, families, groups and communities, 7thed. Belmont, CA: Brooks Cole Publishing.

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Lindsay, T. & Orton, S. (2014). Groupwork practice in social work (3rd ed).

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Miliband, D., & Tessema, M. T. (2018). The unmet needs of refugees and internally displaced people. The Lancet (British Edition), 392(10164), 2530-2532. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32780-6

Mullaly, B., & West, J. (2018, January 2). Challenging Oppression and Confronting Privilege: A Critical Approach to Anti-Oppressive and Anti-Privilege Theory and Practice (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press.

Pelech, W., Basso, R., Lee, C., & Gandarilla, M. (2017). Inclusive Group Work. Oxford.

Sands, R. G., & Solomon, P. (2003). Developing educational groups in social work practice. Social Work with Groups (New York. 1978), 26(2), 5-21.

Simich, L., Hamilton, H., & Baya, B. K. (2006). Mental distress, economic hardship and expectations of life in canada among sudanese newcomers. Transcultural Psychiatry, 43(3), 418-444. https://doi.org/10.1177/1363461506066985

Tippens, J. A. (2020). Urban congolese refugees' social capital and community resilience during a period of political violence in kenya: A qualitative study. Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies, 18(1), 42-59. https://doi.org/10.1080/15562948.2019.1569744

Toseland, R., & Rivas, F. (2011). An introduction into groupwork practice (7th ed.) Allyn & Bacon

Turner, J. A. (2017). Online support groups: The good, the bad, and the motivated. Journal of Consumer Health on the Internet, 21(1), 11-25. https://doi.org/10.1080/15398285.2017.1279930

UNHCR. (n.d.). Promoting integration through social connections. UNHCR. Retrieved November 27, 2022, from https://www.unhcr.org/handbooks/ih/social-connections/promoting-integration-through-social-connections

USA for UNHCR. (n.d.). What is a Refugee? USA For UNHCR. Retrieved November 26, 2022, from https://www.unrefugees.org/refugee-facts/what-is-a-refugee/

Zastrow, C.H. (2009). Social work with groups, 7th ed. Brooks/Cole: Belmont, CA.